Yet, all the wealth, verve and complexity woven into the tapestry of the novel would never have been properly experienced if not for the successful translation by Irina Talevska. She has found a winning formula for conveying the spirit of the work in a flowing, playful and vibrant language, making it easy for the reader to imagine that the whole plot takes place in a nearby Macedonian region.
Canale Mussolini is a novel from which we can learn quite a lot about Italian history, but we can also learn how to approach the delicate and contentious topics and issues of history, a lesson which is necessary to improve the public debate in society and among historians. Still, if you have no particular interest in history, I am certain that you’ll be won over by the spirit of the times depicted in the novel, the spirit of a patriarchal community and people which are so much like us in experience, mentality, humor and stubbornness. Antonio Pennacchi’s Canale Mussolini deserves all the awards and plaudits it has received, but it also deserves your attention and time.