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From the author of Nives, a story of love, redemption, and resistance set in Italy during WWII
Tuscany, November 1943. The village of Le Case is miles from any big city and appears rooted in an earlier century. Seen from there, even the war looks different—it is mostly a matter of waiting, praying, and mourning. As a fierce winter threatens, an order is issued by the local Fascist authorities: all Jews must be rounded up and detained in the bishop’s villa to await deportation.
Shy, solitary, and taciturn René is the town’s cobbler. His only friend is the widow Anna, a woman with whom he has been secretly in love for years. When Anna’s son joins the Resistance and is swiftly captured and shot by the Wehrmacht, the grieving woman vows to continue her son’s mission, and one evening, she disappears into the woods. René later learns that a group of Resistance fighters has been ambushed and the survivors are imprisoned in the bishop’s villa. A woman is among them, they say, a grieving mother and former inhabitant of Le Case.
René can no longer stand by and watch as his town, his country, and his one great love become victims of the Nazis and their Fascist enablers, and he decides to take action. Perhaps for the first time in his life.
Based on the true story of a nefarious collaboration between the Catholic diocese of Grosseto and the Fascist authorities, The Bishop’s Villa is a masterful weaving together of fact and fiction by one of Italy’s most exciting young writers.
Praise for The Bishop’s Villa
“A poignant tribute to the memories of victims of the Nazi regime, the historical novel The Bishop’s Villa is set in an Italian seminary that served as a prison during the Holocaust.”—Foreward Reviews
“The Bishop’s Villa illuminates a dark slice of Italian history. Naspini exposes the brutality of the prison camp and highlights the immense courage of the Resistance fighters. Fans of The Book Thief and All the Light We Cannot See will be moved by the bravery and humanity shared among prisoners, civilians, and sympathizers.”—Booklist
“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
“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