The
Time of Glutinous Rice
by
Fiori Picco
Review
by Maria Teresa De Donato
With her new novel
entitled Il tempo del riso glutinoso (=
The Time of Glutinous Rice) (Picco,
2024, Fiori D'Asia Editrice), Fiori Picco, Author, Literary Translator, Editor,
and Sinologist, conquers the hearts of all of us by transporting us once again
to her beloved Yunnan and, more precisely, to the village of Shanjiao, among
the Kam community that has lived in this remote area on the border between the
provinces of Hunan and Guizhou for millennia.
As in her novels – Giada
Rossa – Una vita per la libertà (= Red Jade – A Life for Freedom), Yao, and Il Circolo delle Donne
Farfalla – Mugao e Bhaktu (= The Butterfly Women's Circle – Mugao and Bhaktu), two aspects also
characterize this publication:
•
The figure of the woman and her suffering and
•
The theme of ethnic groups
However, if the previous
novels constitute real reportages, The Time of Glutinous Rice takes on
more the tones of an introspective journey. The Ego and the Self scrutinize
each other and compare themselves. The Mind, through Reason, tries to make
sense of what the Heart initially does not accept. The Heart, in turn, is
divided on what to do and, if on the one hand, it rebels against what it feels
as an imposition, on the other, it wants to make its loved ones happy, not
disappoint them, and, above all, not undermine the serenity and balance of the
family.
The result is an internal
revolt characterized by a whirlwind of contrasting thoughts, emotions, and
sensations in constant conflict.
Who are we? Where are we
going, and where do we wish to go? Are we the architects of our destiny, or
should others decide our future and, perhaps, our happiness? Giving up on our
ambitions, on the realization of our dreams, and indulging in the wishes of our
family so as not to disappoint them because "in Kam society,
responsibilities come first" (Picco, 2024, p. 11) seems to be a sword of
Damocles hanging over one's head and from which it will be very difficult if
not impossible to free oneself.
The stakes are very high.
So what to do next? Rebel by continuing to cultivate one's talents and pursue
one's dreams, such as that of becoming a "trilingual architect designer
and one day landing abroad, preferably in Italy" (p. 15) after graduating
with full marks from the Faculty of Garden and Landscape Design of the Yunnan
Normal University, in Kunming, a choice also inspired by the Italian professor
of European culture and Garden Design, or accept and make one's own the
teaching of mom Beili according to which "It is not a given that life
always goes the way we want. There are certain things we can make ourselves
like with time."? (p. 15). And so, while our Heart is broken and, torn
apart wonders what to do next, Life itself, without our knowledge, paves the
way, and prepares the path that will lead us to Understanding, to full
Awareness of our ethnic identity, to acceptance and, finally, to cover what
will prove to be our true "calling."
Becoming the mayor of
Shanjiao should make one proud. Being "the most authoritative and
respected woman in the place" in "a matriarchal society called 'the
Kingdom of Daughters'" where women hold power is the dream of all girls of
the Kam ethnic group (p.11), even if this privilege is reserved only for women
with degrees. However, Life will see in Niangmei, nicknamed "Myrtle"
by the Italian teacher, a cultured and intelligent girl from Kunming, the most
suitable person to lead the village of Shanjiao, to become one of the
"messengers of the great ancestors" (p. 269) and of the "new
heirs of the intangible cultural heritage of the Kam ethnic group" (pp.
254, 255) appointed as such by the district government itself.
Despite her young age and
inexperience, Myrtle will demonstrate that she has the ability, also thanks to
the advice of her parents, her aunt Wu, the former mayor of Shanjiao, the one
who will become her friend Yilan, and other characters as fascinating as they
are mysterious, including Grandma Pan and Rong Rong, to be up to the task.
Carrying out her role as mayor excellently, she will succeed, with difficulty,
in developing her village through a series of initiatives aimed at reclaiming
the environment and increasing craftsmanship, trade, and tourism, thanks also
to the targeted use of the internet.
In doing so, she will
demonstrate, without a shadow of a doubt, that she is the worthy earthly
representative and heir of the Great Grandma Sama, Goddess of the place.
The glutinous rice,
mentioned several times in the text and used in various recipes traditionally
prepared and consumed by the Kam community, is the metaphor of an invisible
hourglass that, at regular intervals, expires the slow and incessant passage of
time, marking its rhythm.
Cultural, culinary, and
religious traditions, deeply rooted millenary beliefs, detailed descriptions of
customs and habits, dishes, clothing, ceremonial rituals, family secrets, and
more, old disagreements existing between members of the community for the most
varied reasons are masterfully described by the skilled pen of Fiori Picco.
The result is a highly
suggestive picture that drags the reader into an atmosphere and a time that to
us, Westerners, seems light-years away and that, for this very reason,
intrigues and fascinates, making us vibrate in a real and, at the same time,
mystical dimension. Colors, flavors,
sounds, voices, songs, as well as buildings and statues that seem to observe
passers-by, as well as readers, blend into a Whole as varied as it is
harmonious that transports us to an 'other' World in which myths and legends,
as well as fantasy and reality, continue to dance incessantly.
The Time of Glutinous
Rice
is a book rich in details that will fascinate the readers, allowing them to
continue their spiritual journey in Yunnan and to familiarize themselves this
time with the Kam ethnic group and its matriarchal society.
I recommend reading it to
everyone, especially lovers of foreign cultures.