Nominated for the 2023 Thea Beckmann Prize (NL)
Shortlisted for the Children’s and Youth Award (BE)
Rome, 1948. Eighteen-year-old Matteo wants to be an actor. He frequents the artist café Della Pace, where he meets people from the Italian film scene, like the charming actor Marcello Mastroianni and
the young director Federico Fellini. Matteo longs to be a part of their world. His family’s tense discussions about politics basically pass him by. He has other things on his mind: his ambitions, his intimate and confusing friendship with the alluring Davide. Then something happens to him that calls into question all his plans for the future, because the Second World War has left its scars on Rome.
The Puppeteer of Lampedusa is the first part in the Italian trilogy, and can also be read as a standalone
novel.
‘A successful novel about dreams, about reality – which can sometimes be harsh – and about a confusing, intimate friendship with an unexpected ending.’ – Friesch Dagblad
‘Kromhout offers a convincing and evocative portrayal of the post-war period while Italy is on the mend’ – jaapleest.nl
