'Harrowing, suspenseful and convincing . . . beautiful' Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter's Bone 'Poignant . . . haunting and altoether memorable' Booklist A story of revenge and salvation Two years ago, Augusto De Boer embarked on his annual journey through the Italian Alps, attempting to smuggle his family's tobacco crop across the border to Austria. He never returned. Now Augusto's daughter Jole must retrace her father's steps alone, navigating the perilous crags and valleys surrounding the border to discover the truth about her father's disappearance. Soul of the Border is a ferocious tale of revenge, salvation, and an exhilarating journey into the wild.

"A harrowing, suspenseful and convincing novel... something beautiful" - Daniel Woodrell, author of 'Winter's Bone'

"This is the first novel to be translated into English by the prize-winning Italian author - the excellent translation is by Howard Curtis - and it's great." - Bookseller

"Soul of the Border is a beautiful novel that encapsulates nature at its toughest and most stunning, and humanity at its strongest and most uplifting... out of this world" - Cub Magazine

"Written in sparse prose over often very short chapters, the story unfolds both in action and in setting with masterful pacing and precision" - Pendora Magazine

"A timeless tale... well constructed... vividly told" - Never Imitate (blog)

"A novel in which you hear the howling of the wolf, the hoots of the owl, the tingling of insects in the meadows, you feel Nature talking and moving, in which all the passions and impulses of men are expressed . . . Mysterious, "biblical", impetuous, Matteo Righetto's novel tells all the implications of crossing a frontier. And once crossed, the reader, together with the characters, will no longer be the same." - Il Giornale

"Matteo Righetto's writing is clear and crystalline as the mountains . . . A bitter and delicate story, multifaceted as a hard stone, seductive as the land of the high Brenta Valley. A story precise like a photograph, that reflects colors and emotions, evokes scents, sounds, whims of that small far world, between peaks and springs." - Corriere del Veneto

"Absolutely gorgeous... the characters live and breathe on the page, it is utterly compelling and hugely immersive" - Liz Loves Books (blog)

"Precise and powerful writing... strikes you right at the core... beautiful writing... fantastic" - Umut Reviews (blog)