From the internationally bestselling author of The Children’s
Train comes an unforgettable coming-of-age novel, set in 1960s
Sicily and based on a true story, of how a young Sicilian girl
defied centuries old tradition to win the right to control her own
life. As provincial Sicily bursts into life with the jaunty hum of
pop music and the heady scent of wild jasmine, fifteen-year-old
Oliva Denaro dares to challenge convention, ignoring the taunts of
peers, her mother’s scolds, and her own changing body. Spirited
and carefree, she loves to run until her lungs burst: to feel the
strength of her lithe limbs, to relish the freedom she cherishes,
to honor the friends forced by propriety to conform. Though she
knows she cannot stop growing up, Oliva resists the future. To her,
becoming a woman means denying oneself. But adulthood comes all too
quickly when the baker’s son sets his sights on her. Offered a
blood orange, Oliva—haunted by her mother’s warning, “a girl
who smiles has already said yes”—spurns the fruit. Yet, this
act sets into motion an unwanted courtship that will force Oliva to
fight for the right to choose her own path, even though the odds of
winning are steep. While America and Europe are in the throes of
social change, Sicily fiercely clings to its rigid traditions,
including the custom of fuitina –by which kidnappings could be
disguised as elopements– which is accepted and enshrined in law.
Oliva’s battle for independence is based on the real-life story
that would ultimately rock Italy–capturing the attention of both
the Pope and the nation’s president—and transform life for all
Italians. The Unbreakable Heart of Oliva Denaro is a lyrical tale
of staggering beauty. Viola Ardone beautifully evokes a land and
its people, customs, and passions, and breathes life into an
unforgettable girl in all her intensity, desperation, perseverance,
and bravery. Alternating between the lighthearted and the tragic,
it is a classic coming-of-age novel—powerful, spellbinding, and
liberating. Translated from the Italian by Clarissa Botsford
General
Imprint: |
Harpervia
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
May 2023 |
Authors: |
Viola Ardone
|
Translators: |
Clarissa Botsford
|
Dimensions: |
203 x 135 x 20mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
352 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-06-327687-1 |
Categories: |
Books >
Fiction >
General
|
LSN: |
0-06-327687-9 |
Barcode: |
9780063276871 |
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