THE FEEL GOOD NOVEL OF THE YEAR

'I loved this funny, heartwarming read' Libby Page, author of The Lido

The Patron Saint of Plumbing is not answering Nino Speranza's prayers.

Without the thousands of euros in taxes that he could never bring himself to collect from his neighbours, the water board will cut the town off. All 212 inhabitants will be forced to leave.

So, in a desperate bid to save his hometown, he starts a rumour that major movie star Dante Rinaldi is filming his next movie in the village.

Soon, all the locals want to be involved: Speranza's assistant has written a screenplay and the local butcher will invest - each of his fifteen enormous sons is given a role. It seems the only way to save the town is to actually make the movie.

And Nino Speranza starts to think he might have created the second chance they all needed . . . until word of the production reaches Dante Rinaldi himself.

Funny, charming and incredibly heart-warming, this is the feel-good book we all need; a celebration of the underdog, of family and of remembering what really matters in life.

"[A] sparkling, hilarious debut... Simon's wit pervades every page, with colorful portrayals of Speranza and the town's quirky inhabitants. This triumphant farce is a gem." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Full of slapstick humor (including a rescue from a wild goat) and a large cast of quirky characters, Simon's debut is brimming with heart... Fans of Fredrik Backman, Phaedra Patrick, and other chroniclers of small-town humour will savour this." - Booklist (starred review)