A revealing portrait of contemporary Italy from the international bestselling author of Gomorrah

Based on Saviano's TV series 'Vieni via con me', which achieved record-breaking audience numbers, this is a portrait of Italy in nine stories. A deeply personal exploration of what it means to be Italian today, Saviano examines some of the old and new wounds that afflict the country and the people's enduring hope of a better future.

The truth he reveals about deep national disunity, illegal dumping of toxic waste on fertile farmland and the expansion of the Calabrian mafia in the north is appalling, yet there are those who live their lives with honesty and courage. The priest who defies the mafia by setting up a home for disabled children in their sequestered property, or the Sicilian judge who fought tirelessly to bring mafia bosses to justice, show the strength and resilience that underpins the nation.