Ferrara & the Young Balbo

Remo returns home after WWI solely desiring to make a life with his fiancée Lucia but finds his city, Ferrara, disrupted by clashes between socialist leagues and tenants, sharecroppers, landowners. The story follows Remo's personal events and development as well as Italo Balbo's young political career, from the point of view of the main character. After falling victim of Socialist Red Guards violence, Remo joins the emerging Fasci di Combattimento to defend his land, himself and his family. He slowly becomes the right hand of his former Captain Italo Balbo. The carnage of Piazza D'Accursio (Bologna) as well as the massacre of Castello Estense (Ferrara) are the reasons for Italo Balbo's descent into political contention and get Mussolini’s trust. The novel is based on historical events now fallen into oblivion. Mainly featuring historical characters, only Remo, Lucia and their families are fictional, serving the story to narrate the climate and daily life during the so-called “Red Biennium” and “Black Biennium.” Screenplay based on the same author's historical novel, FERRARA ROSSO & NERO SANGUE (ed. Albatros ISBN 9788830633810) awarded in 2022 at the Golden Books Awards with the Honorable Mention "BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR".