A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016
An NPR Best Book of 2016
A Los Angeles Public Library Best Book of 2016
Selected as one of New York Magazine's '100 Best Beach Reads Ever'
UK readers:
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US readers:
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"A square building in faded amber, it seemed balanced on the very side of the hill, between the light of the piazza and the dark of the hillside and the sea. Its terrace was draped in great profusions of bougainvillea. At little tables, among the flowers, the islanders drank limoncello and arancello, fought and swore over card games, swayed to the whirling songs of an organetto. A sign in fanciful script proclaimed the words ‘Casa al Bordo della Notte’: House at the Edge of Night." |
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For a full list of international editions, click here. |
About The House at the Edge of Night
On a tiny island off the coast of Italy, Amedeo Esposito, a foundling from Florence, thinks he has found a place where, finally, he can belong. Intrigued by a building the locals believe to be cursed, Amedeo restores the crumbling walls, replaces sagging doors and sweeps floors before proudly opening the bar he names the ‘House at the Edge of Night’. Surrounded by the sound of the sea and the scent of bougainvillea, he and the beautiful, fiercely intelligent Pina begin their lives together. Home to the spirited, chaotic Esposito family for generations, the island withstands a century of turmoil – transformed in ways both big and small by war, tourism and recession. It’s a place alive with stories, legends and, sometimes, miracles. And while regimes change, betrayals are discovered and unexpected friendships nurtured, the House at the Edge of Night remains: the backdrop for long-running feuds and the stage for great love affairs.
I first began writing The House at the Edge of Night because of the 2008 financial crisis. In many ways this was the first major historical event of my adult life, but I didn't see many writers of my generation writing about it - or at least, writing about being young, and living in a small town in Europe, in its aftermath. But as I began to research small places in Europe, I realised that there was a much bigger story to be told about small places and the wider history beyond their shores. So The House at the Edge of Night became a much larger book, about four generations of the Esposito family, over 95 years, and their bar on a tiny Mediterranean island. It also became a book about the small places that I knew, loved and wanted to celebrate. I hope, when you read it, you will be transported to the island of Castellamare as I was when I was writing it.
Critical praise for The House at the Edge of Night
‘This knockout adult debut… is guaranteed to draw comparisons to Beautiful Ruins, Cutting for Stone and The House of the Spirits, whisking us away to a world grounded in both reality and myth, plotted on a grand scale… Don’t miss it.’ – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
'Banner makes her adult debut with a fantastic chronicle of several generations of a family living on a somewhat otherworldly Italian island... Banner deftly touches on weightier themes while weaving an enchanting narrative, the events of which extend to the present.’ - Publishers Weekly, starred review
'A moving saga about four generations of an Italian family... Populated with a marvellous supporting cast. Banner's superbly written drama is rich in engaging characters and the mystical island stories passed from one generation to the next.' - Booklist
‘Catherine Banner’s latest is a masterful piece of storytelling, infused with the miraculous… Captivating and beautifully rendered.’ – Sara Gruen, author of At the Water’s Edge
‘To the long, eclectic tradition of the island novel, Catherine Banner has made a sparkling addition. A fictional chronicle that merges with, and enhances, history as we know it – a feat reserved for the most ingenious and intuitive of writers… Remarkable.’ – Nicholas Christopher, author of A Trip to the Stars
‘Catherine Banner’s writing is preternaturally mature, distinct, clear and strikingly beautiful… A gorgeous, deeply moving novel of life across a sweep of time and generations.’ – Peter Nichols, author of The Rocks
'The House at the Edge of Night is gorgeous, an epic, detailed and heart-filled family saga I wanted to carry with me everywhere, because each moment I spent with it brought pleasure and revelation... imaginative and wholly absorbing. The stories Banner uses are based on Italian folklore - revealing, among other things, the magical power of storytelling, one that will never be defeated.' - Globe and Mail
'Banner... trained in the art of narrative, demonstrates how powerful storytelling can be. In her hands such an art needs no advocacy.' - Canadian National Post
