The House at the Edge of Night

A Novel

By: Catherine Banner

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

A sweeping saga about four generations of a family who live and love on an enchanting island off the coast of Italy - combining the romance of Beautiful Ruins with the magical tapestry of works by Isabel Allende.

Castellamare is an island far enough away from the mainland to be forgotten but not far enough to escape from the world's troubles. At the center of the island's life is a café draped with bougainvillea called the House at the Edge of Night, where the community gathers to gossip and talk.

Amedeo Esposito, a foundling from Florence, finds his destiny on the island with his beautiful wife, Pina, whose fierce intelligence, grace, and unwavering love guide her every move. An indiscretion tests their marriage, and their children - three sons and an inquisitive daughter - grow up and struggle with both humanity's cruelty and its capacity for love and mercy.

Spanning nearly a century, through secrets and mysteries, trials and sacrifice, this beautiful and haunting novel follows the lives of the Esposito family and the other islanders who live and love on Castellamare: a cruel count and his bewitching wife, a priest who loves scandal, a prisoner of war turned poet, an outcast girl who becomes a pillar of strength, a wounded English soldier who emerges from the sea. The people of Castellamare are transformed by two world wars and a great recession, by the threat of fascism and their deep bonds of passion and friendship, and by bitter rivalries and the power of forgiveness.

Catherine Banner has written an enthralling, character-rich novel, epic in scope but intimate in feeling. At times the island itself seems alive, a mythical place where the earth heaves with stories - and this magical novel takes you there.

©2016 Catherine Banner (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Catherine Banner's latest is a masterful piece of storytelling, infused with the miraculous (both in stories and in everyday life) while maintaining the difficult balance between the explainable versus the inexplicable. Through the life of a single man - a man not noteworthy in the eyes of the world - and his family, Banner touches on such broad themes as community and the way global events play out in individual lives and larger society. And just as the broader themes affect the more personal ones, Banner's style echoes the book's content: The House at the Edge of Night is captivating and beautifully rendered." (Sara Gruen, author of At the Water's Edge)

"My admiration for The House at the Edge of Night is boundless. Catherine Banner's writing is preternaturally mature, distinct, clear, and strikingly beautiful. As I read on, I felt the resonance of classic legend and myth, the stuff of Homer, building around this world that is timeless yet utterly its own.... A gorgeous, deeply moving novel of life across a sweep of time and generations." (Peter Nichols, author of The Rocks)

"To the long, eclectic tradition of the island novel, The House at the Edge of Night is a sparkling addition. Catherine Banner has created a vast world unto itself of the fictional island of Castellamare, intricately compressed and marvelously textured - a feat reserved for the most ingenious and intuitive of writers. That this is Catherine Banner's first adult novel makes it all the more remarkable." (Nicholas Christopher, author of A Trip to the Stars)

Loved this tale of Italian life

Told over several generations. Just confirmed my own love of Italy and desire to live there one day! Plus I LOVE this narrator, he’s amazing!

One of the best books I've read all year!

I was absolutely captured by the magic and charm in this book. It isn't a fast paced read, so if that is important to you this may not be your book. It does, however, capture something in the soul of summer and miracles and love found and lost and found again. It follows four generations of the Esposito family on a fictional and mysterious miracle-clad island off the coast of Sicily, and the unraveling of the family members stories and their relationships with one another--for good and for bad.

The narrator did a fantastic job, I would listen to another book he narrates in a heartbeat.

Themes that arise in this story:
Betrayal, Forgiveness, Seeking Meaning and Identity, Familial Love, Redemption, Miracles, Finding your Path, and and overall spirit of the island itself. The book was total magic.

Sorry to finish it.

I wish it could go on for many more generations. The characters have become familia.

Love! Love! Love!

Beautifully written story. I could almost feel the weather and hear the organetto and the waves crashing. Get the story. You won’t be disappointed

Stories within beautiful stories

What a treasure to read this utterly enchanting book! The writing was beautifully descriptive, but moved forward at a surprisingly good clip. This engrossing tale spans generations and keeps a sense of mystery alive until the very last word uttered. This version on Audible also has a wonderful narrator. Lovely story, read beautifully.

Perfection

I am very stingy with my 5 star reviews, but this one was easy. I simply loved this book. The characters, the island, the house... I’m sorry it’s over. Also, this is the second audible book I’ve listened to by narrator Edoardo Ballerini-he is an amazing voice for this story.

Captivating!

I absolutely loved this book and reading. I went back and forth between the two. I recently traveled to a small island in Italy so I was enthralled with this beautifully written and narrated book. I highly recommend it!

Beautiful story... Perfect narration

I am about a month away from my 1st trip to Italy and wanted a story that took place there... I couldn't have made a better pick.

Sad when it was done

Oh my goodness this book, read by Edoardo Ballerini was superb! The characters were so well written and love able. I really cared about them and wished them well. A really great inter generational story and read perfectly by Mr Ballerini. And the ending was so well done.

Wonderful, Beautiful Book!

This is the best book I've read in such a long time! The narration was exquisite, the story gripping, and the characters rich, varied and likeable. I can't recommend it highly enough.