Synopsis

Marco, the son of a lower-middle-class family growing up on the outskirts of a working-class neighborhood, has never been to the mountains. So when, thanks to a local youth club outing, he experiences his first starry night at high altitude, he discovers the scent of the forest, the nearby stars, and a sense of freedom he's never felt before. This discovery continues over the years, intertwined with his friendship with Martino, the son of workers and a natural mountaineer thanks in part to his strong relationship with his father, a fervent communist and even more fervent climber. The bond between the two boys deepens year after year and from peak to peak, from the cliffs of Lecco to the Rhaetian Alps, Mont Blanc, and the Brenta Dolomites. But between the enthusiasm of adolescence and the dilemmas of adulthood, a chasm opens up. A traumatic event reveals the harshest side of the mountain, that of inescapable fate. For the two lifelong friends, the choice is unavoidable: let it all sink in, or grit your teeth and seek a new summit? Even in the coldest hour, you can find the strength to be reborn, a new meaning in life, even love. Paolo Paci's primo romanzo , spanning decades and places crucial to our collective history, delicately recounts the process of growing up: among friends, in the mountains. It charts a sentimental, political, and mountaineering education.