'Deeply satisfying, like a familiar recipe perfectly executed... it has the gnomic and suggestive simplicity of a folktale, koanic rhythms that let you fill in whatever complexity you can into the elisions. Banner animates the familiar' - NPR
'Banner captures the very essence of what it's like to be human... The House at the Edge of Night is a perfect summer read. Just don't be surprised if you keep turning the pages long into the night, spellbound by its magic.' - Denver Post
'Catherine Banner’s first novel for adults is written with the kind of old-fashioned craftsmanship and artisanal care that her characters would respect. It’s the kind of tale made for a week-long vacation – sturdy enough to hold up during a long plane flight and enjoyable enough to want to come back to after a long day. The House at the Edge of Night” combines the dream-like quality of a fairy tale with a multigenerational family saga... reminiscent of Italo Calvino’s folk tales and “The House of the Spirits,” by Isabel Allende.' - Christian Science Monitor
'Utterly riveting... a gorgeous, sweeping story' - Interview
'In a luminous homage to the Italian tradition of stoytelling, Catherine Banner's novel is a lusty page-turner that weaves romance, rivalry and the intricacies of family expectations into one glorious tale... There are echoes of Italo Calvino in Banner's writing. Reading The House at the Edge of Night is like falling into a fantastical world where time stands still, yet change happens at an unimaginable pace.' - Star-Tribune
“[Banner’s] touch is light and her style accommodates both the foibles and magical thinking of Castellamare’s more curious inhabitants and the subtler moments of happiness and heartbreak her main characters experience across several generations.” - The Dallas Morning News
'There are a treasure trove of stories and many fabulous turns of phrase ("a face like bad weather"). The novel dares to take its time, to remarkable effect. Incidents gain near-mythic status as the decades pass, and the large scope lets readers see the original events and, much later, the legends they create. In Banner's gifted hands, both are equally absorbing, and equally magical.' - Historical Novels Review
“A fantastic Italian escape . . . So fine-tuned are the historic events within [The House at the Edge of Night] that one almost forgets that Castellamare doesn’t actually exist. Just like the characters, the reader is torn between the romance of island life and the world beyond.” - BookPage
'I loved everything about this book and didn't want the story to end. The story weaves a spell over the reader and just like Amedeo and his family, I didn't want to leave the island either. [A] spellbinding and absorbing book.' - The Bookbag
‘Delightful... A captivating tale of love, war, financial meltdown and loyalty peopled by wonderfully vivid characters.’ – Eithne Farry, Sunday Express
‘To say it’s atmospheric would be an understatement. Ten years ago, my top holiday read was Victoria Hislop’s The Island; this summer’s great escape belongs to Catherine Banner – utterly mesmerising from start to finish.’ – The Pool
'Captivating' - People
‘Fairytale-like’ – Good Housekeeping
'A sweeping epic, almost a century in scope... encompassing love and betrayal, friendship and war, rivalry and recession... Readers, prepare to be captivated. This is an evocatively written, enchanting tale filled with richly depicted characters.' - Irish Independent
'If you can't make your way to an island off the coast of Italy for the summer, The House at the Edge of Night is the next best thing. A sweeping multigenerational saga that spans two world wars... Rich and immersive, this book will take you away.' - Vox, 18 new books to read this summer
'Superb storytelling. Reminiscent of Isabelle Allende and Louis de Bernieres.' - Irish Examiner
'Just as composers Antonin Dvorak and Johannes Brahms used folk songs and dances to write their great symphonies, Banner borrows ancient folk tales to write episodes that make ordinary situations seem magical and bursting with meaning. The borrowing of tales does not diminish Banner's imagination, however. Her characters are fresh and original. They come into conflict and fall in love and face life's difficulties.' - San Antonio Express News
'Catherine Banner has created this fictional island off the Italian coast that I desperately want to be real. Her beautiful prose brings Castellamare to life and I enjoyed every page of her gorgeous novel... This is one of those rare gems that the reader should take their time in appreciating. Banner's beautiful prose, lovely characters and absolutely charming setting make this a delightful read. I loved every aspect of this novel.' - Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
'Beautifully written and pretty much impossible to put down.' - Cambridge Evening News
'Spellbinding... had me gripped from the offset. I shed a tear towards the end of this book, as it got into my soul and under my skin.' - Nell Young, Culturefly (five-star review)
