Tartufo - by Kira Jane Buxton

About the Book

"After nearly losing the election to a geriatric but wildly popular donkey named Maurizio, newly installed Mayor Delizia Miccuci can't help but feel like the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village of Lazzarina Boscarino. Tourists only stop by to ask for directions, Nonna Amara's cherished ristorante is long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with glis glis poo. Even Postman Duccio has been disgraced. All that's left is Bar Celebritáa, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades-long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to bartender Giuseppina's volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they've spent their entire lives. Little do the villagers know that, mere miles away in the forest, local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza has just happened upon something that could change everything"--

Book Synopsis

From the author of Hollow Kingdom, a fantastically funny story featuring a cast of colorful characters in a dying Italian village and a giant truffle that changes their fate forever in this "deliciously absurd tale....I savored every page of this book." (Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures)

After nearly losing the election to a geriatric donkey, newly installed Mayor Delizia Miccuci can't help but feel like the sun has finally set on the rural Italian village of Lazzarini Boscarino. Tourists only stop by to ask for directions, Nonna Amara's cherished ristorante is long shuttered, and the town hall is disgustingly overrun with glis glis poo--even Postman Duccio has been disgraced. All that's left is Bar Celebrità, a rustic establishment where weary locals gather to quibble over decades-long disputes, submit their poor stomachs to bartender Giuseppina's volcanic espresso, and wonder what will become of the place where together they've spent their entire lives.

Little do the villagers know that local truffle hunter Giovanni Scarpazza has just happened upon something that could change everything. A truffle--un tartufo, that is--sits beneath the soil with the power to either be the greatest gift or the foulest curse the village has ever seen.

Written in the same enchanting style and raucous humor that defines Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures, Tartufo is a reflection on the interconnectedness of life in all its manifestations--and how holding on to harmony in the face of hardship can grow something beautiful and rare beneath the surface.

Review Quotes

"Forage through the pile of new books this winter, and you aren't likely to dig up a more charming novel than "Tartufo." Kira Jane Buxton's story about truffle mania whisks us away to Italy and serves up one buttery page of comedy after another...Buxton has just the right zany style to pull this off. Wildly affected, comically ornate and unapologetically silly, "Tartufo" whips up a story like a master chef...the results are delicious...as a work of Italian-flavored fun, it's irresistible."--Ron Charles, The Washington Post

"Smart, funny, charming and heart-warming." --Jenny Lawson, New York Times bestselling author of Furiously Happy

"An unforgettable cast of small-town oddballs steals the show in this deliciously absurd tale of blessings and curses. Kira Jane Buxton's knack for making delightfully weird situations seem real has never been better. I savored every page of this book!"--Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

"Buxton, whose debut was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, has a style that is unique and captivating, and she tells stories that are cheerfully weird and plausible yet surreal. To readers who enjoyed her earlier novels, or indeed to anyone who enjoys a really fine piece of humorous writing, this one is highly recommendable."--Booklist

About the Author

Kira Jane Buxton's debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, the Audie Awards, and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by NPR, Book Riot, and Good Housekeeping.