Read more
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 of beloved works by Elena Ferrante. It is 1936, and in the small Italian city of Monza, on the pebbled bank of the Lambro, two frantic girls scramble to bury a body--the dead son of the city''s most prominent fascist. If they are discovered, their lives and the fierce friendship they share will be in jeopardy. A year earlier, Francesca Strada, the respectable and well-behaved daughter of bourgeois parents, yearns for a life beyond provincial conformity. She is fascinated by Maddalena, the town''s rebellious outcast whom neighbors call "the cursed one." Stubborn and proud, the young girl embraces their scorn, flouting social convention and gaining both ire and disapproval. Her indomitable nature-the unrestrained spirit of someone completely unafraid-fascinates Francesca. Then, one day, escaping the vigilant eye of her parents, Francesca finds herself caught in her first ever lie trying to protect Maddalena only to befriend her. Quickly becoming inseparable, Maddalena teaches Francesca to defy animals, overcome her fear of blood, and revel in her body, recognizing it as something alive and present. But the threat from Mussolini''s fascist goons is growing and Maddalena and Francesca become increasingly aware that as girls, they are not the free and independent individuals they yearn to be. Set against the backdrop of the Abyssinian war, The Cursed Friend is a timeless tale of female friendship, navigating loss and adolescence, and discovering the courage to denounce oppression and patriarchy. Translated from the Italian by Elena Pala
About the author
Beatrice Salvioni was born in Monza in 1995 and now lives in Turin, Italy. A recent graduate of the Scuola Holden, she won the 2021 Calvino Prize for short stories. The Cursed Friend is her first novel.
Elena Pala eventually found her calling in literary translation after completing a PhD in linguistics at Cambridge University and a stint at a busy creative agency in London. Recent translations include The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi and Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati.
Summary
"Bloody, unapologetic, and wild ... I loved it!"—Naomi Krupitsky, New York Times bestselling author of The Family
"The Cursed Friend grabs the reader’s attention and doesn’t let go . . . a magnetic coming-of-age story"—Laura Spence-Ash, bestselling author of Beyond That, the Sea
For readers of Adriana Trigiani, Susan Meissner, and Elena Ferrante, an unbreakable, life-changing friendship will lead two young girls from different worlds to rebel against the injustice they face in 1930s Italy.
It is 1936, and in the small Italian city of Monza, on the pebbled bank of the Lambro, two frantic girls scramble to bury a body—the dead son of the city's most prominent fascist. Soon, they will find their fierce friendship put to the ultimate test.
A year earlier, Francesca Strada, the well-mannered daughter of a bourgeois family, dreams of a life beyond provincial conformity. From afar she spies on Maddalena, the town’s rebellious outcast—whom neighbors call “the Cursed One”—and whose indomitable spirit fascinates her. Then, one day, escaping the vigilant eye of her parents, Francesca finds herself caught in her first-ever lie while trying to protect Maddalena. Soon, the two are inseparable. Maddalena teaches Francesca to defy animals, to overcome her fear of blood, and to recognize her body as something alive and present.
But as tensions escalate and an atmosphere of suspicion, corruption, and discontent settles over the town, the friends become increasingly aware that as girls, they’re not as free as they wish to be. Confronted by a vicious act of violence, Maddalena and Francesca must rely on each other to defend what they have forged together. Set against the backdrop of the Abyssinian War, The Cursed Friend is a timeless tale of female friendship, navigating loss and adolescence, and finding the courage to speak out against the silence of a harsh, uncompromising world.
Translated from the Italian by Elena Pala
