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Transworld has acquired "a sweeping and heart-breaking Italian-set story", The Last Son’s Secret, by a bestselling Catalan author, Rafel Nadal Farreras.
Bella Bosworth at Transworld bought world English language rights in a deal negotiated with Maria Cardona of Pontas Literary & Film Agency.
Nadal Farreras is the winner of the Premio Josep Pla, the Joaquim Amat-Pinella and the Anglada literary awards and, according to Transworld, is famous for bringing to life rural family stories in Spain and Italy during the periods of fascism. This is his first novel to be published in English.
The Last Son’s Secret tells the story of a tiny hilltop village in Italy during the two World Wars. Vitantonio and Giovanna are born moments apart just as the First World War ends, and just as their two fathers are killed on the front. Growing up among the olive groves of southern Italy, war seems far away - until dark clouds begin to gather on the horizon with the rise of fascism across Europe heralding the Second World War.
Cardona said: "At the Pontas Agency we couldn’t be more thrilled. The Last Son’s Secret by Rafel Nadal Farreras is one of the most successful novels written in Catalan in terms of translations, with 13 international publishers.’"
Bosworth said: "I knew as soon as I started reading The Last Son’s Secret that it was something special. From its wonderfully playful opening to the mesmerizing descriptions of life in a tiny Italian hilltop village, from its harrowing war scenes to the dark secret at its heart, I completely fell in love with Rafel’s writing and story. We look forward to publishing Rafel’s first English translation, which will appeal to readers of Victoria Hislop, Santa Montefiore and beautifully written, Europe-set twentieth-century historical fiction."
Transworld will publish The Last Son’s Secret in spring 2017.