Marigold stands still, gazing at the sea shimmering in the golden light of dawn. She never thought she’d find herself there. Only a short time ago, she was dancing on the stages of the world’s most famous theaters. It was her destiny. Until the day an accident ended everything. With no certainty, she took refuge in Sicily with the only person she can call family: an elderly uncle. On that wonderful island, however, Marigold feels out of place. The memory of the life she lost is still too strong. Yet, little by little, something manages to break through her heart. There are the friends with whom she begins to walk in the beautiful surroundings of the village and who make her feel less alone; there is a man who listens to the song of whales and makes her soul vibrate; there is the sound of an old bell coming from the sea that she alone seems able to hear. It is like a call, but it is also a balm for her wounds. What Marigold can’t imagine is that it’s tied to secrets her family jealously guards. Despite herself, she finds herself drawn into a quest that forces her to question the meaning of belonging. The weight of prejudice. The meaning of the past when it’s a trap that forces us to remain inactive. And as the sun rises and the sea reflects the first rays of morning, Marigold tries to make peace with her and her family’s ghosts. Because to not feel alone, you have to open yourself to the new that is coming.
Cristina Caboni is one of the most beloved Italian writers of all time. With her distinctive sensitivity, she leads us into a new world of enchanting sounds and atmospheres. Of broken dreams and rebirths. Of a past we wish to forget and a future to be built.
