The House at the Edge of Night is a lovely read; beautifully written, it addresses those things that concern us as single beings and as social beings, blown on the winds of change yet tied down by the demands of society.

This is a many layered story. It can be read as simply an account of the trials and tribulations of a family across multiple generations, or you can seek - and find - many deeper meanings.. The novel explores the benefits and risks of keeping secrets; the fear of change and the desire for change; the benefit of opening hearts and minds and also the risks. Superstition and science, love and lust, desire and denial, constraint and restraint...it's all here in all its human glory.

When we consider the two great wars of the twentieth century, we rarely look beyond either the geopolitical upheavals or our own family history. Here we are introduced to the impact upon a tiny community, barely registering on the map of Europe, yet asked to make the greatest sacrifice of all. It's a fascinating perspective and balances the pathos and the glory of how communities respond when greater forces demand.

Amadeo Esposito goes to the island of castellemara as the island's doctor, and has a fascination for the island's history ,fables and local stories, which he writes in a book. The novel is the saga of his family. Beautifully written, the reader can imagine the scenery and architecture of the island and can identify and empathise with all the characters. I loved every minute and was so sorry to finish reading the book. This would make a beautiful TV serial.

This was a very atmospheric story of how the life of a little island off the coast of Italy and its inhabitants developed over the years and things slowly changed as the years went by. The island ran at it's own pace and lived with its own customs which rarely changed at first. Everybody knew one another and so gossip was rife when some drama or supposed scandal happened.

It centred around the Esposito family who ran the bar of the book title and it spanned quite a few years as the different generations grew up and wars happened and changed peoples way of life, quite a few of the young men left and only some came back. There were lots of lies, secrets and mysteries along the way.

I found the story quite slow to start with, but it grew on me as it went along and drew me into the lives of the inhabitants of the tiny island of Castellamare. Quite a haunting story, with happy and sad times over the years and some real characters, both good and bad. A very memorable saga set over 1914 to 2009.

I found it very hard to connect to the characters of this book and ended up not finishing it. The writing was good I just could not find it good enough to hold my attention.

An enjoyable book set on an island off the coast of Sicily with exciting twists and turns within a multigenerational household. Includes local folklore and atmospheric descriptions of the island. Well worth reading.

This is a real epic novel which tells the story of four generations of an Italian family. The setting on a small island off the coast of Sicily means that they are isolated to a certain extent from world events, or things reach them later than some people. The tale covers love, friendship, feuds, duty and many other aspects of life. It shows that wealth is not necessary for happiness, that love can overcome all sorts of obstacles, etc. The strongest characters in the book seem to be the women and they are at the heart of the story. A lovely book which gives an insight to a different world, albeit in Europe in the 20th century. Recommended.

Recommended for fans of Victoria Hislop and Dinah Jefferies. The characters are ordinary people who scrimp and save but nevertheless manage to have fulfilling lives. I found the description of the Fascist takeover of Italy during WW2 very interesting, and the ending is very satisfactory. A good holiday read.

A masterpiece! This tells the story of 4 generations of one family in a small village, tending the local bar. It takes in great swathes of recent history, and at the same time describes places and people in minute detail. All of the characters are finely drawn, including the Greek chorus of villagers who comment freely on whatever happens.
This book would be a marvellous read on an Italian holiday. Or, like me, you can start a search for flights to Italy as soon as you finish the last page!

An epic evocative saga following the Esposito family, whose lives ebb and flow on a remote Italian island ruled by emotion and superstition.

A little, almost unknown island off the coast of Sicily is the setting for this delightful novel. Strong women of the Esposito family are the mainstay of the old cafe that has been in the family for generations. It's the meeting place for the gossipy village, where everyone's business is discussed.
Amadeo, himself a foundling, his family, his children and grandchildren all have parts to play in keeping their village going, even when new buildings go up and the island becomes wealthy. An unpleasant Squire of the village tries to run things his way, expecting the villagers to bow down and accept his orders.
It's a book that makes you want to visit the island, that makes you want to hear the lyrical sound of the language. Through four generations of family the story sweeps one along, through war and peacetime. Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an epic story and a gripping read. The reader follows the lives of an extended family over a century from Florence to a small island near Sicily through social change, world war, love and secrets. The writing is clever and insightful. You feel you are there and can smell the flowers, so much so you do not want the story to end or the world to change any more.

An island with a curse....well I was hooked from the first line. This is a very clever mix of Sicilian folk tales and culture so to read this is like immersing yourself in Italian history, culture, language and superstition. ENough to feed all of your five senses and more

The island has a beguiling allure to it, people have left but does the island ever leave them? It’s an interesting thought and beautifully crafted in a story that waves and weaves its way into your heart. That couple on the cover? I felt a bit like that - as if I was in a slow dance and really getting to know these people and the island who was a major character in the story.

Alluring and bewitching - there’s so many layers to this novel - family saga, historical song, cultural imprints and a ghost of something which floats in and out of every page. Fairylike in nature, lyrical in writing, I am as in love with this book as that couple on the cover are with each other.

(I will post the review nearer the time)