Secrets and Lies: Francesca Melandri’s Sangue Giusto (2017) and the Uncovered Memory of Italian East Africa

Abstract

Abstract It is true that expansionism under Fascism did not, for a long time, receive the attention that it deserved. This period of historiographic and literary amnesia has now, however, come to a close. As regards literary production, recent years have seen the publication of a number of highly regarded works – by such well-known writers as Gabriella Ghermandi or Igiaba Scego – that have used the novel as a means of exploring the legacies of empire. The article explores one of the most recent additions to this body of work, Francesca Melandri’s Sangue giusto (2017). More specifically, it addresses the theme of secrets and their revelation that lies at the heart of the novel. It investigates the social and psychological ramifications of the discovery of the nature of imperial conquest under Fascism. It also explores how the novel interacts with the writing of those transnational African/Italian authors who have confronted the legacy of Italy’s colonial past. The article considers the overall vision that Sangue giusto offers of Italy’s relationship with Ethiopia, of the conceptual universe of colonialism, and of the enduring topicality of the memory of Italy’s imperial past.