Chiara Mezzalama's novel 'L'inadatta' follows a dancer's journey from California to Rome

Chiara Mezzalama's novel 'L'inadatta' (Nutrimenti) tells the fictionalized story of Grace, an American dancer and choreographer who moves from 1950s California to 1960s New York and eventually to Rome during the 'Estate romana' of assessor Renato Nicolini. The narrative spans decades, exploring Grace's struggles with family, love, and her relentless pursuit of an authentic dance practice, often pushing her body and mind to extremes. Mezzalama, a writer, translator, and psychotherapist based between Paris and Rome, drew inspiration from a real dancer she performed with for years. The novel addresses themes of feminism, racism, homosexuality, and the challenges of motherhood for female artists. Mezzalama reflects on the decline of cultural funding in Italy and the nostalgia for Rome's vibrant 1960s-70s art scene, which she learned about from her father. She argues that art is a primary human need and criticizes governments that deem it futile. Her next French-language novel, 'Dans la chambre forêt' (Les Presses de la Cité), is a love story about grief, previously published in Italian as 'Le nostre perdute foreste' (E/O).