The Revolution of the Moon

2017, pp. 240, e-Book
ISBN: 9781787700208
Translated by: Stephen Sartarelli
Region: Italy

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£ 9.99

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The book

From the author of the Inspector Montalbano series, the remarkable account of an exceptional woman who rises to power in 17th century Sicily and brings about sweeping changes before being cast out in a coup after only 27 days.

Sicily, April 16 1677. From his deathbed, Charles III’s viceroy, Anielo de Guzmán y Carafa, marquis of Castle Rodrigo, names his wife as his successor. Eleanora de Moura is a highly intelligent and capable woman who immediately applies her political acumen to heal the scarred soul of Palermo, a city afflicted by poverty, misery and the frequent uprisings they entail. The Marquise implements measures that include lowering the price of bread, reducing taxes for large families, re-opening women’s care facilities, and establishing stipends for young couples wishing to marry—all measures that were considered seditious by the conservative city fathers and by the Church. The machinations of powerful men soon result in Donna Eleanora, whom the Church sees as a dangerous revolutionary, being recalled to Spain. Her rule lasted one cycle of the moon.
Based on a true story, Camilleri’s gripping novel tells the story of a woman whose courage and political vision is tested at every step by misogyny and reactionary conservatism.

PRAISE:

“Suspense, surprises, and courtly intrigues abound in this story that is also a tribute to women and their sensibilities.”—Panorama (Italy)

“Camilleri is back! This time with a novel that is entertaining, moving, and written in his hallmark and hypnotizing mix of Sicilian dialect and standard Italian...The Revolution of the Moon is, above all, an homage to women. Eleonora Di Mora is both courageous and fiercely determined. More than a book, this is another jewel from Andrea Camilleri placed in a historical setting that feels tragically similar to our own.”—Wake Up News (Italy)

The author

Andrea Camilleri
Andrea Camilleri is widely considered to be one of the greatest living Italian writers. His bestselling Montalbano crime series is published in the UK by Picador. Born in Sicily, Camilleri died in 2019, at the age of 93.