All manner of praise has been heaped upon Catherine Banner’s adult novel debut following her trilogy of young adult novels. We read that it is a knockout debut “grounded in both reality and myth, plotted on a grand scale.” And, “..it is a masterful piece of storytelling,” plus “a superbly written drama.” It is all of that and more as Banner tells a story about four generations of a family set against world events from 1914 - 2009.
We are taken to a tiny island off the coast of Sicily, the fictional island of Castellamare. It is there that Amedeo Esposito moves to become the town physician in the early years of the 20th century. He marries well - a beautiful, intelligent, school teacher Pina Vella. Unfortunately for him Amedeo had a wandering eye and loses his position following an affair with the mayor’s wife.
In order to earn a living he and Pina reopen the bar in the years empty House at The Edge of Night. It is there that three generations of Espositos will serve coffee and limoncellos to residents and visitors. The Espositos work in the shadows of World Wars I and II, the Fascist period, and the financial crisis of 2009. Banner has enhanced her plot with a bit of the magical sprung from the island’s many legends which have been collected in a red leather book given to Amedeo by his father.
Actor Edoardo Ballerini delivers a prima narration of this spellbinding story, an enchanting tale peopled with engaging characters and events that bring us to the present day. Quite simply The House At The Edge Of Night is a remarkable journey - don’t miss it!
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