The Cursed Friend

(Paperback)

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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 shes 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 Maddalenas 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

'Salvioni's prose is transfixing and visceral' FINANCIAL TIMES

'Heart-rendingly tender and fiercely defiant HESTER MUSSON

Reviews

'A widescreen, sensory, visual story that starts with an edge-of-your-seat, crowd-pleasing trick The characters are big and colourful' The Times

'Francesca and Maddalena are vibrant characters for whom we quickly root. Their central relationship and cruel initiation into the world of men is richly imagined. Im excited to read what Beatrice does next' Observer

Salvionis skilful rendering of a female friendship full of intimacy, admiration, strength, betrayal has echoes of Elena Ferrante, Natalia Ginzburg and Alba de Cspedes Financial Times

'Salvionis fast-paced narrative forges an intense yet timeless tale of female friendship' New Statesman

A tightly wrought tale of friendship forged in the jaws of tyranny, this is a coming-of-age story both heart-rendingly tender and fiercely defiant Hester Musson, author of The Beholders

'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

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 readers attention and doesnt let go 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

Author Bio

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 Italo Calvino Prize for short stories. The Cursed Friend is her first novel.