There's No Turning Back

A Novel

By: Alba De Céspedes

Narrated by: Aida Reluzco

Discover the “boundary-breaking” (LitHub) debut novel by the beloved feminist author of the“brilliant” (The Wall Street Journal)Forbidden Notebookandthe “courageous” (The Washington Post)Her Side of the Storythat was so subversive, it was banned by the Italian Fascist regime when it was first published in 1938.

A coming-of-age novel that is as relevant today as it was nearly ninety years ago, There’s No Turning Back centers on eight women with radically different backgrounds who attend the same college in Rome. Some are there to study, others to escape a scandal, or keep a secret, and during their time there, they experience the challenges of love, work, and emancipation.

Considered experimental and revolutionary at the time, this novel established Alba de Céspedes as “one of Italy’s most cosmopolitan, incendiary, insightful, and overlooked writers” (Jhumpa Lahiri, Pulitzer Prize winner). Translated by Ann Goldstein, There’s No Turning Back demonstrates why de Céspedes deserves “an important place in the canon of women’s literature” (Chicago Review of Books).

Critic reviews

"Aida Reluzco’s narration brings depth to each character in this coming-of-age novel, which follows eight Italian women from vastly different backgrounds as they navigate the complexities of education, independence, and societal expectations. Banned in 1938 by the Fascist government, this story paints a wide picture of Italian womanhood. Some arrive at college eager to learn, while others seek refuge from scandal or the weight of their own secrets. Throughout their time together, they confront love, ambition, and the limits placed upon them. As Reluzco highlights their distinct voices and emotional journeys, her performance captures the tension between tradition and modernity, making the struggles of these women immediate and relevant. She magnifies the themes of resilience and self-discovery presented in these intertwined stories."

Wrong Narrator Choice

After listening to different titles from de Cespedes I was excited to experience one of her books that had been banned in fascist Italy but the narrator was unbearable. Her very contemporary interpretation of the dialogue reduced it to ridiculous caricatures that are completely out of place with 1930s Italy. The way she screeched "lights" from the sister ordering the girls to turn their lights off at bedtime was just ridiculous. It was also too much for me to get past the NY/Latin American pronunciation of the Italian names. It all just seemed a terrible parody/ out of place and I returned the title. Some listeners might enjoy but I couldn't. Extremely disappointing.