MY GRANDPARENTS.

This is a photo of my grandparents.
An old photograph, faded by time, but alive like a silent flame. This is where The Promise was born, my most intimate novel.
A story that takes root in Mastrogiovanni, my hometown, in the Molise hinterland, where houses speak softly and memory is passed down through gestures.

The Promise is a tribute to that humble and dignified world which, despite everything – the hardship, the poverty, History – has continued to preserve its memory. A memory that today tries to come alive again between these pages.
And, perhaps, even inside of you.

UNDER THE SKY OF WAR, A PROMISE.

World War II bursts into Romolo's life like a sudden wind, sweeping away all certainty. He, who knew only the slow pace of the cows and the breath of the pastures, is dragged away from his land. In Trieste he learns to shoot, becomes a sharpshooter, then a marconista (a type of Italian soldier). He discovers the sea, discipline, fear. September 8th surprises him like so many others: he deserts, changes his name, crosses a wounded country, among rubble, stations and devastated countryside. He is not a hero, but an ordinary man caught in a history too vast. He carries the war in his eyes and in his heart the silent promise to stay alive, even when everything around him seems to collapse.

"Is there a good day to die?", and he replies, "When you have nothing left to say, no secrets left. That's the good day to die."

Memorable. Like a character from Silone, or from Vasily Grossman.

- Filippo La Porta -

THE STORY.

GUARDING A MEMORY.

The Promise stems from a profound need to preserve a memory that was slipping into silence. It is the voice of Romolo, a shepherd from the South, but also that of an entire world made up of humble gestures, silent dignity, and tenacious love. Telling this story was an act of justice, but also of gratitude towards my roots. It means giving space back to those who lived with courage and without fanfare, traversing war, poverty, and time with the sole strength of their humanity. The Promise is a testament to a living legacy, which asks to be heard.

THE STORY.

Romolo, son of shepherds, grows up amidst the wind of the pastures and the love for Giovanna, a strong and bright girl who will become his wife. They live a simple life, made of working hands and hopeful eyes. Then comes the war, and everything is interrupted. Romolo leaves as a soldier, but remains a shepherd at heart. When he returns, nothing is the same: a wounded country, a scarred woman. But she is still there, waiting for him.
It is in that love that endures, in that silent fidelity, that I have found the deepest meaning of this story.

GUARDING A MEMORY.

The Promise stems from a deep need to preserve a memory that was slipping into silence. It is the voice of Romolo, a shepherd from the South, but also that of an entire world made up of humble gestures, silent dignity, and tenacious love. Telling this story was an act of justice, but also of gratitude towards my roots. It means giving space back to those who lived with courage and without fanfare, traversing war, poverty, and time with the sole strength of their humanity. The Promise is a testament to a living legacy, which asks to be heard.