On the edge

Manuela has short-cropped hair and a child's smile, an athlete's body, and walks with crutches. In Afghanistan she commanded a platoon of thirty men, and now she has returned home. She lives, but is unable to cope with life. After the assassination attempt she survived, she is given a task: to remember the war, the desert, her soldiers, the dust, the blood. But rebuilding the past is not enough to be reborn…

ON THE EDGE A love story of loss and death, endurance and resilience, that raises questions about our choices and responsibilities.

Melania G. Mazzucco was born in Rome. She is the author of novels translated into around 25 languages. In 1996 she published her first novel, The Kiss of Medusa, followed by other works, including Vita, A Perfect Day, The Living Expectation of the Angel, The Architect. She has won several major prizes, including the Strega (2003), Comisso, Viareggio-Tobino and others.

Mimoza Hysa graduated in Italian language from the University of Tirana. She translates the most important authors of Italian literature, including Leopardi, Ungaretti, Montale, Buzzati, Claudio Magris and Melania G. Mazzucco. She has won several major prizes in Albania and abroad, including the Great Translation Prize for 2014 from the Italian Ministry of Culture.