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  • The Anniversary by Andrea Bajani book cover
  • The Anniversary by Andrea Bajani book cover
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The Anniversary

by Andrea Bajani

A decade of distance from family

Critically Recognized
$16.89 USD
$28.15 USD $16.89 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praise from Jhumpa Lahiri

    Jhumpa Lahiri praises the book for its treatment of fact, memory, and family.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A decade of distance from family

Marking ten years since he last saw his parents, a son begins to tell the story of the family he left behind. Set against patriarchal Italy, the account centers on a marriage shaped by a father’s violence and a mother’s silent acceptance, and on the son’s effort to separate his life from theirs. The anniversary gives the book a clear frame: distance has been achieved, but the questions of origin, memory, and freedom remain part of the story. Family estrangement and the possibility of building a life beyond an abusive household are its central concerns.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in fiction about family estrangement and marriage.
  • Readers seeking stories that examine the effects of domestic violence within a family.
  • Readers interested in questions of identity, memory, and independence.

Themes

Family estrangementDomestic violenceMarriage and silenceMemory and originsPersonal independence

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"A book that confronts the purity of fact, the tyranny of memory, and the totalitarianism of family like no other." --Jhumpa Lahiri

A subtle yet heartrending portrait of an abusive marriage in patriarchal Italy and a son's liberating decision to cut contact with his parents.

Can you leave your family behind? Can you slam the door, walk down the stairs, and decide never to see them again? Can you ever escape the grip of your origins?

A son asks himself these questions as he celebrates a bittersweet anniversary: a decade since he saw his parents. Now he finally feels able to tell their story. This is his eloquent account of a family devastated by a father's violence and the woman who silently accepts him; of an airless relationship, unsettled only by the ringing of a telephone, a visiting classmate, or a friend soon pushed away. And it is the story of a son possessed by the irrepressible desire to be free: to be himself, to live his own life, to open up to others without fear of reprisals.
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Customer reviews

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AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

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Ella

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.