On Saturday, September 5^th, 2026, at 8:45 pm, the “Gianni Bellini” Civic Museum of Art and Territory in Sarnico will host the “Festival Libri sul Lago” event, featuring Erica Cassano, who will present her second novel, “Duramadre” (Garzanti).

The novel tells a coming-of-age story set in the 1960s in a Calabrian town where a single glance or a rumor is enough to fall from grace. Celeste arrives from Naples: a teacher, in her forties, still single. “The old woman,” they call her. She came for love of Tonio, but not even her family accepts her. Her mother, Laura, seems to despise her, and her sisters, Lisa and Mina, are jealous. She longs to escape, but in that house, nothing is as it seems.
Secrets, curses, and unspoken words transfigure reality. Celeste and Laura, so different and seemingly enemies, harbor two unspeakable truths—bringer of shame—and when they are revealed, the wall of appearances crumbles, revealing each other’s true identities.

Free admission upon reservation on Eventbrite.