by InTrieste
Known for his deep dives into the complexities of modern society and history, Naples-born author and journalist Francesco De Filippo has once again captivated readers with his newest release, Trieste È Un’Isola (Trieste Is An Island). A blend of mystery, espionage, and historical reflection, De Filippo’s latest novel explores the enigmatic and often overlooked city of Trieste, a place that, much like its protagonist, straddles the delicate line between past and present, peace and turmoil.
Francesco De Filippo has long been recognized for his incisive works that examine global power dynamics and human nature. Previous books like La Nuova Via Della Seta and Prossimi Umani have cemented his reputation as a writer with a keen eye for international intrigue and philosophical musings. In Trieste È Un’Isola, he returns with a fresh perspective on a city long shaped by its fraught history and complex identity.
At the heart of the novel is Vincenzo Tagliente, a former undercover secret service agent who, after a career-defining accident in Naples, retreats to Trieste in search of peace and anonymity. The city, known for its unique geopolitical position and cultural diversity, provides the perfect backdrop for Tagliente’s internal struggle. Trieste’s quiet streets and its slow-paced life seem to offer him a chance at solace, even as a lingering sense of bitter nostalgia haunts him.
But this fragile calm is shattered when Tagliente crosses paths with Anna Kostoric, a seventy-year-old Slovenian expatriate now living in the United States. Their brief encounter at the Padriciano refugee camp stirs something within him, prompting the former agent to delve deeper into Anna’s life. When mysterious messages from her begin to arrive, Tagliente is pulled back into a world of danger and deception. As he digs into Anna’s history and the hidden stories of Padriciano, he uncovers unsettling truths about Trieste’s past—a past intertwined with war, displacement, and the shadows of espionage.
In classic De Filippo fashion, Trieste È Un’Isola is far more than a simple spy story. Through Tagliente’s investigation, readers are drawn into the underbelly of a city that has long been at the crossroads of European history. Trieste, with its proximity to the Balkans and its role as a meeting point for different cultures and ideologies, becomes a character in its own right—an island adrift, isolated by its own complex identity.
The novel traces the secret history of Trieste, unraveling a story that reaches back into the darkest moments of the 20th century. Underneath the veneer of tranquility, De Filippo reveals the ghosts of Trieste’s past, including the scars left by World War II and the displacement of refugees, as well as the Cold War’s lingering effects. The discovery of these buried secrets challenges Tagliente—and the reader—to reconcile the city’s idyllic appearance with the pain and conflict that shaped it.
Francesco De Filippo’s exploration of Trieste is both intimate and sweeping, an intense journey that brings to light the hidden wounds of a city and its people. Trieste È Un’Isola serves as both a detective story and a meditation on memory, guilt, and the search for redemption. As readers turn the final pages, they are left to contemplate the delicate dance between history and identity—and the unresolved questions that linger in Trieste’s quiet streets.
I miss that garden.