Andrea Camilleri

The Revolution of the Moon Andrea Camilleri

From the author of the Inspector Montalbano series comes the remarkable account of an exceptional woman who rises to power in 17th century Sicily and brings about sweeping changes that threaten the iron-fisted patriarchy, before being cast out in a coup after only twenty-seven days. Sicily, April 16, 1677: From his deathbed, Charles IIIs viceroy, don Angel de Guzmà n, marquis of Castel de Roderigo, names his wife, donna Eleonora, as his successor. Eleonora di Mora is a highly intelligent and capable woman who immediately applies her political acumen to heal the scarred soul of Palermo, a city afflicted by poverty, misery, and the frequent uprisings they entail. The Marquise implements measures that include lowering the price of bread, reducing taxes for large families, reopening womens care facilities, and establishing stipends for young couples wishing to marry—all measures that were considered seditious by the conservative city fathers and by the Church. The machinations of powerful men soon result in donna Eleonora, whom the Church sees as a dangerous revolutionary, being recalled to Spain. Her rule lasted twenty-seven days—one cycle of the moon. Based on a true story, Camilleris gripping and richly imagined novel tells the story of a woman whose courage and political vision is tested at every step by misogyny and reactionary conservatism.
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