Il "Damo viennese": Romanzo

Set against the turbulent backdrop of Italy’s entry into the Great War, the novel follows a young Sorrentine named Pierino Balla, whose world revolves around two steadfast loves: his widowed mother and the endless swirl of waltzes that fill his mind. Through his eyes we hear the lilting strains of Spanish, French and Viennese dances, each melody a refuge from the rumble of artillery and the uncertainty of a nation on the brink.

As the front lines shift and the political fervor of 1915 intensifies, Pierino’s passion for music becomes a quiet act of resistance, a way to preserve humanity amid chaos. His nightly reveries and the tender duties he performs for his mother reveal a delicate balance between personal longing and the call of patriotism, hinting at the choices he must soon confront as Italy’s destiny unfolds.