But Italo-Australian author Elise Valmorbida’s latest book is just that.
Entitled The Madonna of the Mountains, this inspiring novel tells the story of a family from the northern-Italian region of Veneto during World War II.
A sweeping saga about womanhood, loyalty, war, religion, family, food, motherhood and marriage, the novel is a poignant look at the span of one woman’s life as the rules change and her world becomes unrecognisable.
The book shifts readers’ attention from the typical war stories of heroes, politicians and partisans, towards the reality of rural life during that period, recounting one woman’s survival in the hardscrabble Italian countryside and her determination to protect her family by any means possible.
“I wanted to tell the story of an ordinary woman who represents the society and mentality of that time,” Elise said.
There’s no mention of famous figures of the resistance movement, such as Tina Anselmi or, on the other hand, Mussolini supporters.
The stories of normal women like Maria Vittoria, the novel’s main character, aren’t easy to trace and Elise had trouble finding information to help in the writing process.
To further complicate matters, the book is set in the rural countryside, worlds away from the cities and villages that have featured in similar books in the past, such as Bassano Del Grappa or Asiago.
While penning the novel, Elise drew on notes that she’d taken during her trips to Italy, in particular Veneto, where her family comes from.
“While visiting Vicenza, I tried to take note of everything,” she said.
“My aunt’s recipes, things that struck me, images and observations.”
Some scenes depicted in the book actually occurred, such as the toothless man on the bicycle with a sickle in his hand, who smiled and waved.
“That really happened to me,” Elise laughed.
Various factors inspired Elise’s latest novel, from her own family’s history, to research, films, books and other stories she’d come across.
But, above all, it was the courage to confront a part of history that is rarely told.
In The Madonna of the Mountains, 25-year-old Maria Vittoria finally finds a husband, Achille, with the help of her father.
It’s 1923, just after the end of World War I, which stole away many men from the valley where she lives.
The events that follow depict the following decades, including the advent of Fascism and World War II.
The story is one of love, resilience and trust.
As the title suggests, one of the most important themes in the novel is religion.
The word “Madonna” doesn’t refer to the Madonna of Mount Berico, as one might assume, but represents one of the many roadside shrines which reflect the culture of small villages.
Maria Vittoria is a devout believer, as people were in those days, and this symbolises her adoption of the mentality of the town in which she lives.
The surrounding scenery is one of the main elements touched on throughout the text.
“The characters don’t see its beauty, they only see what can be grown, what can be eaten, what the animals can eat,” Elise said.
Time is marked more than ever by the sun’s position in the sky and the changing of the seasons.
At the beginning of the story, Maria Vittoria is excited by the possibility of marrying Achille in spring, like wealthy people, instead of the end of autumn, once the tireless work that the fields demand is done.
“Landscape, religion and work form a sort of trinity for the residents of rural villages,” Elise said.
Elise focused primarily on the use of dialect in her fourth fictional novel.
Though she can speak and understand the dialect of Veneto, writing it proved to be a much more laborious task.
Elise sought the assistance of her mother and an expert, who helped mainly with the different variations.
Italian dialects can change significantly from one town to another, even if just a few kilometres separate them.
The Madonna of the Mountains features the dialect spoken in the area from Asiago to Vicenza and part of Padua – one which is vastly different from that spoken in Venice.
The book was launched in England just a few months ago and was well-received.
It was praised twice by The Times, which described it as “a bewitching but entirely unsentimental portrait of one woman’s attempt to keep her family safe in turbulent times”.
The first time it appeared as Book of the Month, the second as a recommended read for summer.
The novel hit the shelves of Australian and American bookstores a few weeks ago, and has already been translated in other languages.
Another point of pride for Elise is the book’s cover: it features a bespoke design by Liberty London, in collaboration with publishing house Faber & Faber, as part of the “Women of Liberty” initiative.
The initiative saw eight extraordinary females – including Elise and singer Florence Welch – come together to represent today’s worlds of culture, fashion and commerce, with their contributions edging us closer to a diverse and equal society.
