I’ve just finished reading The Strength of Fragile Days, a novel by Pierenrico Gottero a writer and a dear friend as well as a regular Arillas Visitor. Much of the story unfolds on Corfu, with an entire chapter devoted to Arillas.
What struck me most is how deeply the book captures Arillas’s essence, not just its stunning landscapes and the endless blue of the sea, but also its peaceful, genuine atmosphere, and above all, the true spirit of those of us who call Arillas home.Some passages felt so personal, so close, that they genuinely moved me; others were wonderfully funny and delightfully light, bringing a real smile to my face.
It’s a coming-of-age story, yes, but also a journey through life—the story of a man who, in many ways, could be any one of us. There’s a particular section about the “Myth of the Lobster” and a “Great Stone,” which made me think of so many of you who frequent Arillas.
I snapped the cover photo a few years back. It shows his two children running through the sea. When he asked me months ago if he could use it for the book, I immediately sensed that something truly special was about to unfold.
Pierenrico just told me the German edition is on its way: „Die Kraft der Zerbrechlichen Tage“.
PRESENTATION
In times like these, escape is the only way to stay alive and keep dreaming?
Henri Laborit once said that when we can neither fight nor change things, escape becomes the only form of survival. But is that really the answer? Starting over in a new city, erasing your past, reinventing your life… is that what brings happiness? Or are there other paths—slower, more demanding, but infinitely more genuine?
Marco Lentini is an ordinary young man, yet profoundly unique. Raised between urban outskirts and quiet restlessness, he finds himself slowly unraveling under the weight of an identity that no longer fits, in a world that seems to dictate who he should be. Day by day, he questions the meaning of it all—the expectations placed upon him, the need to belong, the right to choose who he really wants to become.
And when the noise of the world grows too loud, he makes a radical choice: to let go of everything and leave. Not to run away from something, but to move toward himself.
What follows is a journey that’s less about distance and more about depth—a path not traced on any map, but one that winds through inner landscapes. A trail of meaningful encounters, soul-stirring places, hard choices, and quiet moments where transformation takes root.
"The Strength of Fragile Days" is a novel about growing—not in age, but in awareness. It’s a story that embraces vulnerability without shame, where mistakes teach more than any rulebook, and rebirth comes only to those willing to look within.
Because sometimes, the only way to find yourself… is to first lose your way.