'If you loved Captain Corelli's Mandolin, this is the book for you this summer.' - Irish Farmers Journal
'Banner makes her adult debut with a fantastic chronicle of several generations of a family living on a somewhat otherworldly Italian island... Banner deftly touches on weightier themes while weaving an enchanting narrative, the events of which extend to the present.’ - Publishers Weekly, starred review
'A moving saga about four generations of an Italian family... Populated with a marvellous supporting cast. Banner's superbly written drama is rich in engaging characters and the mystical island stories passed from one generation to the next.' - Booklist
‘Catherine Banner’s latest is a masterful piece of storytelling, infused with the miraculous… Captivating and beautifully rendered.’ – Sara Gruen, author of At the Water’s Edge
‘To the long, eclectic tradition of the island novel, Catherine Banner has made a sparkling addition. A fictional chronicle that merges with, and enhances, history as we know it – a feat reserved for the most ingenious and intuitive of writers… Remarkable.’ – Nicholas Christopher, author of A Trip to the Stars
‘Catherine Banner’s writing is preternaturally mature, distinct, clear and strikingly beautiful… A gorgeous, deeply moving novel of life across a sweep of time and generations.’ – Peter Nichols, author of The Rocks
'The House at the Edge of Night is gorgeous, an epic, detailed and heart-filled family saga I wanted to carry with me everywhere, because each moment I spent with it brought pleasure and revelation... imaginative and wholly absorbing. The stories Banner uses are based on Italian folklore - revealing, among other things, the magical power of storytelling, one that will never be defeated.' - Globe and Mail
'Banner... trained in the art of narrative, demonstrates how powerful storytelling can be. In her hands such an art needs no advocacy.' - Canadian National Post
'Deeply satisfying, like a familiar recipe perfectly executed... it has the gnomic and suggestive simplicity of a folktale, koanic rhythms that let you fill in whatever complexity you can into the elisions. Banner animates the familiar' - NPR
'Banner captures the very essence of what it's like to be human... The House at the Edge of Night is a perfect summer read. Just don't be surprised if you keep turning the pages long into the night, spellbound by its magic.' - Denver Post
'Catherine Banner’s first novel for adults is written with the kind of old-fashioned craftsmanship and artisanal care that her characters would respect. It’s the kind of tale made for a week-long vacation – sturdy enough to hold up during a long plane flight and enjoyable enough to want to come back to after a long day. The House at the Edge of Night” combines the dream-like quality of a fairy tale with a multigenerational family saga... reminiscent of Italo Calvino’s folk tales and “The House of the Spirits,” by Isabel Allende.' - Christian Science Monitor
'Utterly riveting... a gorgeous, sweeping story' - Interview
'In a luminous homage to the Italian tradition of stoytelling, Catherine Banner's novel is a lusty page-turner that weaves romance, rivalry and the intricacies of family expectations into one glorious tale... There are echoes of Italo Calvino in Banner's writing. Reading The House at the Edge of Night is like falling into a fantastical world where time stands still, yet change happens at an unimaginable pace.' - Star-Tribune
“[Banner’s] touch is light and her style accommodates both the foibles and magical thinking of Castellamare’s more curious inhabitants and the subtler moments of happiness and heartbreak her main characters experience across several generations.” - The Dallas Morning News
'There are a treasure trove of stories and many fabulous turns of phrase ("a face like bad weather"). The novel dares to take its time, to remarkable effect. Incidents gain near-mythic status as the decades pass, and the large scope lets readers see the original events and, much later, the legends they create. In Banner's gifted hands, both are equally absorbing, and equally magical.' - Historical Novels Review
“A fantastic Italian escape . . . So fine-tuned are the historic events within [The House at the Edge of Night] that one almost forgets that Castellamare doesn’t actually exist. Just like the characters, the reader is torn between the romance of island life and the world beyond.” - BookPage
'I loved everything about this book and didn't want the story to end. The story weaves a spell over the reader and just like Amedeo and his family, I didn't want to leave the island either. [A] spellbinding and absorbing book.' - The Bookbag
‘Delightful... A captivating tale of love, war, financial meltdown and loyalty peopled by wonderfully vivid characters.’ – Eithne Farry, Sunday Express
