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Twice Born (2008)

by Margaret Mazzantini

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
4032462,966 (3.85)5
Fiction. Literature. HTML:This international bestseller is a sweeping portrait of motherhood, loss, and redemption in war-torn Sarajevo.
Filled with memories of the four-year siege of Sarajevo, Gemma reluctantly boards a flight from her native Rome to that war-scarred city with her sixteen-year-old son, Pietro. She hopes to teach her son about the city of his birth and about Diego, the father he never knew. Once there Gemma is caught between the present and the past, reliving her love affair with Diego, their determination to start a family, and their deep connection to Sarajevo even as the threat of war loomed.
In this haunting and sophisticated novel, Mazzantini masterfully probes the startling emotional territory of what makes a family-particularly what makes a mother. As the fate of Sarajevo converges with Gemma's all-consuming desire to have a child we see how far she is driven, in a stunning revelation that is both heartbreaking and cathartic.
Brought to life by an unforgettable cast of characters, Twice Born is a tale of the acts of brutality and generosity that war can inspire. A blockbuster bestseller in Mazzantini's native Italy, it has taken Europe by storm and will soon be published around the world.
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» See also 5 mentions

Italian (9)  English (6)  Spanish (3)  Dutch (3)  French (2)  Catalan (1)  All languages (24)
Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
fucking heartbreaking, from several angles ( )
  ansate | Nov 6, 2023 |
Non ce l'ho fatta, ho resistito fino a pagina 200. Bisogna dire che avevo altre aspettative, la trama non era stata presentata in modo chiaro, sembrava parlasse della guerra invece quello era solo uno sfondo per raccontare questa storia molto intrigata. Questa volta non sono riuscita a sopportare le frasi raramente più lunghe di due righe, tutte quelle similitudine "come..." "sembra...". Tutti quei, era sporco, sfatto...E quel "quella sera abbiamo fatto l'amore" E chi se ne frega? Non mi ha trasmesso emozioni, non ho sentito né l'amore né la sofferenza. Mi sono sforzata: sono arrivata fino a pagina 200 perché c'erano voti troppo alti perché non mi piacesse, ho anche provato a leggere altro per valutare se non avessi voglia di leggere, ma non era così. E' proprio questo libro che non mi va.
  GianninaAlchemilla | Jan 5, 2020 |
Three and a half stars, really.

This book is heartbreaking but impossible to put down. Gemma, an Italian woman in her early 50s, returns to post-war Sarajevo with her teenage son to show him the city where she lived and the place where his father died.

The back story- which is revealed slowly - is that Gemma and Diego were unable to conceive. The lengths they went to to have a child amid the violence of the siege of Sarajevo are are misery-making, but the truths revealed on her visit are even more gut-wrenching.

Beautifully written and translated with lots of subtlety. ( )
  laurenbufferd | Nov 14, 2016 |
Uno dei libri più belli che ho letto. Struggente, documentato, realistico. ( )
  Claudia.Ciucci | Aug 18, 2016 |
"Venuto al mondo" è il secondo libro della Mazzantini che ho letto. Il primo molto più breve è "Nessuno si salva da solo". La cosa che colpisce subito è il modo scorrevole, coinvolgente e diretto in cui questa bravissima autrice scrive! I luoghi sono veramente realistici e sembra di trovarsi in mezzo a quei posti così vicini ma così lontani dal mio mondo.
Pensa a me, sola in quelle strade buie. Segue i miei passi, la mia schiena. Vorrebbe toccarmi una spalla.
Vorrebbe avere piccoli pantaloni stretti da torero e la sedia verde di quand'era bambino. Sedersi in mezzo alla strada e dirmi sono qui, mi vuoi?
Gemma è la protagonista della storia ed è descritta come una donna forte ma delusa dal suo passato, una donna che rivolge tutto il suo amore verso la sua unica ragione di vita che è suo figlio Pietro. Dopo una telefonata inaspettata del suo vecchio amico Gojko, la protagonista si ritroverà ancora una volta a dover fare i conti col proprio passato attraverso un viaggio a Sarajevo, città di dolore dove ha amato e conosciuto Diego e che le ricorderà tutto ciò che di più bello e doloroso ha vissuto: la venuta al mondo di Pietro.
Ho amato e odiato Diego, la sua immaturità, la sua spensieratezza e avventatezza verso il mondo o forse l'ho solo invidiato.
E' un libro che consiglio a tutti, uomini o donne. E' un libro per riflettere e per capire che a volte niente è come immaginiamo. ( )
  Emanuela.Booklove | Oct 6, 2013 |
Showing 1-5 of 6 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (11 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Margaret Mazzantiniprimary authorall editionscalculated
Bunnik, MiriamTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schepers, MaraTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Een hoopvolle reis ... woorden die aan het eind van de dag blijven hangen tussen al die andere woorden.
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Fiction. Literature. HTML:This international bestseller is a sweeping portrait of motherhood, loss, and redemption in war-torn Sarajevo.
Filled with memories of the four-year siege of Sarajevo, Gemma reluctantly boards a flight from her native Rome to that war-scarred city with her sixteen-year-old son, Pietro. She hopes to teach her son about the city of his birth and about Diego, the father he never knew. Once there Gemma is caught between the present and the past, reliving her love affair with Diego, their determination to start a family, and their deep connection to Sarajevo even as the threat of war loomed.
In this haunting and sophisticated novel, Mazzantini masterfully probes the startling emotional territory of what makes a family-particularly what makes a mother. As the fate of Sarajevo converges with Gemma's all-consuming desire to have a child we see how far she is driven, in a stunning revelation that is both heartbreaking and cathartic.
Brought to life by an unforgettable cast of characters, Twice Born is a tale of the acts of brutality and generosity that war can inspire. A blockbuster bestseller in Mazzantini's native Italy, it has taken Europe by storm and will soon be published around the world.

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