Ties is the story of a marriage. Like many marriages, this one has been subject to strain, to attrition, to the burden of routine. Yet it has survived intact.

Or so things appear. The rupture in Vanda and Aldo’s marriage lies years in the past, but if one looks closely enough, the fissures and fault lines are evident. Their marriage is a cracked vase that may shatter at the slightest touch. Or perhaps it has already shattered, and nobody is willing to acknowledge the fact. Domenico Starnone’s thirteenth work of fiction is a powerful short novel about relationships, family, love, and the ineluctable consequences of one’s actions.

Praise

“Absolutely gripping from start to finish . . . a really stunning book.”—Victoria Hislop

“A 144-page novel punching three times that weight. An outstanding achievement.”—The Sunday Times

Domenico Starnone
Domenico Starnone was born in Naples and lives in Rome. He is the author of thirteen works of fiction, including First Execution (Europa, 2009), Via Gemito, winner of Italy’s most prestigious literary prize, the Strega, and Ties (Europa, 2017), a New York Times Editors’ Pick, and The Sunday Times’ best novel in translation of 2017.

• Dec 29 2017
  Best books of 2017: indie publishers on their favourite books of the year
  — The Guardian
• Nov 27 2017
  Books of the year: Fiction
  — The Sunday Times
• Nov 23 2017
  100 Notable Books of 2017
  — The New York Times
• Nov 14 2017
  BEST FICTION OF 2017
  — Kirkus Reviews
• Oct 5 2017
  Italian Authors in Search of Identity, Part II
  — Bookwitty
• Jul 18 2017
  Stiliana Milkova reviews Ties by Domenico Starnone
  — Asymptote