I’m not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti

Ammaniti was born in Rome in 1966. This is his third novel and has been translated into 20 languages. At 34 he was the youngest winner of the prestigious Viareggio-Repaci Prize.

The story is set in the hottest summer of the twentieth century. In a tiny community of 5 houses in the middle of rural Italy, while the adults are sheltering indoors, six children venture out on their bikes across the scorched, deserted countryside. While exploring a dilapidated farmhouse, nine year old Michele Amitrano discovers a secret so momentous, so terrible, that he dare not tell anyone about it. The reader witnesses a dual story: the one seen through Michele’s eyes, and the tragedy involving the hamlet’s adult inhabitants, in a book which blends comedy, the world of children, the strength of friendship and the drama of betrayal.

208 pages