Review by Booklist Review
Materada, originally published in Italian in 1940, is a moving and personal story of pre^-World War II farm life on the Istrian peninsula. Damaged by war and the initial divvying of the country between America, Britain, and Yugoslavia, and then the final dividing between Italy and Yugoslavia, Istria has seen many intruders in the last century, both welcome and unwelcome. The two main ethnic groups, Italians and Slovenes, have had tense relations, and the quiet rural farms have been witness to political violence. Tomizza's protagonist, Francesco Koslovic (the name itself is a blending of the two cultures), has his own personal battle. The uncle he has worked for all his life refuses to give Francesco any rights to the family farmland. With no land of his own, he must choose between staying in Materada or building a better life in Italy. Loyalty, trust, and cultural unity have fallen away with all the dividing and passing of land. This is a short but wonderful exploration of ownership and cultural identity. --Michelle Kaske
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
