“A perfect summer read [that] brims with heart . . . Don’t be surprised if you keep turning the pages long into the night, spellbound by its magic.”—The Denver PostA sweeping saga about four generations of a family who live and love on an enchanting island off the coast of Italy—combining the romance of Beautiful Ruins with the magical tapestry of works by Isabel Allende.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST … Allende.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Los Angeles Public Library • Kirkus Reviews
“Captivating . . . [Catherine] Banner’s four-generation saga is set on an island near Sicily, where myths of saints get served up with limoncello at the Esposito family’s bar. . . . The island is fictional, but consider this dreamy summer read your passport.”—People
“A lusty page-turner that weaves romance, rivalry and the intricacies of family expectations into one glorious tale.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
Castellamare is an island far enough away from the mainland to be forgotten, but not far enough to escape from the world’s troubles. At the center of the island’s life is a café draped with bougainvillea called the House at the Edge of Night, where the community gathers to gossip and talk. Amedeo Esposito, a foundling from Florence, finds his destiny on the island with his beautiful wife, Pina, whose fierce intelligence, grace, and unwavering love guide her every move. An indiscretion tests their marriage, and their children—three sons and an inquisitive daughter—grow up and struggle with both humanity’s cruelty and its capacity for love and mercy.
Spanning nearly a century, through secrets and mysteries, trials and sacrifice, this beautiful and haunting novel follows the lives of the Esposito family and the other islanders who live and love on Castellamare: a cruel count and his bewitching wife, a priest who loves scandal, a prisoner of war turned poet, an outcast girl who becomes a pillar of strength, a wounded English soldier who emerges from the sea. The people of Castellamare are transformed by two world wars and a great recession, by the threat of fascism and their deep bonds of passion and friendship, and by bitter rivalries and the power of forgiveness.
Catherine Banner has written an enthralling, character-rich novel, epic in scope but intimate in feeling. At times, the island itself seems alive, a mythical place where the earth heaves with stories—and this magical novel takes you there.
Praise for The House at the Edge of Night
“A gorgeous, sweeping story set over four generations . . . calls to mind Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and Beautiful Ruins.”—Interview
“Like pictures of a childhood summer, or a half-forgotten smell, this book is sweet and heady with nostalgia . . . [and] comforting as a quilt.”—NPR
“Rich and immersive, this book will take you away.”—Vox
“A masterful piece of storytelling, infused with the miraculous (both in stories and in everyday life) while maintaining the difficult balance between the explainable versus the inexplicable . . . captivating and beautifully rendered.”—Sara Gruen, author of At the Water’s Edge
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My husband and I travel all the time; we raised five children while living abroad and then when he retired, we saw the rest of the world. Reading any book about another country is an adventure. People everywhere in the world live differently than we do but we all have a heart and soul. People who love each other, who have sympathy for those who surround them, who try to understand our differences, these are the people who count in our lives. This is a good book and tells a story that is about life and its many phases. It is a really fine book.
Engrossing historical fiction from a little known perspective – a remote island off the coast of Sicily.
Interesting butnot a page turner but a nice saga
I loved this book! I enjoy following characters over the span of generations, which seems more true to life to me. I did not want the story to end.
Nice read but much too long
Family saga on Southern Italian island. Well written!
Loved this book. I really liked the way she tied the generations together through the World Wars. Very believable characters, threaded together over generations. Personalities and motivations very realistic. Good book.
Throughly enjoyable reading. Spent many nights finishing chapters when I should have been sleeping. Spoiler alert, jk… it’s a long book about generations of family on a small island in Italy; you cannot finish the book in one night (even when you’re way into the story;) and must wait to see what happens! I loved the historical significance of WWII, and reading about how some citizens joined the facists, while others did not, but they all needed to live together after the war. One review compared this story to my favorite novel, “Cutting for Stone.” I don’t agree! “House on the Edge of Night” is a much faster, easier, less intense, read. This story covers four generations; therefore, a great deal more time passes within the 600 pages. My book club groans and when any novel over 350 pages is chosen. Don’t be scared off! The story is so interesting and the characters truly unique and realistic, the time and pages fly by! I didn’t want the story to end. It was like leaving a fun festive family reunion.
What a fascinating and delightful novel!
Enjoyed all the characters. It was fun to see them mature overtime
Gave a view of a family & its struggles from a part of the world I am not familiar with … enjoyed the development of the characters in this book
Great story…..loved the characters and the flow through the century.
I am sorry to say that this book was so bleak that I could not force myself to continue reading it beyond the first 10 pages. I very rarely give up so early, but this was really so unappealing to me that I saw no reason to waste my time further, when I have a host of other books waiting for me to be read, that will be more interesting and enjoyable.
I liked the setting.
good writing
I would say “interesting” characters.
Great story about a family thru the ages, centering around the family owned bar/restuarant. Made we want to go to Italy again and possibly to an island.
This is a very different view of the simplicity of island life, a micro political environment, and a world moving ahead through wars and progress while a family grows, evolves, ages and changes through almost 100 years. The voice of the narrator is authentic and other worldly.
This is a lovely book. Good writing. Great story. Realistic ending. Endearing characters. I would even call it nourishing. I was sorry to finish this book. That’s a rare sentiment for me. I recommend it.
It was a great story of a family living in an island. Following many years, of their lives. Well written!