Sole bruciato

by Elvira Dones

"Sole bruciato" racconta la vita di uomini e donne smarriti dopo il crollo del regime albanese e i sogni sbriciolati sui marciapiedi d'Europa da un male che nessuno pensava di avere dentro. Un male che esplode quando le speranze si infrangono definitivamente, con la violenza senza limiti, la follia dei soldi facili, l'annullamento di qualsiasi etica umana. La voce narrante che apre il romanzo è quella di Leila, una giovane donna covinta a venire in Italia per diventare stilista e obbligata a prostituirsi. Leila torna a casa morta, rinchiusa in una bara, dopo tre anni di assenza. Come nei racconti epici è lei a tirare le fila delle numerose storie che si intersecano: la sua, quella di Soraja, di Elena, di Laura e di altre ragazze tutte con lo stesso destino.

Genres: Albanian Literature

298 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Elvira Dones is an Albanian novelist, screenwriter, and documentary film producer. Born in the coastal city of Durrës Dones graduated from the State University of Tirana. In 1988 she was employed by Albanian State Television and in this capacity traveled to Switzerland, where she defected. Tried for treason in Albania (in absentia), she was sentenced to prison and denied access to her young son until after the collapse of communism in Albania in 1992. From 1988 until 2004 Dones lived in Switzerland where she worked as a writer and a television journalist, while also writing, directing, and producing several documentaries. Since 2004 she has lived in the United States. The bulk of her writing is in either Italian or Albanian, but several of her documentary films have been subtitled in English. Several of these films have either won or been nominated for various awards. Her most recent documentary, Sworn Virgins tells the story of women in northern Albania who swear perpetual chastity in their teenage years and become men in their society—not women acting like men or women who have gender reassignment, but simply women who are now men. This film was named the best documentary at the Baltimore Women's Film Festival in 2007.

Reviews

[B. H.]

Jesus, I have no words to properly describe this book. I am frankly so sad right now, I don't know how I managed to get through this book. Elvira Dones has managed the impossible: to write a book about the human and sex trafficking trade that haunted Albanian in the 90s (and still does) without trivialising the issue, and (unlike many other books about abuse) without relishing in the torture it depicts.

I know some readers might find that the depictions of rape and torture were too much, but I think they were necessary. The things these girls had to go through... Dones also made a documentary about the girls we lost to human traffickers and you can definitely tell that she was incredibly thoughtful and careful with the topics.

Honestly, kudos to Dones for doing the research to write about the issue in all its complexity and unflinchingly, including portions of the book written from the point of view of the men who organised all of this, from the lowest footsoldiers, to the masterminds who probably still rule Albania to this day thanks to the money they made then.

As the Albanian description of this book says, definitely not for the faint hearted.

[Dhimitra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg 😭

[Qendxi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Sterne. Ein sehr heftiges Buch, das gewisse Szenen teilweise sehr detailliert beschreibt, empfehlenswert für Leute, die realitätsnahe und gesellschaftskritische Bücher mögen. Ich bin recht geflasht vom Inhalt muss ich sagen, denn es ist definitiv nicht leicht zu verdauen. Spannende Gedanken und stilistische Mittel, z.B. die Personifizierung der Stadt oder Sorajas Herz. Ich werde bestimmt wiedermal ein Buch dieser Autorin lesen. Auf Deutsch heisst das Buch „Verbrannte Sonne“.

[Esilda Trushaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has an attractive title,it is true,but deep down it expresses sorrow,sufferment,grief.It is the story of young girls that were lied,kidnapped ,tortured in order to become prostitues in Italy.The storyteller,Aurora describes every single detail of her and her friends life before and during prostitution.The story was shocking,so much pain,brutal tortures,sexual abusements.It has a lot of lirism,burned desires,unexpressed feelings and disability to take over the control.Unfortunately,every word in the book it is true,this is the real story of many and many young albanian girls that had this luck.Some of them were in poverty,some of them wanted to study in Europe,some of them wanted to stay with their families,some of them were virgins,some of them engaged.In Italy they were prejudiced as whores,but they were just victims of transition,of life conditions,of destiny.

