The House at the Edge of Night: A Novel

The House at the Edge of Night: A Novel

A sweeping saga about four generations of a family who live and love on an enchanting island off the coast of Italyâ€”combining the romance of Beautiful Ruins with the magical tapestry of works by Isabel Allende.
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Castellamare is an island far enough away from the mainland to be forgotten, but not far enough to escape from the worldâ€™s troubles. At the center of the islandâ€™s life is a cafÃ© 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 childrenâ€”three sons and an inquisitive daughterâ€”grow up and struggle with both humanityâ€™s cruelty and its capacity for love and mercy.
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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.
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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 storiesâ€”and this magical novel takes you there.

Praise for The House at the Edge of Night
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â€œA perfect summer read, made for those balmy evenings on your porch with a glass of wine. . . . The story brims with heart, dreamy folk tales and beautifully written passages about the people who call the island home. . . . Just donâ€™t be surprised if you keep turning the pages long into the night, spellbound by its magic.â€â€”The Denver Post

â€œA gorgeous, sweeping story set over four generations . . . The novel calls to mind Captain Corelliâ€™s Mandolin and Beautiful Ruins. It is not just the protagonists and their struggles that make Bannerâ€™s narrative incredible, but also the smaller, secondary characters that add color and detail, and the intricately described island of Castellamare itself.â€â€”Interview

â€œBannerâ€™s four-generation saga is set on an island near Sicily, where myths of saints get served up with limoncello as the Esposito familyâ€™s bar. As the captivating characters are challenged by war, financial crisis and heartbreak, their bonds hold them together. The island is fictional, but consider this dreamy summer read your passport.â€â€”People

â€œCatherine Bannerâ€™s latest is 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. Through the life of a single manâ€”a man not noteworthy in the eyes of the worldâ€”and his family, Banner touches on such broad themes as community and the way global events play out in individual lives and larger society. And just as the broader themes affect the more personal ones, Bannerâ€™s style echoes the bookâ€™s content: The House at the Edge of Night is captivating and beautifully rendered.â€â€”Sara Gruen, author of At the Waterâ€™s Edge
Country USA
Brand Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer Random House
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2016-07-12
UnitCount 1
Format Deckle Edge
EANs 9780812998795

Country	USA
Brand	Random House Books for Young Readers
Manufacturer	Random House
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2016-07-12
UnitCount	1
Format	Deckle Edge
EANs	9780812998795