I´ve continued my Italian reading adventure with a very profound book about freedom and belief during terrible times.
Il mantello di Rut (Ruth´s Cloak, which is the biblical Ruth who willingly followed her mother in law Naomi in her belief, for Jews a symbol of dedication on behalf of the converts, although the Christian interpretation escapes me right now) by journalist and teologically trained Paolo Rodari is set during the end of WWII in Nazi-occupied Italy. The main date that put into motion the tragic chain of events is the 16th of October 1943, a Saturday, the day of the Holy Shabbat, when the German forces raided the Jewish ghetto of Roome, arresting 1,259 persons. Out of 1,023 sent to Auschwitz, only 16 survived.
Remo, the Catholic monk storyteller, is writing to Aida, a little Jewish girl who saved during the German occupation, with whose mother he fell in love. Inspired by his own tortured relationship with his emotionally numb mother, who sent him to the seminary due to lack of financial resources after the death of his father, he is sharing his story to the little girl, who stayed hidden without being forced to be baptized as often happened with other Jewish children ´rescued´ by the Church - until her uncle found her and picked her up in her new life.
He writes to keep Rachel´s memory alive, who most probably was killed by the Germans, but also to explain his own choices, his difference compared to other people of faith. Remo is talking a lot about the freedom to decide: to stay or to go, to help or stay indifferent, to fall in love or follow the faith. The approaches are nuanced and very direct, echoing the thoughts someone may have about life, humanity and religion during terrible times.
Il mantello di Rut is a condensed yet very thoughtful read which is trying to counter the documented cases when the Catholic Church and its representatives were complacent with the Germans and manifested antisemitic attitudes.
Inspired by the topic, I may continue some individual researches about this topic soon.
The Italian is level B2 mostly, easy to understand without using a dictionary more than 25% of the reading.
Rating: 4 stars
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