I FRATELLI MEZZALUNA

The first novel for young readers by Chiara Gamberale, bestselling author with over 1.5 million copies sold. Two 11 years old siblings in search of the truth about their family. Two seemingly irreconcilable worlds: the "Perfect Village", the ultimate happy place, and the "Underskin World", where everyone seems upset. A story about the relationship between parents and children, a journey through all shades of emotions, anger, love, the incredible wonder and turmoil of childhood and teen years.

Welcome to Gabaville, the village where everything is (all too) perfect! They call it "Perfect Village", the place where everyone is happy and without a thought, where everyone would like to be born and that no one would ever want to leave. Everyone except Lena and Alen, the Half-Moon siblings, children of Maddy the Mad, who were born on a half-moon night. They are different from the other peaceful inhabitants of Gabaville because Lena has the power to ask fiery questions that pierce hearts; Alen, with his silences, can read the thoughts of those around him. No one knows who their father is: Lena and Alen have been told a fascinating, but clearly false, story: that he lived on the moon and is now scattered among the galaxies. But when Maddy decides to remarry, all her lies come to the surface. Full of new emotions, feeling enraged for the first time and betrayed by their mom, the twins run away far from home. And they are sucked into the "Underskin World", where Darkness reigns. Here a challenging journey starts: an adventure after the other, together with a group of unresolved, warm yet uncanny characters and creatures, they will learn that it is possible to be happy and ashamed at the same time, both angry and in love, that all Gabaville's perfection is made up... and they will finally discover the truth about Maddy, their dad and their village. This is a great novel about fear and the need for emotions; Chiara Gamberale creates a timeless narrative universe, like classics such as Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz or the world of Olga di carta by Elisabetta Gnone. Chiara Gamberale was born in Rome, where she lives. She made her debut in 1999 with Una vita sottile. Among her works: La zona cieca (2008, Premio Campiello Giuria dei Letterati), Le luci nelle case degli altri (2010), Per dieci minuti (2013), Avrò cura di te (2014), Adesso (2016), Qualcosa (2017), L'isola dell'abbandono (2019) and Il grembo paterno (2021). She collaborates with "La Stampa", "7 Corriere della Sera", "Vanity Fair".