I cieli

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A work of rare literary brilliance and emotional power, this mesmerizing novel explores love, time, dreams, and politics, questioning how we inhabit our world. Set in New York during late summer 2000, the story unfolds at a party in a spacious Manhattan apartment hosted by a wealthy young activist. Idealistic twenty-somethings engage in passionate conversations over takeout dumplings and champagne, embodying the optimism of a new millennium. Here, Ben meets Kate, and they begin to fall in love. From the start, Ben recognizes Kate's unworldly nature, so he is initially unconcerned when she shares her recurring childhood dream. In this dream, she lives a second life as Emilia, a nobleman's mistress in Elizabethan England. However, as the dream becomes more real and compelling, it begins to overwhelm her life. Kate wakes to find her surroundings altered—unfamiliar pictures on her walls and new buildings in her neighborhood. As she struggles to understand these changes, Ben fears that the woman he loves is losing her grip on reality. This narrative transports readers between a richly detailed past and a frighteningly plausible future, serving as a powerful reminder of our actions' consequences and a poignant exploration of love and the transformative power of dreams.