‘To say it’s atmospheric would be an understatement. Ten years ago, my top holiday read was Victoria Hislop’s The Island; this summer’s great escape belongs to Catherine Banner – utterly mesmerising from start to finish.’ – The Pool
'Captivating' - People
‘Fairytale-like’ – Good Housekeeping
'A sweeping epic, almost a century in scope... encompassing love and betrayal, friendship and war, rivalry and recession... Readers, prepare to be captivated. This is an evocatively written, enchanting tale filled with richly depicted characters.' - Irish Independent
'If you can't make your way to an island off the coast of Italy for the summer, The House at the Edge of Night is the next best thing. A sweeping multigenerational saga that spans two world wars... Rich and immersive, this book will take you away.' - Vox, 18 new books to read this summer
'Superb storytelling. Reminiscent of Isabelle Allende and Louis de Bernieres.' - Irish Examiner
'Just as composers Antonin Dvorak and Johannes Brahms used folk songs and dances to write their great symphonies, Banner borrows ancient folk tales to write episodes that make ordinary situations seem magical and bursting with meaning. The borrowing of tales does not diminish Banner's imagination, however. Her characters are fresh and original. They come into conflict and fall in love and face life's difficulties.' - San Antonio Express News
'Catherine Banner has created this fictional island off the Italian coast that I desperately want to be real. Her beautiful prose brings Castellamare to life and I enjoyed every page of her gorgeous novel... This is one of those rare gems that the reader should take their time in appreciating. Banner's beautiful prose, lovely characters and absolutely charming setting make this a delightful read. I loved every aspect of this novel.' - Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
'Beautifully written and pretty much impossible to put down.' - Cambridge Evening News
'Spellbinding... had me gripped from the offset. I shed a tear towards the end of this book, as it got into my soul and under my skin.' - Nell Young, Culturefly (five-star review)
'If you loved Captain Corelli's Mandolin, this is the book for you this summer.' - Irish Farmers Journal
Press, Interviews & Articles
Notes from an Author, National Geographic Traveller, October 2017
28 of the best books for your summer holiday, The Telegraph, July 2017
Ik ben Dol op Vergeten en Nog in Verhalen (I Love Forgotten and Hidden Stories), De Telegraaf Netherlands, June 2017 [Dutch]
Catherine Banner on Her Inspiration for The House at the Edge of Night, Signature Reads, June 2017
Innocents Uncovered, Bookanista, June 2017
Izmedu magicnog realizma i istorijske fikcije, Vijesti, April 2017 [Montenegrin]
Catherine Banner's Imaginary Paradise, Interview Magazine, July 2016
Random House Open House, July 2016 [video]
The Morning Show, Global News Canada, July 2016 [video]
'The House at the Edge of Night' is a Comforting, Familiar Place, NPR, July 2016
Catherine Banner's House at the Edge of Night Reveals the Magic of Out-of-the-Way Places, Canadian National Post, July 2016
100 Best Beach Reads Ever, New York Magazine, July 2016
What Getting Published at 16 Taught me about Becoming a Writer, Literary Hub, July 2016
A Gap in the Bookshelf, writing.ie, June 2016
Enchanting Epic of Love and Betrayal Set Off the Coast of Sicily, Irish Independent, June 2016
18 New Books to Read this Summer, Vox, June 2016
Interview, Irish Examiner, June 2016
We are all Pattern-Making Creatures at Heart, Foyles, May 2016
A Year in the Life of a Writer in Pictures, Penguin Blog, May 2016
Author's Rowling-Style Plot Twist Pays Off, The Sunday Times, December 2014
28 of the best books for your summer holiday, The Telegraph, July 2017
Ik ben Dol op Vergeten en Nog in Verhalen (I Love Forgotten and Hidden Stories), De Telegraaf Netherlands, June 2017 [Dutch]
Catherine Banner on Her Inspiration for The House at the Edge of Night, Signature Reads, June 2017
Innocents Uncovered, Bookanista, June 2017
Izmedu magicnog realizma i istorijske fikcije, Vijesti, April 2017 [Montenegrin]
Catherine Banner's Imaginary Paradise, Interview Magazine, July 2016
Random House Open House, July 2016 [video]
The Morning Show, Global News Canada, July 2016 [video]
'The House at the Edge of Night' is a Comforting, Familiar Place, NPR, July 2016
Catherine Banner's House at the Edge of Night Reveals the Magic of Out-of-the-Way Places, Canadian National Post, July 2016
100 Best Beach Reads Ever, New York Magazine, July 2016
What Getting Published at 16 Taught me about Becoming a Writer, Literary Hub, July 2016
A Gap in the Bookshelf, writing.ie, June 2016
Enchanting Epic of Love and Betrayal Set Off the Coast of Sicily, Irish Independent, June 2016
18 New Books to Read this Summer, Vox, June 2016
Interview, Irish Examiner, June 2016
We are all Pattern-Making Creatures at Heart, Foyles, May 2016
A Year in the Life of a Writer in Pictures, Penguin Blog, May 2016
Author's Rowling-Style Plot Twist Pays Off, The Sunday Times, December 2014
