Antonio Petralia
Both Heaven and Earth is a novel by Antonio Petralia, jazz drummer, composer and artistic director. An intense and engaging work where music, family secrets and places of the soul come together in a story about love, forgiveness and discovery.
The plot
Main character, Svante Torre, a pianist and music teacher, leads a seemingly peaceful life until his mother Clara, on his deathbed, reveals to him a secret capable of forever changing his view of the past. Together with his brother Gustav, Svante embarks on a journey in search of his roots, crossing places laden with memories and facing truths that have remained buried for decades.
The locations of the novel
Each stage is a mosaic of emotions and memories:
- Rome - The House of Siani: childhood home, affective refuge linked to grandmother Rosangela.
- Rome - Via Reno: Kalervo family apartment, maternal legacy and symbol of identity.
- L'Aquila: the city of carefreeness and discovery of Jazz in Roseto.
- Roseto degli Abruzzi: summer residence where a love of jazz was born in Svante.
- Marisol Estate, Sicily: between vineyards and Etna, a place given to grandfather Salvatore by a Spanish nobleman, now Gustav's home.
- Malmö, Sweden: Svante's adopted city, which goes from cold and distant to a new beginning.
Music as a common thread
The jazz is the real soul of the novel: it accompanies the characters from childhood to maturity, interweaving past and present. Clara's sentence - “Music will bring you together.” - becomes a beacon that illuminates the path to truth and reconciliation.
A novel of emotions and identity
Both Heaven and Earth is not just a family tale, but a literary journey between Italy, Sweden and places of the soul. A book that combines music, introspection and memory, leaving the reader with the feeling of having heard a unique melody, note after note.
https://www.ibs.it/sia-cielo-che-terra-libro-antonio-petralia/e/9791280368638
📖 Genus: contemporary fiction, short novel
🎼 Themes: jazz music, family ties, travel, search for origins
🌍 Settings: Sicily, Rome, L'Aquila, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Sweden, Spain
Production: Musikante Association