The Missing word by Concita De Gregorio

The Missing Word by Concita De Gregorio

Italian Fiction

Original title -Mi sa che fuori è primavera

Translator – Clarissa Botsford

Source – Library

I love it when I go to the library and find a gem like this that had passed me by I even get sent the Europa Catalogue and I nit sure how this had passed me by when I looked at it in the library I was grabbed by the mention of Truman Capote’s in cold blood a book I think is maybe the best true crime book as it is the original in many ways. Also by the story behind the book. Concita De Gregorio is a successful Journalist and editor she has hosted an arts and culture show on tv as well. The book is based on the real-life disappearance of twins and she worked with her mother to write this novel of the mother’s story and the loss of her twins.

Dearest Nonna, I’m leaving for Patagonia with Luis next Sunday. We’re going whale watching. Trekking, climbing to the top of the mountains, walking deep into the woods, sitting at the ocean shore all make me feel happy. Minuscule and at peace. Luis makes me feel happy.I’ll introduce him to you one day, I’d love to. You’ll like him. He has eves that laugh and big hands. He can create silence when it’s needed, and then he chooses his words, picks them out, and stitches them together like embroidery. Did I tell you his job is to make cartoons for kids? They’re magical. Did I tell you what he did when I rejected him at first? He gave me an incredible gift, something straight out of a film. I need to look into your sky-blue eyes to tell you, though: I want to see your shy smile while I describe the scene. It’ll be wonderful.

She escapes to South America and writes to her Gran here

Now I consider myself to know snippets of the news from around Europe not everything but have an idea what is going on here and there. So I was surprised that this case and series of events had passed me The story is of the disappearance of Alessia and Livia two twins that had been on a weekend away with their father their parents had split but still lived in the same village. He had taken his daughters away for the weekend and had travelled to Corsica and then threw himself under a train the events of the few days before he is seen with the girls texted his ex-wife. Later he sends a postcard but then when he takes his life the children are nowhere to be seen and this is where the book starts it is Irina the mother of the twins story about how she copes after and is made up of her personal thoughts and letters with her grandmother. her writing to find out of the therapist he had seen but he won’t say anything to her. Then request the girl’s school work . Her journey to find herself after this earth-shattering event. She say late on she didn’t want any more children she is a mother and will always be a mother but she then said how few languages have a word for this happening a mother that has lost there children. This is a heartbreaking tale told with real beauty in the prose.

The missing word

Parents who lose children. Who don’t murder them but lose them. What are they called, how do you say it, who is someone whose child has died? What place do they occupy in history? Missing word, missing word, missing absent. Who eliminated it? When? From all the Italian, French, German, Spanish and English dictionaries. And why?

There is words in other languages Shakol in Hebrew, but I wonder why this word doesn’t exist !!

I am a fan of true-life movies it is one of the few films Amanda and I tend to both enjoy. This book is heart-wrenching but also shows how strong Irina was after all this had happened to her. She was thrust in the spotlight after this had happened and had to escape travel to find herself and meet people that didn’t know her as the mother of the twins. I liked the mixture of styles from personal narrative, list letters. I feel it works as a novel as she has maybe changed things a little. But it still has the power of what happened Irina copes with this event that could have pushed her over the edge and even in the end is a strong voice for the charity Missing Children  Switzerland. AS I said I don’t know how this passed me by as it is such an intense tale of what is a horrific act and aftermath. Have you read this book ?

Winston’s score +a just needs to be read such a powerful work from such a sad true life event.