Summary of The Silent Duchess
“The Silent Duchess” is a historical novel set in 18th-century Sicily. It recounts the life of Marianna Ucrìa, the deaf-mute daughter of an aristocratic family, who is married off to her uncle at the age of 13 to preserve the family honour and spare her parents the expense of a dowry. Despite her deafness, she develops a means of self-expression and educates herself by reading books of Enlightenment authors. After her husband’s death, she gains true independence and uncovers the truth behind the events that led to her hearing loss.
Reasons to read The Silent Duchess
“The Silent Duchess” is a poignant historical family saga about a woman seeking her own place in a patriarchal society. The novel is inspired by the life of an ancestor of the author. Dacia Maraini, a renowned Italian writer and staunch advocate for women’s rights, has received many literary awards in Italy, including the Premio Strega in 1999 for her novel “Buio” and the Premio Campiello in 1990 for “The Silent Duchess”. The novel was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker International prize.
Setting: Sicily – Palermo, Bagheria (Italy)
Original title: La lunga vita di Marianna Ucrìa
Year of publication: 1990
Nr of pages: 261
