Le Mie Cinque Giornate: Messina 28 Dicembre 1908 - 1° Gennaio 1909

''Le mie cinque giornate : Messina 28 dicembre 1908 - 1° gennaio 1909 by Espero'' is a first-person eyewitness memoir written in the early 20th century. The book chronicles five agonizing days after the devastating Messina earthquake, focusing on a mother’s ordeal amid collapse, fire, hunger, and chaos as she struggles to reach her daughter and to survive. The narrative opens with a tender goodnight between the narrator and her daughter Alfrida, then shatters as the quake brings down their home. With her husband Giovanni she fights through darkness and debris, only to find the child’s room vanished into a void. Through futile digging, indifferent passersby, a compassionate German sailor, and the steadfast help of their retainer Nino, she clings to a few rescued keepsakes while seeking aid. Forced onto a crowded ferry-boat, they witness the fire consuming the remnants of the Hôtel Trinacria—likely the place of Alfrida’s death—enduring nights of smoke, thirst, and hostility. Brief flashes of hope arrive via news of friends, scraps of food, and attempts to send messages to relatives. Ordered ashore, they brave a brutal, overcrowded train ride to Catania and finally find shelter with cousins, where care and a telegram confirming their other daughter’s safety offer a fragile, hard-won solace.