Lives of the Saints - Tapa blanda

Set in the Valle del Sole, a tiny village nestled in Italian Appenines, this novel tells the story of young Vittorio Innocente and of his mother, Christina, whose affair with a mysterious blue-eyed stranger abruptly shatters the innocence of Vittorio's childhood. Winner of the Winnifred Holtby Memorial Prize 1991 and a Betty Trask Award 1991.

Nino Ricci was born in Canada of Italian parentage, and hold both Canadian and Italian nationality. After completing studies at York University in Toronto he taught for four years at a boarding school in Nigeria, then travelled widely though Africa and Europe. He completed graduate studies at Concordia University in Montreal, where he subsequently taught literature and creative writing, and at the University of Florence. He is currently an active member of Canadian PEN. Based in Toronto, Ricci now writes full-time, and has published short stories, articles and reviews. Lives of the Saints, his first novel, won Canada's most prestigious literary prize, the Governor General's Award, as well as the W. H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize, and a Betty Trask Award.