Katia Balmelli, Albero custode (The Guardian Tree)

Katia Balmelli
The Guardian Tree
Novel

The true story of Mario, the eldest son of a large family – born at the beginning of the 1900s in a village in a Ticino valley – who from a young age enjoys wearing his sisters’ clothes. After moving to Italy for work, the innocent game turns into an internal conflict when the urge to wear women’s clothing becomes irresistible, leading him to steal and hide an article of clothing in the hollow trunk of a chestnut tree.
The tree he sees outside his window symbolizes his identity and becomes a “guardian tree” of his secret, representing life, hope, and transformation.
This internal struggle is exacerbated by guilt and shame, amplified by the socio-cultural environment in which he lives.
The encounter with Iacco marks a turning point in Mario’s life as he helps him express his true nature and overcome societal boundaries. However, under maternal pressure, he begins to date a girl, but the double life torments him, increasing his despair and sense of inadequacy.
After his death, his sisters discover his secret and, facing the shame, make a drastic decision.
The novelized story explores Mario’s struggle for acceptance, his search for identity, and the impact on his family.

A powerful and touching true story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katia Balmelli was born and lives in Ticino and has been an elementary school teacher. She was awarded in 1999 for a text dedicated to the new millennium in a dialect writing competition promoted by Swiss Italian-language radio and television. In 2008, she published the short story collection “La vie en orange e altri racconti”.
“The Guardian Tree” is her first novel.

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