Michela Murgia’s Accabadora explores dignity and death

The novel ‘Accabadora’ by Michela Murgia, winner of the 2010 Premio Campiello, explores the complex themes of life, death, and human dignity. The narrative centers on the enigmatic figure of the ‘accabadora’ from Sardinian tradition—a person who provides a final act of mercy to those suffering at the end of life.

Through the characters of Tzia Bonaria Urrai and Maria Listru, Murgia examines the boundaries of compassion and the respect for an individual's will and suffering. The story presents death not merely as a biological end, but as a profound human experience and a final form of care.