In the seaside village of San Benedetto, a resort town on the
Italian Riviera, twenty-two-year-old Etto finds himself adrift. Within the past
year, Etto has not only lost both his twin brother and his mother, but in his
grief has become estranged from his father, the local butcher. While his father
passes the time with the men of the town in the fine tradition of Italian men
everywhere—a reverential obsession with soccer—Etto retreats ever further from
his day-to-day life, seeking solace in the hills above the town.
But then a Ukrainian soccer star, the great Yuri Fil, sweeps
into San Benedetto, taking refuge himself from an international scandal. Soon
Yuri and his captivating tomboy sister Zhuki invite Etto into their world of
sport, celebrity, loyalty, and humor. Under their influence, Etto begins to
reconstruct his relationship with his father and, slowly, open himself back up
to the world. Who knows: perhaps the game of soccer isn’t just a waste of time,
and perhaps San Benedetto, his father, love, and life itself might have more to
offer him than he ever believed possible.
The Sun
and Other Stars is a gorgeous, celebratory tale about families,
compromise, and community, and about how losses can be transformed into hope.
Irresistible and unforgettable, it is a shimmering miracle of a book.
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