The Revolution of the Moon

By: Andrea Camilleri, Stephen Sartarelli - translator

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

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 27 days.

Sicily, April 16, 1677. From his deathbed, Charles III's viceroy, don Angel de Guzmàn, 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 women's 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 as donna Eleonora, whom the Church sees as a dangerous revolutionary, is recalled to Spain. Her rule lasted 27 days - one cycle of the moon.

Based on a true story, Camilleri's 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.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

History/comedy at its best

I found this a lot of fun to listen to. Its a classic (and also fairly amusing) piece of legal history with a well constructed and developed storyline.
I suspect that it is reasonably true to what actually did go down in Sicily and Southern Europe as a whole during the 1600's.

Wonderful!

This should be required reading by everyone! A great glimpse of a very interesting woman!

Delightful!

Listening to this book was a treat. A long time Montalbano fan, I was saddened by Andrea Camilleri’s death and have since explored his other works. This one is definitely a favorite. As always, Stephen Sartorelli’s translation and Grover Gardner’s performance were extraordinary.

Surprised and entertained!

I love Andrea Camilleri stories read by Grover Gardner, but this is the first historical novel I've listened to from this team. I'm sure there was little poetic license in this one, but it was a true pleasure. Terrific story and I highly recommend this one.

Too cute by half

What disappointed you about The Revolution of the Moon?

I am an Andrea Camilleri fan and was intrigued by a book set in an earlier time period. Unfortunately the plot was obvious and poorly paced.

What could Andrea Camilleri and Stephen Sartarelli - translator have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

See above.

What didn’t you like about Grover Gardner’s performance?

I speak Spanish and a little Italian. Presumably the reader was reading the text -- but the ENDLESS repetition of the characters's full names was tedious and the pronunciation was poor.