04/10/2017
Bestselling and award-winning Italian author Camilleri (the Inspector Montalbano series) offers a marvelous historical drama based on a true but little-known episode of 17th-century Sicilian history. In 1677, Sicily is ruled by Spain. When the Viceroy, the King’s representative, dies in office in Palermo, he names his wife, Donna Eleonora di Mora, as his replacement. The Holy Royal Council, six corrupt, venal officials, are outraged by the idea that a woman should govern Sicily. The councilors are all liars and thieves, and now they fear for their lives. They scheme to undermine her rule, but Donna Eleonora is a beautiful, shrewd, and very calculating woman, more than a match for these desperate and arrogant men. She understands them and cleverly thwarts every move they make, subtly setting them up for exposure, disgrace, and prison, especially those involved in the shameful, scandalous arrangement with the Holy Refuge of Endangered Virgins. However, one councilor, the bishop, has one card left to play, resulting in three murders, his fateful denunciation, and the surprise end to this excellent novel. (Apr.)
The Revolution of the Moon
Narrated by Grover Gardner
Andrea CamilleriUnabridged — 6 hours, 53 minutes
The Revolution of the Moon
Narrated by Grover Gardner
Andrea CamilleriUnabridged — 6 hours, 53 minutes
Overview
From the author of the Inspector Montalbano series comes the remarkable account of an exceptional woman who rises to power in seventeenth-century Sicily and brings about sweeping changes that threaten the iron-fisted patriarchy, before being cast out in a coup after only twenty-seven days.
Sicily, April 16, 1677: From his deathbed, Charles III's viceroy, don Angel de Guzman, marquis of Castel de Roderigo, names his wife, donna Eleonora, as his successor. Eleonora di Mora 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, reopening 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 as donna Eleonora, whom the Church sees as a dangerous revolutionary, is recalled to Spain. Her rule lasted twenty-seven days—one cycle of the moon.
Based on a true story, Camilleri's gripping and richly imagined novel tells the story of a woman whose courage and political vision is tested at every step by misogyny and reactionary conservatism.
Editorial Reviews
Praise for The Revolution of the Moon
“A tragicomic parable of justice . . . Camilleri laces this true tale of exemplary leadership with humor.”
— Kirkus
“Bestselling and award-winning Italian author Camilleri offers a marvelous historical drama based on a true but little-known episode of 17th-century Sicilian history.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Garnished with sly wit and broad humor, the novel is a late Renaissance caper.”
— Washington Post
"[Camilleri's] sly, wry approach to matters of morality, politics, crime and sexual dynamics seasons a stew of facts and fiction to perfection."
— Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers Association
"Suspense, surprises, and courtly intrigues abound in this story of power that also doubles as 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)
"Based on a truly captivating moment in history, Camilleri shows us how a woman triumphed over remarkable obstacles and, in the face of ceaseless scrutiny, how she proved to the world that she was as unwavering as the brightest moon."
—Words Without Borders
"Eleonora, a woman forgotten by history, will come alive to the reader. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover a remarkable, forgotten woman."
— Historical Novels Review
Grover Gardner’s mastery of witty narration adds relish to this historical novel about the woman who governed Sicily for one month—one revolution (orbit) of the moon—in 1677. On his deathbed, the marquis named his wife as his successor, and Dona Elenora swiftly implemented sweeping changes before being banished by an old-boy coup and sent back to Spain. Gardner lithely delivers the delightful contemporary vocabulary, which elevates the entertainment value of this age-old story of dirty politics. His effervescent voice becomes almost angelic as he recounts Dona Elenora’s elegant words, laced with Spanish phrases. The lush Italian names are delivered smoothly, allowing the listener to envision pompous, power-hungry men and the compassionate woman who called the shots for 27 days. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
2017-02-21
In a tragicomic parable of justice based on a true episode, the corrupt 17th-century power brokers of Sicily meet their match in a canny, revenge-driven female viceroy.Setting aside his popular Inspector Montalbano crime series, Camilleri (A Voice in the Night, 2016, etc.) offers a curiosity, fleshing out the brief episode in 1677 when a Spanish noblewoman filled in her for her dead husband as ruler of a patriarchal Italian island. Angelic of face, form, and voice, 25-year-old Donna Eleonora made no public appearances during her husband Don Angel's two-year reign as Viceroy of Sicily on behalf of the King of Spain. But Don Angel, who arrived without an ounce of fat on him, mysteriously swelled to 400 pounds and expired suddenly during a Holy Royal Council session. His self-serving six-man council takes advantage of the sudden death to pass all manner of questionable measures, little expecting that the viceroy's successor would expose their treachery. But they reckon without Donna Eleonora, who inherits Don Angel's mantle and brings strategic brilliance and an unerring moral compass to the job. Replacing the council and overcoming an attempted coup led by the villainous archbishop of Palermo, she benefits the populace by halving the price of bread and setting up shelters for endangered women. Camilleri laces this true tale of exemplary leadership with humor that is sometimes farcical and slapstick, often simply wry. But underneath the geniality lies an all-too-plausible chronicle of entrenched financial misappropriation and sexual abuse, and while Donna Eleonora avenges her husband by punishing all who offended him, she is brought down by a religious edict that insists only a man can serve as viceroy. Thus ends her 27-day reign and a novel which lightly but elegantly revives an obscure historical moment. A European historical footnote becomes a contemporary morality tale and a small, touching act of homage.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940169638004 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Blackstone Audio, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 11/28/2017 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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