A Thread of Grace A Novel Mary Doria Russell
Alla mia famigliawith thanks to Susa and Tomek,
who made me reach for more
Quello che siete, fummo.
What you are, we were.
Quello che siamo, sarete.
What we are, you shall be.
FROM AN ITALIAN CEMETERY
Characters
Lidia Segre Leoni, his widowed mother; la nonna (the grandmother)
Tranquillo Loeb, her eldest daughters husband
Iacopo Soncini, chief rabbi of SantAndrea
Mirella Casutto Soncini, his wife
Angelo, their young son
Altira, their first daughter, deceased
Rosina, their second daughter
Giacomo Tura, elderly Hebrew scribe
Claudia Fiori, la vedova (the widow)
Albert Blum, her father
Duno Brössler, Austrian teenager, partisan
Herrmann and Frieda Brössler, his parents
Liesl and Steffi, his younger sisters
Rivka Ivanova Brössler, his paternal grandmother
Jakub Landau, organizer for the Italian CNL (Committee for National Liberation); il polacco (the Pole)
Suora Corniglia, novice, later nun; Suora Fossette (Sister Dimples)
Massimo Malcovato, her father; il maggiore (the major)
Don (male honorific) Osvaldo Tomitz, priest, SantAndrea
Don Leto Girotti, priest, San Mauro; il prete rosso (the red priest)
Santino Cicala, infantryman, Calabrian draftee
Catarina Dolcino, the Leonis landlady; Rina
Serafino Brizzolari, municipal bureaucrat, SantAndrea
Antonia Usodimare, proprietress, Pensione Usodimare
Tercilla Lovera, contadina (peasant woman), Santa Chiara
Pierino, Tercillas son; il postino (the postman)
Bettina, his sister
Battista Goletta, Fascist farmer, Valdottavo
Attilio Goletta, his cousin, Communist sharecropper
Tullio Goletta, Attilios son, partisan
Adele Toselli, elderly housekeeper, San Mauro rectory
Nello Toselli, her nephew, partisan
Maria Avoni, partisan; la puttana tedesca (the German whore)
Otello Rollero, partisan, interpreter for Simon Henley
Irmgard, his sister, deceased
Erhardt von Thadden, Gruppenführer (division commander) Waffen-SS; the Schoolmaster
Martina, his wife
Helmut Reinecke, his adjutant, Hauptsturmführer (captain), later Standartenführer (colonel, regimental commander)
Ernst Kunkel, Oberscharführer (staff sergeant), aide to von Thadden
Artur Huppenkothen, Oberstpolizei (police colonel), Gestapo
Erna, his sister
Preludio
1907
This is what everyone would remember about his mother: her home was immaculate. Even in a place where cleanliness was pursued with religious zeal, her household was renowned for its faultless order. In Klaras mind, there was no gradation between purity and filth.
She had sinned as a girl, made pregnant by her married uncle. Adultery stained her soul black, and God punished her as she deserved. Her sin child died.
So did her aunt, and Klara became her uncles newest wife, dutifully raising her stepchildren, keeping them very clean and very quiet, so her uncle-husband would not become angry and bring out his leather whip. Her husband was no more merciful than her God.
Her second son died, and then her small daughter. Soon after she buried little Ida, Klara became pregnant again. Her fourth child was a sickly boy whose weakness her uncle-husband despised.
Schramm supplies, with flat accuracy.
Striving for, one might have said. With your permission, I can explain to Suora Marta that youre seeking a priest who speaks German.
Schramm listens hard, but their dialect is as thick as an Austrians head, and he gives up until the tourist translates. Suora tells me Archbishop Tirassas assistant speaks excellent German. Confessions, however, will not be heard again until Saturday. When Schramm begins to protest, the Italian holds up a conciliatory hand. I shall point out that in time of war, the angel of death is more capricious than usual. Preparation for his arrival should not be delayed.
The mans voice becomes a soothing melody of persuasion and practicality. Schramm watches Suora Martas face. She reminds him of his mothers sister, a Vincentian nun equally short and dumpy and ugly. Like Papa used tsay, Christll take what nobody else wants.
And so there is hope, even for pigs like you, the nun replies.
Schramms jaw drops. A stunned laugh escapes his interpreter. Eyes fearlessly on Schramms own, Suora Marta removes her rubber gloves and apron. Without hurry, she untucks her habit, straightens her gown, folds her outer sleeves back to the proper cuff length. Hands sliding beneath her scapular, she gives Schramm one last dirty look before gliding away with chubby dignity.
Schramm tips a mouthful of brandy down his throat. Verdammte Scheisse! Why didn you tell me she speaks German?
I didnt know! As a general rule, however, courtesy has much to recommend it in any language. This is a small port, but many of us have a working knowledge of German, the man continues, deflecting the conversation ever so slightly. Weve done a fair amount of business with Venezia Giulia since 1918 Pardon! No doubt you would call the region Adriatisches Küstenland.