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The Cursed Friend
- Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan
- Length: 6 hrs and 44 mins
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The Cursed Friend
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Summary
An unbreakable, life-changing friendship will lead two young girls from different worlds to rebel against the sexism, prejudice and injustice they face living in 1930s Italy in this moving novel that echoes the spirit Elena Ferrante's beloved works.
'Richly imagined' OBSERVER
'A widescreen, sensory, visual story' THE TIMES
It is 1936 in the small Italian city of Monza. On the pebbled bank of the Lambro, two frantic girls scramble to hide a body.
A year earlier, Maddalena attracts stares everywhere she goes. ‘The Cursed One’, they whisper, as tales of the harm she’s inflicted upon those that have crossed her ignite fear and scorn amongst the townspeople.
Francesca is not scared like the others. Respectable, well-behaved and yearning for a life beyond provincial conformity, she is drawn to Maddalena’s rebellious spirit. When, one day, she finds herself telling a lie to save her, this split-second decision irrevocably binds the girls together.
From this moment on they will go to any length to protect one another, even if that leads to a terrible violence…
Translated from the Italian by Elena Pala
Critic reviews
'This debut grips your soul and never lets go’ Le Point
‘A little gem that proves that Italian women's literature is undergoing a revolution’ Vogue Spain
‘Reading The Cursed Friend, one immediately understands the reasons for the rapturous reception. The intensity of the writing, the tight, believable dialogue … the visceral and powerful friendship between two different but connected young girls. Brings to mind Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend’ La Repubblica
‘Bloody, unapologetic, and wild … I loved it!’ Naomi Krupitsky, New York Times bestselling author of The Family
‘From its opening pages, The Cursed Friend grabs the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go. Beatrice Salvioni has written a magnetic coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of 1930’s Italy and the threat of fascism. The center of the novel lies in the complicated and yet essential friendship between two girls, Maddalena and Francesca, and their journey toward understanding the boundaries of right and wrong’ Laura Spence-Ash, bestselling author of Beyond That, the Sea
‘In her gripping novel set in fascist Italy, and in the tradition of Elsa Morante and Natalia Ginzburg, Beatrice Salvioni gives powerful voice to the female experience in Italy’ Jenny McPhee, author of The Center of Things