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The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna

On sale

7th May 2019

Price: £8.99

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Selected: ebook / ISBN-13: 9781473686304

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‘You don’t read this book, you live it’ Erin Kelly

‘Holds the reader under a spell from start to finish’ O, the Oprah Magazine

If you’re going through Elena Ferrante withdrawals, this is the book for youHarper’s Bazaar

If Stella Fortuna means ‘lucky star,’ then life must have a funny sense of humour.

Everybody in the Fortuna family knows the story of how the beautiful, fiercely independent Stella, who refused to learn to cook and who swore she would never marry, has escaped death time and time again.

From her childhood in Italy, to her adulthood in America, death has seemed to pursue Stella. She has been burned, eviscerated and bludgeoned; she has choked, nearly fallen out of a window, and on one occasion, her life was only saved by a typo.

However, even the best-known stories still have secrets to reveal . . . and even after a century, Stella’s is no exception.

No woman survives seven or eight deaths without a reason. So, how did she? In a tale which spans nine decades, two continents, and one family’s darkest, deepest-buried truths, the answer awaits. . .

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Witty and deeply-feltEntertainment Weekly

‘A sweeping story of immigration, family, betrayal and most importantly, one extraordinary woman. This book is gorgeous, harrowing and magicalJulie Cohen

Fresh and intriguingSabine Durrant

‘This is wonderful storytelling, seamlessly capturing the love and horror at the heart of family. Juliet Grames’s novel . . . sits the reader down at a well-laden table, and offers a hugely satisfying feastMick Herron

‘Delightfully easy to get lost inNew York Times Book Review

Reviews

Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID/SHE SAID
A compulsive, huge-hearted novel about family, home and how women move through the world; you don't read this book, you live it.
Julie Cohen
A sweeping story of immigration, family, betrayal and most importantly, one extraordinary woman. This book is gorgeous, harrowing and magical
Francesca Brown, Stylist
Thanks to gorgeous writing from Grames, it's full of beautiful passages and is the perfect book to take with you on holiday . . . a messy, complex and convincing story of women struggling to find their true power
Mick Herron
This is wonderful storytelling, seamlessly capturing the love and horror at the heart of family. Juliet Grames's novel, tracing the extraordinary life - and deaths - of an ordinary woman, sits the reader down at a well-laden table, and offers a hugely satisfying feast. Delightful
S Magazine, Sunday Express
This powerful and compelling story has characters so beautifully drawn you'll feel you know them personally. Mouth-watering descriptions of Italian food and fascinating social history add to the novel's ever-changing canvas. With layer upon layer of misfortune for Ms Fortuna, this is far from an easy read, but its captivating plotting will keep you rooting for Stella until the end.
Observer
A sumptuous inter-generational saga . . . heart-wrenching
Daily Mail
Packed with family secrets and their repercussions, the novel memorably pins down the American immigrant experience. It's an impressive achievement.
Woman
Superbly enjoyable . . . a darkly funny story about two sisters . . . A class act - don't miss it.
Joanne Finney, Good Housekeeping
Superbly enjoyable . . . a darkly funny story about two sisters . . . A class act - don't miss it.
Sabine Durrant
Fresh and intriguing . . . gripping
Laura Carlin
[Its] emotional force . . . illuminates every page. A beautifully painted portrait, majestic and masterful; a very fine novel indeed.
Vaseem Khan
By turns captivating, shocking, heartbreaking and life-affirming. This is no ordinary family epic; it is the story of generations of women who, in conformity and non-conformity, blaze with strength, compassion and formidable will . . . An extraordinary debut
Washington Post
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna achieves what no sweeping history lesson about American immigrants could: It brings to life a woman that time and history would have ignored