The Presence of Men — Francesca Marciano

A Vintage Shorts “Short Story Month” Selection
 
Lara moved to a little undiscovered village in southern Italy to find a respite from her newly divorced life in Rome. She works hard to find approval and eventually befriends an elderly, local seamstress, Mina. But, when her brother comes to visit, he brings along an uproarious film star who threatens to disrupt her newly quaint, yet happy, existence.
 
From brilliant young Italian screenwriter Francesca Marciano, this is a meticulous, evocative portrait of a woman who seeks and learns to find peace and reestablish her sense of home away from the damaging intrusions of men. Invoking the sights, sounds, and intimacy of southern Italy, “The Presence of Men” is selected from The Other Language, the extraordinary debut collection from one of Italy's finest new female writers.
 
An ebook short.