[Abc · Rating 3 out of 5]

In questo libro ci sono delle descrizioni molto forti, che colpiscono allo stomaco. Proprio queste scene così eccessive mi hanno fatto apprezzare poco la lettura. In linea di massima non mi lascio sopraffare da narrazioni violente, ma in questo caso mi hanno disturbata.
Ad un certo punto nel testo si dice:"Sai cosa fanno i registi? Pigliano una storia e la mettono giù più tragica possibile. Più tragica è, meglio funziona". Beh mi è sembrato che in questo romanzo si indulgesse nel racconto torbido proprio per farlo "funzionare" e questo mi ha dato fastidio.

[xx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lexim i fuqishëm, drithërues. Thellësie fjale

[Mimonni · Rating 5 out of 5]

un libro che a mio parere andrebbe letto per capire e conoscere dall’interno il triste ” commercio ” di ragazze albanesi attirate in Italia dai loro stessi connazionali con prospettive di lavoro onesto e poi costrette a prostituirsi raggiungendo livelli di schiavitù, sottomissione, violenza, ricatto e degrado inimmaginabili. è duro e crudo, ma molto profondo.

[Diamant Zatriqi]

it very interesting book..i like it so much..ii suggest to read

[Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yjet nuk vishen keshtu - titulli ne shqip.

[Tini_legge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warning: rape, sex trafficking, child abuse.

Reading around the world: Albania 🇦🇱

Ho deciso di leggere questo libro poiché sto intraprendendo un percorso di lettura di libri scritti da vari autori nel mondo, ho trovato questa autrice tra gli scrittori provenienti dall’Albania.

Lettura molto difficile per i temi trattati, con scene anche molto grafiche, ma si sente che non sono scritte per sconvolgere il lettore bensì per raccontare la verità, con uno spirito di denuncia verso l’epidemia di traffico sessuale dell’Albania degli anni 90.
La scrittura, che si alterna tra vari scenari, è a tratti poetica, si respira nonostante tutto amore per la propria Terra e dolore nel saperla così crudele.
Dones è stata molto brava nello scrivere di questo fenomeno senza sensazionalismi o volontà di scioccare il lettore, credo che anche le scene più grafiche e crudeli fossero necessarie come denuncia, sebbene molto molto difficili da reggere per il lettore.
Per tutta la durata del libro speravo che per queste donne potesse esserci un po’ di pace, specialmente per Minira ed il piccolo Bled.
È una grande denuncia degli orrori dell’uomo, una storia di speranze deluse, di chi parte per disperazione alla ricerca di una vita nuova e si trova in trappola. Struggente ma necessario.

[Edita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breath-taking story on trafficking of girls who were not allowed to live their innocent lives full of big dreams.

[Sehar Behxheti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very heartbreaking book which fully reveals the ugly side of human trafficking.
Every chapter that I read I got chills every time.

[Desdemona Balliu · Rating 5 out of 5]

If tortures and suffers will be talking it will be done through this story!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an incredibly honest book, the writing, the story, the plots, and every little detail. It showed the ugly reality that we lived in and deep down I think it was the reality of Albania after communism. Every character was unique yet so similar to the others. It was a story of bravery and patience, a story of faith. A book that made me want to read as many books as I can as fast as possible because there are a lot of stories out there to be read and many perspectives to try and understand. A must-read for everyone!!!

[Nikolina Cali · Rating 5 out of 5]

E kam ndjere çdo fjalë të dalë nga ky roman, dhe me ka tronditur kaq shumë. Mënyra si autorja Elvira i përshkruan skenat kaq të gjalla dhe me detaje të bëjne të përfshihesh tolisht. Kaq shumë histori trishtuese dalin nga një vend i vogë si ne (Shqipëria).
Pas rrezimit komunist njerzit u dyndën të dilnin jashtë pa e ditur se çfarë i pret, sidomos fati i trishte i shumë vajzave dhe grave Shqiptare. Duke menduar një jetë më të mirë, por realisht krejt e kundërta.
Atjeposhtë dhe Atjelartë janë fjalët më thumbuese që dalin nga ky roman.💔

[enxhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most emotionally devastating books I’ve ever read. Lost count of how many times I had to take a break while reading this one.

[Romeo Poliçi]

Im happy to read this book