The hottest summer of the twentieth century. A tiny community of five houses in the middle of wheat fields. While the adults shelter indoors, six children venture out on their bikes across the scorched, deserted countryside. In the midst of that sea of golden wheat, nine-year-old Michele Amitrano discovers a secret so momentous, so terrible, that he dare not tell anyone about it. To come to terms with what he finds, he will have to draw strength from his own imagination and sense of humanity. The reader witnesses a dual story: the one that is seen through Michele's eyes, and the tragedy involving the adults of this isolated hamlet. The result is an immensely powerful, lyrical and skilfully narrated novel, reminiscent of Stephen King's Stand By Me.

Author Biography

Niccol? Ammaniti was born in Rome in 1966. This is his third novel and he has also published a collection of stories. His books have been translated into over half a dozen languages. At thirty-four, he was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Viareggio-Repaci prize.