“I greatly admire Nadia Terranova's latest novel, The Night Trembles—for how it is constructed and for its human depth, how the darkness coexists with generosity. It is quite simply magnificent.”
– Annie Ernaux
“The Night Trembles is a haunting novel of metamorphosis and resilience. Terranova's intermingling of two unforgettable characters against a backdrop of devastation feels like fine lacework: a narrative pattern held together with masterful control. Terranova has inherited the sensibility of powerful female voices that came before her, and has by now established herself as one of Italy's most exciting writers. We are fortunate to have her exquisitely translated into English by one of America's most accomplished translators.”
– Jhumpa Lahiri, winner of the 2000 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction
“A gripping account of two strangers navigating a new world in the wake of an unfathomable natural disaster. Nicola and Barbara are brilliantly rendered characters, each grappling with the lives they had before the earthquake and uncovering the possibilities of all that lies ahead. At turns a brutal reminder of the sins of parents and the violence of men, Nicola and Barbara's stories end somewhere out of the darkness, on a note of radiant hope.”
– Emily Tarr, Thank You Books, Birmingham, AL
“The Night Trembles is a concise, lyrical book at just the right length, bringing you into the story of two lives that get altered completely with the devastating earthquake in Italy in 1908. Beautiful and precise writing with an unexpected ending.”
– Nadia Alawa, Mavey Books, Ardmore PA
“Author and translator dance back and forth, crafting the poetic flourishes that bring 1908 Southern Italy to life. The scenes of devastation are sharply contrasted with the landscape, which sits ever present—a rich frame for the inner worlds of the protagonists. It's also a compelling mirror to the never-ending string of catastrophe we're currently living through. Stories of human perseverance out of rubble and ash have a lot to offer us right now.”
– Alice Jennings, Parkside Books, Boston MA
“I had never encountered Nadia Terranova before, but I will not soon forget her. Terranova expertly distills this devastating facet of Italian history into a compelling novel surrounding the human condition.”
– Sophia Abuabara, Seminary Co-Op / 57th Street Books, Chicago IL
“Haunting and evocative, this novel commanded me to keep reading until the very end. With two distinct voices linked together through catastrophe, the writing is perfectly bare-bones—it forces you the face the reality of such tragedy, and all the generosity and malevolence that rises from it.”
– Amali Gordon-Buxbaum, Books Are Magic, Brooklyn NY
“Shortly after Christmas in 1908, the most destructive earthquake in Europe struck in the Strait between Messina, Sicily, and Reggio Calabria, Italy, leveling both cities. This is the story of two survivors who meet briefly in the aftermath in Messina and then reconnect several years later, an event which fills holes left by the tragedy for each of them. Nicola is an eleven year old tied to his bed in the cellar every night by his cruel mother in Reggio Calabria. He survives by being located under the rubble of his home by Madame, a French woman who senses live bodies. Barbara, a wealthy twenty-year-old who has just attended the opening night of Aida in Messina the night before with her grandmother, finds herself under a sturdy arch while all around her familiar world is obliterated. The writing beautifully captures the pain and sense of desolation felt by these two survivors. And, as they move through the pages their resilience brings about an unexpected resolution. Highly recommended.”
– Dona Chilcoat, The Bookies Bookstore, Denver CO
“A lyrical, haunting novel about the devastating 1908 Messina earthquake. Terranova's meditation on devastation, trauma, and resilience is gripping and timely.”
– Alyssa Raymond, Copper Dog Books, Beverly MA
“Beautifully written and haunting with hints of magical realism. This short novel left a major impression on me and sent me down a rabbit hole trying to find out more about the 1908 earthquake.”
– Gaelan Bergstrom, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest NC
“This story follows the 1908 earth quake in Messina and how it changes the lives of Barbara and Nicola who use the devastation to escape their own horrors. They dare to hope amid shattered dreams and find a new life.”
– Kelley Barnes, Page 158 Books, Wake Forest NC
“Two lives spiral toward each other in Sicily and Calabria in 1908 in the wake of an earthquake. Nicola, an eleven year old boy with an abusive mother, and Barbara, a young woman with dreams beyond the marriage being arranged for her, tell their stories of survival amidst the rubble. Each chapter of this subtle narrative is introduced by a description of a tarot card, emphasizing the forces of fate that will eventually bring the two together. Terranova is a gifted storyteller—empathetic with a nuanced, delicate touch. The Night Trembles is a work of great sensitivity and perception with richly-drawn characters.”
– Grace Harper, Mac's Backs, Cleveland Heights, OH
“In this lyrical and moving novel, two individuals test the balance of fate and free will as they build new lives from the ruins of a devastating earthquake in Southern Italy and Sicily.”
– Patrick Leonard, Postcard Bookshop, Portland, OR
