Books on the Covers with Emanuele Giulianelli
Emanuele Giulianelli, *A Step Away from Heaven*. Stories of fourth-place finishes that made history. PIEMME (Il Battello a Vapore)
When Benedetta Pilato, the queen of breaststroke, finished fourth at the 2024 Paris Olympics at just 19 years of age, her words took the sporting world by surprise: by a mere hundredth of a second she would not be stepping onto the podium, yet she expressed complete and sincere joy.
Her story, along with many others recounted in this book, emblematically illustrates the sporting spirit, which matters more than the result. It compels us to challenge our own limits, as Niki Lauda did, finishing fourth in the Grand Prix held just over a month after the terrible accident in which he had risked his life, or allows us to rediscover a sense of belonging to a community, as illustrated by the story of the Rwandan women’s basketball team, whose people celebrate their fourth-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations, finally united after the genocide that tore the country apart.
Because it is not a medal that proves we are worthy and that our efforts have value. Even when we stop just one step short of the top.
Suitable for children aged 11 and over.
