Erri De Luca

Three Horses: A Novel Erri De Luca

From Argentina to Italy, the intense, metaphysical and poetic story of a gardener in love, by Italy's most prominent writer.

"A man's life lasts as long as three horses. You have already buried the first."

Somewhere along the coastline of Italy, a man passes his days in solitude and silence, tending a garden and reading books of travel and adventure. Through these simple routines he seeks to quiet the painful memories of the past: a life on the run from Argentina's Dirty War; a young bride 'disappeared' by the military; a terrifying escape through the wilds of Patagonia.

Yet everywhere he turns, new life is pulsing, ready to awaken his senses, like the force that drives his fruit trees into bloom. People and events from the past and present migrate into patterns assigned by a metaphysical geometry. A woman of the world re-introduces him to love. An African day laborer teaches him the meaning of gratitude.

In this intense narrative, every acute observation, every nuance, becomes a means of salvation. Using a language that is both gripping and contemplative, Three Horses is an unforgettable tale.

Praise for The Sea of Memory:

"Poetic . . . charged with anger and desire."
-The New York Times Book Review

"Alluring . . . shimmeringly lyrical."
-Publishers Weekly