Silvia Ricci Lempen’s novel portrays five women spanning the entire 20th century. The protagonists, Federica, Sabine, Gabrielle, Clara and Anna, bear witness to the difficulties of being a woman and to the prejudice and injustice they faced. These interwoven and intertwined destinies remind us of the extent to which problems linked to motherhood, homosexuality and, more generally, to inequality, have affected women’s lives.

With remarkable mastery and rare gusto, Silvia Ricci Lempen anchors this saga in time and in history. She shows compassion as she addresses the problems women face, yet does not neglect fundamental issues of our society, such as violence (the 1932 shooting of protestors in Plainpalais, Geneva), abuse of women, the role of religion, and the topic of immigration. She does not forget to include men either, and the character of Anna’s husband does them justice. The subtle structure of this novel ingeniously gives a comprehensive picture of social categories.

By creating female characters who are so different from one another, this novel recalls Alice Rivaz’ narrative techniques in Comme le Sable and Creux de la vague. Silvia Ricci Lempen’s fictional couple, Anna and Raffaele, recalls a quote from Rilke in La Paix des ruches of the vision of a loving and equal couple. Finally, the fluid style and poetry that emerges from Silvia Ricci Lempen’s descriptions make Les rêves d’Anna an outstanding novel.