“A delightful novel, a delicate homage to the timeless atmospheres of Jane Austen and Emily Bronte.” — Francesco Musolino, Repubblica Palermo

“An author who brings an entire generation into her books.” — Jessica Chia, Corriere della Sera

“A tale of love and growth that can be read in one breath.” — Sette – Corriere della Sera

“Alessia Gazzola is one of the few writers on our scene to boast a British humour.” — Simona Sparaco, TuttoLibri

A tale to save us from nasty thoughts.

My name is Angelica and here is the list of the things I had imagined for myself: a boyfriend, a terrace garden and parents without any great expectations. Here instead is the list of the things that have happened to me: I left everything, moved to England and ended up with a rather unexpected job.

And so here I am at Chaverton House. Now I need to hush the little voice inside me that links this choice to Alessandro, the elusive manager of the estate, and that’s no easy task. But I also have to prepare what to say to the tourists during the visits. I have to learn by heart all the details of a television series of which this historical home provides the shooting location. In actual fact, I rather prefer the tea sets and the library with its first prints of the books of Jane Austen and Emily Brontë.

Perhaps the decision to stay there was taken on a whim. Because I know all too well it’s exactly what you want more than anything that you should never do. What I don’t know is whether to follow my head or my heart. Or perhaps they don’t always need to go in different directions – in fact, they are the only two parallel lines that really can meet.