A classic coming of age story, never before published in English. Set in northern Tuscany in the 1950s, it is thoroughly Italian in its particulars - its smells, sounds and sights - but universal in its themes. Following the death of his beloved grandfather, a chill has descended upon the teenage narrator, leaving him estranged from friends and family while grappling with his developing sexuality. His reluctant journey into the adult world culminates in a seemingly innocent erotic adventure that, when discovered, has all the destructive force of a natural disaster.