Nicholas A. DiChario's GIOVANNI'S TREE: NEW ITALIAN FOLKTALES is a wildly imaginative book and an important contribution to Italian-American stories. In this collection, DiChario honors the traditional folktale form, while taking the genre in new and exciting directions. DiChario's fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy and Hugo awards, among others, and his stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century.
"In the tradition of Italo Calvino's Italian Folktales, Nicholas A. DiChario's Giovanni's Tree: New Italian Folktales has all the humor, wonder, treachery, and great storytelling as its predecessor. Nine new tales, beautifully written in a style that blends contemporary and classic forms of the folktale."--Jeffrey Ford, World Fantasy Award winner and Edgar Allan Poe nominee
"Savage and unpredictable, sentimental with a knife hidden beneath the table, these stories celebrate the good things in life-food, wine, friendship, love-yet are all too aware of how they can fail in betrayal, conflict, and revenge."--John Kessel, Nebula award winner
"Absolutely charming folktales that will appeal to everyone, not just those lucky enough to hail from il bel paese . . . Simply wonderful."--Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative
"DiChario's freelance witches, underachieving devils, canny priests, phantom lovers, levitating maidens, garrulous mice, and temperamental zombies will provide you with abundant delight and considerable wisdom."--James Morrow, author of The Last Witchfinder
"To my mind, DiChario has become a modern master of the art and craft of folktales that emerge from the rich history of Italian storytelling . . . Highly recommended."--Rick Wilber, Sidewise award winner and author of Rambunctious: Nine Tales of Determination
Fiction. Italian Studies.
