Nata in Via delle Cento Stelle. Gatti, biciclette e parolacce: tutta la galassia di Margherita Hack

Born in Via delle Cento Stelle (The street of 100 Stars) in Florence on the 12th of June 1922, what else could Margherita Hack become but a world-famous astrophysicist? But she never believed in destiny: instead, she believed in merit, in making your dreams come true. And she had lots of dreams: from athletics – she hoped to win an Olympic medal – to bicycles, love at first sight, and the stars, discovered in school by chance and which lit her pathall the way to becoming the first female director of an observatory in Italy, at the Astronomical Observatory of Trieste. Margherita didn’t hide who she was, she expressed her opinions and fought for a better society, defending the rights of the weakest. She lived an extraordinarily simple life guided by truth and humour, always with an eye on the future.

• An intimate and richly detailed account of the life of one of the most famous astronomers in the world, by someone who really knew her. Federico retraces Margherita\’s life in a story full of interesting facts, anecdotes and details, in a book divided into 12 chapters, each named after a star chosen from among the billions dotted the universe, because they are as unusual as Margherita.

• Rare and unpublished photos brought to life by the extraordinary creativity of Marianna Balducci.

• An example of a strong and confident woman who stood against the stereotypes and preconceptions of gender culture to establish herself and her passions.