SELECTED FOR THE RUSA 2023 LISTEN LIST FOR OUTSTANDING AUDIOBOOK NARRATION!
The self-appointed mayor of a tiny Italian village is determined to save his hometown no matter the cost in this "charming farce that highlights the triumph of hope and community" (People).
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 town's pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all the residents will be forced to disperse. In a desperate bid to boost tourism-and revenue-he 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 wants to be a part of the fictional film-the village butcher will throw in some money if Speranza can find roles for his fifteen enormous sons, Speranza's wistfully adrift daughter reveals an unexpected interest in stage makeup, and his hapless assistant Smilzo volunteers a screenplay that's not so secretly based on his undying love for the film's leading lady. To his surprise-and 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 doesn't show up? Or worse, what if he does?
A "warmhearted, original gem of a novel" (Amy Poeppel, author of Musical Chairs), The Patron Saint of Second Chances is perfect for fans of Fredrik Backman and Maria Semple. Christine Simon grew up in a very large and very loud Italian family and now lives with her husband and four children. The Patron Saint of Second Chances is her first novel. "This hilarious romp through the small-town life of the fictional Italian village of Prometto was tailor-made to be narrated, and Tim Frances is just the man for the job. Frances's believable Italian accents in a variety of flavors and tones roll off his tongue, and he is especially convincing when embodying Signor Speranza, the beleaguered mayor with a very big plumbing problem on his hands. Listeners will appreciate the atmospheric nuances delivered by Frances, such as well-timed exasperated sighs and munching sounds at mealtimes. A whimsical farce about a little lie becoming a very big one that will be either the ruin or the salvation of the town proves to be a delight to the ear and heart."
