The Almond Picker, Paperback

The child of poor farmers, La Mennulara became a maid for a well-to-do local family when she was only a girl; by dint of hard work and intelligence, she became the indispensable administrator of the family's affairs. Still, she was a mere servant, and now (as this story begins) she is dead.

As the details unfold about this mysterious woman, The Almond Picker assumes the witty suspense of a thriller, the emotional power of a love story, and the evocative atmosphere of a historical novel. Set in Sicily in the 1960s, a violent, complicated society in the midst of tumultuous change, The Almond Picker is the story of a woman who negotiated for her freedom as no one else dared.

About the Author:

Simonetta Agnello Hornby was born in Palermo, Italy. She finished her law studies in England, where she now lives and where she is a chairman of the Tribunal of Special Educational Needs. The Almond Picker is her first book.