Sandro’s Library.. buying our books

My son Sandro died on March 20 2010. He was just 17 years of age when he decided to take his own life. In trying to come to terms, as a mother, with the death of my child, seeking answers to an unanswerable question, I embarked on a journey that eventually led me to the tiny medieval Italian Village of Tocco Da Casauria in Abruzzo Italy. This is the ancestral home of Sandro's paternal family and was much loved by him after having spent his formative years there as a child. Sandro was a passionate and avid reader and he loved sharing his beloved books with his playmates in the village.

A devastating earthquake rocked the region of Abruzzo in 2009 and our village lost its middle school and our library.

When I returned to Tocco, searching for a way to deal with my grief and devastation, I had no idea that with the help of our city council and fellow villagers, I would find a means by which I could build a legacy for Sandro.

The idea of Sandro's library was born.

Since its opening in 2021, my friends have generously donated books and we now have a small section of English books in our temporary village library.

I also have books that have been donated in Australia and these will need to be sent to Italy.

I would love to be able to buy new books to extend our collection as well as provide Apple computers and iPads for the children to use.

I have included a video created to mark the inauguration of our library and this will give you a sense of how precious our small library is to the people of our village.

I was extremely grateful and honoured to be Sandro’s mother for the 17 years he was here on earth and I hope, with your help, his love of reading and books will endure for many years to come in the form of Sandro’s Library.