Patron Saint of Second Chances

Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212) Signor Speranza has a problem: unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the towns pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all its residents will be forced to disperse. So in a bid to boost tourismand revenuehe spreads a harmless rumor that movie star Dante Rinaldi will be filming his next project nearby.

Unfortunately, the plan works a little too well, and soon everyone in town wants to be a part of the fictional filmthe village butcher will throw in some money if Speranza can find roles for his fifteen enormous sons, Speranzas wistfully adrift daughter reveals an unexpected interest in stage makeup, and his hapless assistant Smilzo volunteers a screenplay thats not so secretly based on his undying love for the films leading lady. To his surpriseand considerable consternation, Speranza realizes that the only way to keep up the ruse is to make the movie for real.

As the entire town becomes involved (even the village priest invests!) Signor Speranza starts to think he might be able to pull this off. But what happens when Dante Rinaldi doesnt show up? Or worse, what if he does?

A hilariously funny and beautifully written (Julia Claiborne Johnson, author ofBetter Luck Next Time) novel about the power of community,The Patron Saint of Second Chancesis perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman and Maria Semple.

Hardcover, Apr 12th 2022