First published 2026
Ten-year-old Leo tidies rooms at Nonna Tina's agriturismo in Italy, collecting trinkets left by guests and listening to her father's wine-fueled stories of ancient heroes. An accident shatters her childhood, dividing her life into before and after. Years pass. The agriturismo endures while everything else changes. Nonna Tina ages, her brother Max grows difficult and unpredictable, and Leo's childhood curiosity transforms into something she cannot name. When American guest Dolores arrives during a hot summer, Leo sees her as luminous and extraordinary. Their romance blooms as Leo gathers the intense experiences of first love while discarding pieces of her past that no longer suit her. She struggles to hold onto what slips away, to face what she cannot deny, and to speak what feels impossible to voice.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, lesbian-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, bittersweet, intimate, introspective, lyrical
Tropes: before-and-after, coming-of-age, first-love, slow-burn-romance
Setting: Italy, Agriturismo
256 pages · Paperback · Scribner Canada
Content warnings: death