A family saga, as told by the recently deceased matriarch, Maria. The complex, multi-facetd story of her ancestry and her five sons, who are convening at the family mansion to celebrate her birthday, and haven’t been notified about her death yet. The chapters are broken by sepia-toned flashbacks of Maria’s youth and her family’s basil-based secret recipes, with detailed doses and procedures. Giulio Macaione, Sicilian born and bred, paints a painstaking, vibrant portrait of his Palermo, and its people, building a story that is at the same time about love, betrayal, family ties and the fundamental, elemental importance of food in Italian society. Oh, and did we mention the mystery? Only the impossible-to-guess ending will tell the reader who killed Maria, on the eve of her birthday.
Original title: Basilicò
160 pages
Black and white with two-tone inserts
16 x 21 cm (6,5 x 8 inches)
Softcover with French flaps
World rights available
