THE FEEL GOOD NOVEL OF THE YEAR 'I loved this funny, heartwarming read' Libby Page The Patron Saint of Plumbing is not answering Nino Speranza's prayers. Without expensive repairs to the pipes, the water board will cut off Speranza's crumbling Italian village. All 212 inhabitants will be forced to leave. In a desperate bid to find the money to save his hometown, he starts a rumour that Italian heart-throb Dante Rinaldi is coming to town to film his next movie. Soon, the place is teeming with fans and everyone wants to be involved: Speranza's assistant has a screenplay and the butcher will invest - if Speranza can find roles for each of his fifteen enormous sons. Even the priest is on board. It seems the only way to give their beloved town a second chance is to actually make a movie. What could possibly go wrong? Funny, charming and utterly heartwarming, this is the feel-good novel of the year; a celebration of the underdog, of family and of what really matters in life. * 'A rare treasure: both hilariously funny and beautifully written.' Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Better Luck Next Time and Be Frank With Me 'The most charming, original and hilarious novel I have read in ages. This novel is something special. Everyone with a sense of humour must pick this up immediately.' Elyssa Friedland, author of Last Summer at The Golden Hotel 'A glorious romp of a book with a cast of characters to fall in love with. Gorgeous, hilarious and brimming with joy. Christine Simon's writing is just a delight.' Helen Paris, author of Lost Property 'Simon's warm-hearted, original gem of a novel is the feel-good read we all need.' Amy Poeppel, author of Musical Chairs 'A charming, fast-paced and warm-hearted farce. Upbeat, escapist and a lot of fun.' Caroline Hulse, author of The Adults 24/08/22 - emailed Gabriele to ask when publishing.

THE FEEL GOOD NOVEL OF THE YEAR 'I loved this funny, heartwarming read' Libby Page, author of The Lido The Patron Saint of Plumbing is not answering Nino Speranza's prayers. Without the thousands of euros in taxes that he could never bring himself to collect from his neighbours, the water board will cut the town off. All 212 inhabitants will be forced to leave. So, in a desperate bid to save his hometown, he starts a rumour that major movie star Dante Rinaldi is filming his next movie in the village. Soon, all the locals want to be involved: Speranza's assistant has written a screenplay and the local butcher will invest - each of his fifteen enormous sons is given a role. It seems the only way to save the town is to actually make the movie. And Nino Speranza starts to think he might have created the second chance they all needed . . . until word of the production reaches Dante Rinaldi himself. Funny, charming and incredibly heart-warming, this is the feel-good book we all need; a celebration of the underdog, of family and of remembering what really matters in life.