Love is good
Synopsis
Zeno is fifteen years old and legally still a child. But in reality, he's been an adult for a while now; he became one precisely at ten, when his father ended up in prison and his mother began prostituting herself to support him and his sister. So Zeno, too, had to get busy and began "the business": muggings, robberies, and drug dealing. Until one day, a boy from another gang pulled up in front of him on his scooter, at the end of an alley in Forcella. Zeno immediately knew the boy wanted to kill him, and he pulled out his gun faster than Zeno. That's why he's currently incarcerated in the Nisida juvenile prison, and that's why when the judges sentenced him, "of all the punishments available for a child, they chose the harshest. Really harshest." In Nisida, he attends school, where he has an Italian teacher he likes, to whom he promised to write down his thoughts. In exchange, she will help him get a permit to spend Christmas with his mother. These pages are the result of that pact: they tell us Zeno's story up to this point, his childhood outside prison, the laughter and kisses of his sweetheart Natalina, and life inside the institution, amidst friendships, injustice, and loneliness; they recount his hopes and fears. In her debut novel, Francesca Maria Benvenuto has created an irresistible voice that, with its originality and candor, has already won over publishers in many countries.
Reviews
Jannat Radi
De Amicis High School of Cuneo, class 2B
This book tells the story of Zeno, a 15-year-old boy who grew up in the poor neighborhoods of
Naples. He talks about his difficult life, his family, and how he ended up in prison. The story is
written as if it were an essay for a teacher, the only person who seems to believe in him.
Zeno recounts everything without shame: his father's job, his mother's suffering, and his own
bad choices in trying to survive. Despite his hard life, he feels his love for his family and his
hope for a better future.
Samuel Canterino
De Amicis High School of Cuneo, class 2B
I really liked this book because it manages to talk about very profound topics and
the change that a boy can experience, having role models as guidance.
Giulia Patruno
De Amicis High School in Cuneo, class 3G
Zeno, a 15-year-old boy who already experiences the worst of life, yet despite everything, he never loses his desire to dream, hope, and believe in love. In prison, he's allowed to attend school, and through the kindness and trust of his teacher, he begins to write down his thoughts, talking about his life outside of prison, his family, and the friendships he's made inside. Zeno struck me and moved me because, despite his age, he's a boy perfectly aware of the dramas of his life: a father in prison, a mother forced into prostitution to support the family, and him, at just 10 years old, starting a career in drug dealing and robbery. Yet he's not ashamed to talk about it; for Zeno, it's normal; it's what he's always done. Ultimately, in Zeno's words, I sensed the desire and hope for a better future.
Maria Arese
De Amicis High School in Cuneo, class 3G
"L'amore assaje" by Francesca Maria Benvenuto is a novel that explores love in all its nuances, revealing both its beauty and its inherent difficulties. The book tells a profound story that goes beyond simple romantic love, also exploring the emotions and turmoil typical of youth. The characters are realistic and, despite their imperfections, manage to touch the reader's heart with their authenticity. The author invites us to reflect on the fact that, although love can be painful and difficult, it is precisely this intensity that gives life a profound and emotional meaning. I enjoyed it very much, but found it a bit difficult to read since it was written in Neapolitan dialect.
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