Nostalgia

In Nostalgia, Grazia Deledda crafts a poignant tale of displacement and longing, following the story of a young Sardinian woman who trades her sunbaked island for the bustling streets of Rome. Our protagonist, caught between the pull of modern opportunity and the haunting memories of her pastoral homeland, discovers that physical distance only deepens her emotional ties to Sardinia's rugged landscapes and age-old traditions. Deledda's luminous prose transforms this immigrant's journey into a universal meditation on how we carry our roots within us, no matter how far we roam.

As the protagonist navigates Roman society's glittering surfaces and hidden cruelties, she finds herself increasingly drawn back to Sardinia through vivid dreams and waking reveries. Deledda masterfully contrasts the oppressive weight of urban anonymity with the visceral memories of village life—the scent of wild herbs, the sound of shepherd's flutes, the complex web of familial bonds. This psychological tension builds to a crisis when a family summons forces her to choose between her hard-won independence and the primal call of blood and tradition.

More than a century after its publication, Nostalgia remains startlingly relevant in our globalized world, speaking directly to anyone who has ever felt torn between progress and belonging. Deledda, with her signature blend of realism and lyricism, exposes the paradox that the very act of leaving home can make one more Sardinian than ever. This underappreciated gem from the Nobel laureate's oeuvre offers not just a window into early 20th-century Italy, but a mirror for our own restless hearts in an age of constant movement and fractured identities.

About the author

Grazia Deledda (1871–1936) was an Italian novelist and the first Italian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (1926). Born in Sardinia, her works vividly depict the island’s landscapes, traditions, and struggles, blending realism with poetic lyricism. Often exploring themes of fate, morality, and the tension between modernity and tradition, her notable novels include Nostalgia, Elias Portolu, and Canne al vento (Reeds in the Wind). Deledda’s writing remains celebrated for its emotional depth and timeless relevance.