Can the truth really set one free? In Miriam Polli’s debut novel, IN A VERTIGO OF SILENCE, Emily, the young protagonist, discovers a family secret and thinks, I know now that secrets run in the blood and bones of those who came before. This intensely moving, multi-generational novel follows the lives of women, both strong and frail—shrouded, at times warped, by the confines of a long-held secret. Polli has drawn characters with empathy and poignancy as Emily strives to change the destiny of her family.
GOETHE Book Award Finalist for Historical fiction
Short Listed for the Santa Fe Writer’s Project
Short Listed for Vine Leaves Press
Long Listed for Alt Current Press Electric Book Award
Rosina, an innocent, convent-raised girl, emigrates from Italy to America filled with hope and optimism. She falls wildly in love with Nicola, a passionate advocate for workers’ rights and nonviolent protest. Introduced to his friend, Bartolomeo Vanzetti, a poet and philosopher, they immerse themselves in the anarchist movement—distributing pamphlets and attending clandestine meetings. At first, Rosina embraces Nicola’s ideals wholeheartedly, believing in justice and equality.
But as the political climate darkens, the movement shifts toward violence, and Rosina, now a mother of two, is pulled into a nightmare from which there is no escape. Will her choices bring untold horror to her and her family? With searing poignancy, Rosina traces a young woman’s journey from love and idealism to sacrifice and devastating loss. Her dreams—a peaceful family life and the promise of America as a land of justice—are shattered.
Rosina is a powerful exploration of love, loyalty, and the consequences of prejudice, a timely and deeply relevant novel in today’s social unrest and rising xenophobia