Villa Coco

The book of the summer The instant bestseller from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less 'If you're looking for the ultimate dose of escapism, it doesn't get better than Villa Coco' COSMOPOLITAN 'An enchantment threaded through with hope' GUARDIAN 'A gorgeous, sun-soaked novel that feels tailor-made for holiday reading' I NEWSPAPER 'I was totally charmed by this joyful novel... it's full of gossip, warmth and sunshine' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, summer reading 'Oh joy of joys. If you're in need of a funny, sunny book - and, God knows, who isn't? - Andrew Sean Greer is your man... A warm and engaging story of food, friendship and finding the meaning in life... gorgeous' THE SHIFT 'Captures the allure of la dolce vita - Renaissance paintings and books, bottles of Lambrusco wine and gelato - all bathed in a buttery Tuscan light' TIME Broke and directionless, our young protagonist takes a job in the Italian countryside as the assistant to Lisabetta - better known to her friends as Coco - a strong-willed, wealthy aristocrat of great local renown. Trained as an archivist, he thinks he's been hired to catalogue the contents of the beautiful, crumbling mansion nestled in the green Tuscan hills. But what¿are¿his actual duties? Days are spent in a series of increasingly eccentric pursuits: entertaining an endless carousel of guests (from bohemian painters to elderly princesses to unnervingly handsome nephews), attending a funeral in order to make off with the urn, and aiding and abetting Coco's great and final plan - to reunite with the lost love of her life before it's too late. As summer turns into autumn and the Italian countryside begins to work its magic, the secrets of Villa Coco and its inhabitants are slowly brought to light - and with them, an unforgettable story of the enduring power of friendship. 'A most delightful and unlikely romantic comedy... Villa Coco isn't mere ice cream; it's stracciatella gelato served in one of the most beautiful places on earth' RON CHARLES 'No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer' DAVID SEDARIS 'Villa Coco is such a sunny book' KATE ATKINSON 'Absolute joy' SARAH WINMAN, AUTHOR OF STILL LIFE 'An absolute delight' ELIF BATUMAN, AUTHOR OF THE IDIOT AND EITHER/OR Praise for Andrew Sean Greer 'Bedazzling, bewitching and be-wonderful' New York Times 'I recommend it with my whole heart' Ann Patchett 'Brilliant' Guardian 'Basically perfect' Dolly Alderton 'Unforgettable' Independent