Mirko Zilahy, the Roman author who lived his adolescence in the city of Latina, returned to Latina to present “Our Lady of the Clouds”. On the second day of the “Lievito” cultural event, this event was highly participatory and heartfelt, both by those present and by the author, who positioned himself among the finalists at the Strega: «I am very excited to be here today. Latina was the city of change, adventure, adolescence, abandonments, high school, love and pain. Today it is the murky and fertile land to which I return with amazement, with a pinch of nostalgia and a lot of affection.” Renato Chiocca, artistic director of the exhibition, moderated the presentation: «What struck me most about this book is that, after reading it, you understand that something elusive remains. A strong book that I suggest you read, in particular for the emotional trap and the shocking ending.” The Roman author, through the little protagonist and his changing language, invites the reader to arm themselves with courage to dig out buried memories, look them in the face and tell them without discounting themselves. The novel’s dedication to his mother and to the historic Latina bookseller, Piermario De Dominicis, is touching: «He was a connecting figure for me – says Zilahy – I worked in his bookshop, it was he who made me discover musical genres, which were distant at the time by me, and authors.”
