This autobiographical novel describes the political atmosphere and recounts the bombings on the Maltese Islands during the Second World War. The work has a Stendhalian breadth in its depiction of reality with broad brushstrokes and outlines, and its precise and intense portrayal of the soul of its subjects, overwhelmed by war and the ruthless power games of the time. Beyond this, the novel delves into themes of political commitment: Fascism, Nazism, anti-Semitism, British colonialism, and the dream of independence. However, politics and war remain in the background as the reader experiences them through the eyes of Lorenz, the novelโ€™s protagonist. This panel is presented by the publisher Salvo Bonfirraro with the participation of Dr Marco Galea and Damian Ebejer.