"Toni Maraini's , an allegorical novel set in the heart of medieval Paris, radiantly portrays the triumph of the soul over the darkness of existence. An extraordinary achievement."—Lucia A. Blackstone " . . . a strange and necessary novel."—Alberto Moravia Toni Maraini is an Italian poet, novelist and art critic. She grew up in an literary family in Sicily, and has lived in Paris, London, Casablanca and New York. She currently lives in Rome.