The Garden of Monsters
Lorenza Pieri, Liesl Schillinger (translation)The Biagini are local ranchers, while the wealthy Sanfilippi belong to Rome’s upper middle-class. When Sauro, an ambitious rancher, & Filippo, a hedonistic politician, become friends & 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, & sexual identities all begin to shift.
Sauro & Filippo & their families are the prototypes of the new Italy, ostensibly emancipated from traditional mores, but at the same time, insecure & blinkered. Fifteen-year-old Annamaria, fragile & anxious, feels overshadowed by the beautiful & 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 & belonging.
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Lorenza Pieri is an author, journalist, & translator. She grew up in Tuscany & spent long periods in Paris, Turin, & Rome, where she worked in publishing. She lived for eight years in Washington D.C., where she continued to write about politics & culture for a variety of outlets. Lesser Islands (Europa, 2023) was the winner of numerous prizes & has been translated into 6 languages. The Garden of Monsters (Europa, 2020) was a finalist for the Strega Prize.