The Garden of Monsters

In Southern Tuscany, two families are at war while a young woman discovers her path in the acclaimed Italian author’s English-language debut.

The Biagini are local ranchers, while the wealthy Sanfilippi belong to Rome’s upper middle-class. When Sauro, an ambitious rancher, and Filippo, a hedonistic politician, become friends and business partners, the stories of their families become irrevocably intertwined. As the town experiences an influx of new money, political allegiances, family loyalties, moral codes, and sexual identities all begin to shift.

Sauro and Filippo and their families are the prototypes of the new Italy, ostensibly emancipated from traditional mores, but at the same time, insecure and blinkered. Fifteen-year-old Annamaria, fragile and anxious, feels overshadowed by the beautiful and confident Lisa. Luckily, a parallel world is taking shape nearby: the Tarot Garden, the monumental sculpture garden created by the French-American artist Niki de Saint Phalle. It is in this magical place, through her conversations with the artist, that Annamaria will slowly find a sense of identity and belonging.