The Brittle Age

In the 1990s, deep in the Maiella mountains of Central Italy, a brutal crime shattered the peace of the local community. Two young women were murdered, a third left for dead. Lucia was twenty years old back then, and the only survivor, a childhood 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, forever changed by her experiences, Lucia's memories are reawakened, and with them the impact of past trauma. Set against the backdrop of the rugged Apennine mountains, the narrative intricately 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.

'Inspired by the Morrone killigs in Italy, this is a story of individual resilience and the ripple effects of historical events on individual lives. This is Di Pietrantonio's bestselling work to date.' - The Bookseller
'"If you've devoured everything by Elena Ferrante, there's a good chance you'll like the work of Di Pietrantonio."' - Literary Hub

"Lacerating hurt - conveyed with powerful immediacy in this translation by Ann Goldstein - stings throughout the novel, but also becomes the impetus for resilience and self-determination." ' - The Guardian (on A Girl Returned)

"A Girl Returned is as heart-warming as it is heart-rending." ' - The Economist

"Di Pietrantonio... knows just when and where to slip the pieces of her jigsaw into place - all while leaving emotional gaps, psychic wounds that can never heal." ' - The Washington Post (on A Girl Returned)

Donatella Di Pietrantonio lives in Penne, Abruzzo, where she practices as a pediatric dentist. From the age of nine she has been writing stories, fables, poems, and novels. Her short fiction has been published by Granta Italy, and her novel, Bella mia, was nominated for the Strega Prize and won the Brancati Prize. A Girl Returned, her third novel, won the Campiello Prize. A Sister's Story was a finalist for the 2021 Strega Prize and a New Yorker Best Book of 2022. The Brittle Age, her fifth novel, won the 2024 Strega Prize.

Ann Goldstein has translated into English all of Elena Ferrante's books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Lying Life of Adults and The Story of the Lost Child, which was also shortlisted for the International Booker Prize. She has been honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship and is the recipient of the PEN Renato Poggioli Translation Award. She lives in New York.

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