Fierce and unflinching, Piccoli Fuochi (Little Fires) takes readers on a raw and unfiltered journey to the heart of adolescence, where escape feels impossible.
At fifteen, Viola carries a painful wound: the disappearance of her father. After dropping out of high school, she enrolls in Santa Caterina, a technical institute for aspiring beauticians, hairdressers,
and bakers. But from the moment she steps inside, Viola realizes that this is no ordinary school. Santa Caterina is alive—vibrant, complex, and full of hidden stories. Its halls pulse with the fears, dreams, and secrets of its students.
Among them are Rose, who is always ready for revenge; Sharon, who is pregnant at eighteen;
Valente, who lives in a communal home; and Lorenzo, who is haunted by the loss of his sister in
a tragic accident.
When Viola joins them in the Dentro le Mura (Within the Walls) project, meant to give students a
voice in the city’s narrative, what begins as a simple research project unravels into something
darker and more disturbing. The shadow of a suicide from years earlier resurfaces, and the
students are forced to confront the violent history that still haunts their school.
Will they stand up to injustice, or give in to fear and stay silent?
