The Malcontents - by Sacha Naspini (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

There is a village carved into the rock of the Maremma hinterland in Tuscany and its name is Le Case. A dying country. A provincial trap. A microcosm of characters who are as vivid as they are universal, their days unchanging and at times tedious.

That is, until the small community is shocked by the arrival of Samuele Radi, born and raised in the heart of the old village, but lost long ago to the world beyond. His return home is the trigger for this magnificently sprawling, choral novel by the author of Nives.

Here is a story about destiny and attempts to change it, about dangerous passions, about games that involve love and death. Because in Le Case the human universe is at times unforgiving. A large cast of extraordinary and memorable characters (including Nives herself, from Naspini's well received English debut), complicated lives, and complex interpersonal relations: all of these overlap, collide, commingle in a story of secrets and lies. Fortunes are lost, revenge is plotted; there are religious conversions, betrayals, theft, joy, and misfortune; there is love and occasional tenderness. The very stuff of life animates Naspini's picaresque second novel, the book that catapulted him to national fame in his native Italy, and will surely bring many new readers to his distinctive, prize-winning fiction.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Bishop's Villa

"The Bishop's Villa is a compelling and enduring novel that, through a seemingly minor story, unravels one of the most tragic chapters of the 20th century. It exposes the intricate web of complicit ties that enabled those events, while posing lingering, unanswered questions that resonate to this day."--Il Manifesto

"A novel of war and resistance, on not being mere spectators of history."--Internazionale

"(Historical) Memory and dreams coexist perfectly in the hands of Naspini, an award-winning and translated author."--Corriere Fiorentino

Praise for Nives by Sacha Naspini

"The dramatic concision of this story in tandem with its wide scope reminded me of Edith Wharton...Emotions whiplash and the most unexpected of secrets and epiphanies emerge... This delightful and affecting novella affirms the truth of Emily Dickinson's famous line: 'Hope is the thing with feathers'."--Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air

"Touching, heartfelt... Nives is the reckoning of a woman blindsided by the unexpected. Fans of Elisabeth Egan, Marian Keyes, and Isabel Allende will appreciate the care and compassion Naspini takes with Nives' journey of self-awareness, self-reliance, and self-acceptance. A delightful story of the muddled, confusing time of love after loss."--Stephanie Turza, Booklist

"A slim, sharply pointed knife of a novel."--Kirkus Reviews

"[Nives] inspires readers to tell our stories with humor, passion, and gratitude."--Mari's Book Reviews

"Truly surprising."--Complete Review

"As immediate and spellbinding as a two-character play...Naspini is excellent at conjuring characters and situations."--La Stampa

"Nives carries a powerful message of female emancipation: it's impossible not to root for the title character as she reclaims her place in the world after a whole life spent in men's shadow."--Critica Letteraria