The Brittle Age
by Donatella Di Pietrantonio
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Pub Date Jun 03 2025 | Archive Date Jun 03 2025
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Description
WINNER OF THE 2024 STREGA PRIZE
WINNER OF THE 2024 YOUTH STREGA PRIZE
Acclaimed Italian author Donatella Di Pietrantonio’s best-selling novel to date, The Brittle Age is a powerful mother and daughter story and a profound exploration of human fragility and the haunting shadows of the past
In the 1990s, deep in the Maiella mountains of Central Italy, a brutal crime shatters the peace of the local community. Two young women are murdered, a third left for dead. Lucia is twenty years old back, and the only survivor is her best friend.
Now, Lucia is a physiotherapist, separating from her husband, her daughter Amanda studying in Milan. When the pandemic forces Amanda to return to the family’s home near Pescara, Lucia’s memories are reawakened, and with them the impact of past trauma.
Set against the backdrop of the rugged Apennine mountains, this gripping psychological family drama weaves Lucia and Amanda’s personal struggles with the mystery of the tragedy that marked their familial land decades earlier.
Inspired by true events, The Brittle Age is a tale of individual resilience, and a commentary on the indelible impact of historical events on personal lives and the broader community.
A Note From the Publisher
- Readers of Elena Ferrante, Elsa Morante, Domenico Starnone, Alba de Céspedes
- Readers of FOSTER by Claire Keegan, THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore
- Readers who enjoy psychological novels exploring the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, in particular in the shadow of past trauma.
- Based on true events, the novel will appeal to fans of suspenseful stories centered on unresolved crimes and their lingering impact on a community
- Readers who are interested in narratives of resilience and trauma will resonate with the novel’s exploration of human fragility, the enduring strength of familial bonds, and the journey toward healing
KEY SELLING POINTS
- A powerful contemporary Italian novel exploring the lasting impacts of trauma through the lens of a mother-daughter relationship and an unforgettable crime that shook a community.
- Award-winning, bestselling (40k in three months) contemporary voice in Italian literature
- Translated by “star translator” Ann Goldstein (translator of Elena Ferrante, Primo Levi, Elsa Morante)
- WINNER of Italy’s 2024 Strega Prize, Italy’s most prestigious literary prize in Italy; 200K copies sold to date, 18 foreign rights deals
- The novel’s inspiration from the actual events adds a layer of intrigue and authenticity, attracting readers interested in crime/true crime stories in addition to literary readers
- Vivid setting in the little-known region of Abruzzo in southern Italy.
Advance Praise
Praise for The Brittle Age
“Donatella Di Pietrantonio tackles this story using resources that are increasingly rare—and therefore urgent—in the contemporary story: modesty, delicacy, respect for the characters’ feelings, ability to listen.”—La Stampa
“Intense and precise.”—Il Foglio
“We enter the woods in search of the murderer…but it’s the forest—the beech forest of the Dente del Lupo—that is the other principal character of this novel, both a generational saga and a dark fairy tale.”—la Repubblica
“A novel with the narrative tension of a thriller that moves between rural Abruzzo and a city, Milan, whose promise of freedom remains a mirage.”—Il Mattino
Praise for A Sister’s Story
“Another simmering, intense novel of dysfunctional relationships and destructive secrets... Di Pietrantonio radiantly conjures small, piercing moments that linger between characters... Her sharp examinations haunt and illuminate, transforming the quotidian into the indelibly literary.”—Shelf Awareness
“The talented team of prize-winning author Di Pietrantonio and translator Goldstein once again bring an immersion experience of Italian family and culture, a strong sense of place, and the intricacies and mysteries of intimate relationships in understated, vivid prose.”—Booklist
“The sisters from the author’s previous novel, A Girl Returned—a stoic narrator and her fiery younger sister, Adriana—reappear in this unsettling companion tale.”—The New Yorker
“If you’ve devoured everything by Elena Ferrante, there’s a good chance you’ll like the work of Di Pietrantonio.”—Literary Hub, A Most Anticipated Book of Spring 2022
Marketing Plan
Marketing & Publicity
- Print & e-galleys available
- National and regional media
- Influencer campaign
Marketing & Publicity
- Print & e-galleys available
- National and regional media
- Influencer campaign
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798889660873 |
| PRICE | $18.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 192 |
