The novel reveals itself to be rich in meanings and stratifications starting from the title. The protagonist is not a beauty queen, but the embodiment of the concept of “lack”. The polysemy of “miss” – to be understood as the verb in English – is effectively exploited by the author, who captures the essence of the word both as an indication of youth and lack of experienceeither as nostalgia or failure to achieve a goal.
We are faced with a choral novel, divided into three stories set in distinct historical periods, each with its own dignity and even considered as a micro-novel in its own right. We start from the era of brigandage in 1860-1870 in the Val d’Agri, we move on to the post-war period in Rome in the 1950s and we reach to a hypothetical future in 2050. The common thread that links these three parts emerges clearly in the Lucanian setting And in the choice to give voice to female characters.
The link with the region, one of the most ignored on the peninsula even in the literary imagination, unites the different stories and the protagonists who inhabit themcrossing the eras and gathering within themselves the experiences and influences of the women who preceded them.
The strong point of “Missitalia” lies in fact in the characterization of the female protagonists, three strong and complex women who make courageous decisions and aspire to an important role in their livesoffering an authentic portrait different from the conventions of contemporary narrative, where too frequently women appear only as inert victims.
The theme of brigandagethe fulcrum of the first story, potentially vulnerable to political stereotypes or the risk of falling into stale clichés, is treated by the author with great sensitivity. In fact, Durastanti integrates the literary and historical aspects with precisionovercoming that challenge effortlessly, and bringing it to life in Amalia Spada to a character of “brigand” of profound complexity and he is perhaps, among the three protagonists, the one the reader will be able to become most fond of.
In the second part, the protagonist is Ada, a young girl who, after high school, chooses not to enroll in university and immediately starts working in an Anthropology magazine in Rome. This decision takes her several times to Lucania, the homeland of her parents, both to write articles and to conduct research.
This period marks the beginning of speculation on oil extraction in Lucania. The region thus finds itself suspended between past and future: between traditions, mystery and magic, and an imminent projection towards progress. Already in the first part of the novel, reference is made to the comparison between the initial opposition to the undertaking and the gradual interest it arouses. The clash between past and future emerges as another leitmotif of the novel.
The third story is entirely set in the future, where Lucania becomes a place where space bases for lunar missions arise. The age of oil is now over: the new objective is the conquest of the Moon.
The stylistic variation between the different parts of the novel is another noteworthy aspect: from the rich and dense writing of the first part, to the linearity and tighter rhythm of the second, up to the essential sobriety of the third part, the author demonstrates great mastery in modulating the narrative voice in accordance with the content and spirit of each part.
In conclusion, Missitalia confirms itself as a literary work of great importance, potentially capable of conquering, in addition to Italian readers, also an international audience. Claudia Durastanti has therefore done an extraordinary job, reaffirming her role as an authoritative voice in contemporary Italian fiction.
