-
See Our Best Book
Club Books of 2026!
by Francesco Dimitri
From "one of the most significant figures of the last generation of fantasy", comes Francesco Dimitri's debut novel in English, an enthralling and seductive fantasy following four old friends and the secrets they keep.
Four old school friends have a pact: to meet up every year in the small town in Puglia they grew up in. Art, the charismatic leader of the group and creator of the pact, insists that the agreement must remain unshakable and enduring. But this year, he never shows up.
A visit to his house increases the friends' worry; Art is farming marijuana. In Southern Italy doing that kind of thing can be very dangerous. They can't go to the Carabinieri so must make inquiries of their own. This is how they come across the rumors about Art; bizarre and unbelievable rumors that he miraculously cured the local mafia boss's daughter of terminal leukemia. And among the chaos of his house, they find a document written by Art, The Book of Hidden Things, that promises to reveal dark secrets and wonders beyond anything previously known.
Francesco Dimitri's first novel written in English, following his career as one of the most significant fantasy writers in Italy, will entrance fans of Elena Ferrante, Neil Gaiman and Donna Tartt. Set in the beguiling and seductive landscape of Southern Italy, this story is about friendship and landscape, love and betrayal; above all it is about the nature of mystery itself.
"Starred Review. A deeply felt look at the idea of home, clothed as a popcornworthy page-turner." - Kirkus
"An evocative meditation on friendship, adulthood, and the liminal spaces that lie just outside human perception...Dimitri's beautifully written tale, steeped in nostalgia, folklore, and religion, will enthrall and terrify readers." - Publishers Weekly
"A mystifying exploration of unbelief and faith, Francesco Dimitri's The Book of Hidden Things dazzles with portraits of men at a crossroads...Challenges the limits of rationality. Here, mysteries aren't riddles to solve, but answers that lie within reach." - Foreword Reviews
"The Book of Hidden Things shows us that memories are stories that refuse to belong only to the past. Such stories can create places that are both wonderful and dangerous; whether we believe in them or not is up to us." - Aliya Whiteley, author of The Beauty
"What a glorious read! This sun-drenched fantasy is a feast for the senses, reflecting on the value of friendship and what it means to finally grow up. If you loved the Neil Gaiman's Ocean at the End of the Lane, this book is for you." - Helen Marshall, author of Gifts for the One Who Comes After
"The Book of Hidden Things is both a mystery and a map. Follow the clues along the trail in Francesco Dimtri's dazzing debut and you'll be ushered into a hidden world of magic, not only within these pages, but also within your own life. Be prepared to be transformed." - Mark Chadbourn, author of Age of Misrule
"As soon as I read the first lines of The Book of Hidden Things, I felt at home. It is an immersive book, that draws you in and never lets you go. Gripping, ruthless in the way it describes the age of reason, dominated by a mysterious, magical Salento landscape very far from the chocolate box images we are used to. In a word, unmissable." - Licia Troisi, author of Nihal From The Land Of Wind
"Francesco Dimitri's first novel in English is a wonder and a revelation. Hidden within this gripping, frightening story about an arcane manuscript is a deep, clear-eyed, and compassionate meditation on friendship as it evolves over time. The Book of Hidden Things is fantasy at it's best: using magical tropes to illuminate real life." - Terri Windling, author of The Wood Wife
"What a joy to have this in English. Francesco Dimitri's fantastic fantasy novel has everything I like. A sensation of damp shadows moving just out of sight, and a slow, joyful, and mysterious unravelling of events. I can't recommend it too highly." - Joe R. Lansdale, author of The Thicket
This information about The Book of Hidden Things was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Francesco Dimitri is an Italian magic realist author living in London, a business story-teller, and a lifetime searcher for wonder. He has written in many different forms (nonfiction, fiction, comics, cinema, digital media, essays, magazines) and worked for top business clients. In his quest for wonder he has shot documentaries about UFO cults, slept deep into the forests of Transylvania, conversed with mathematicians, artists, chefs, psychologists, stage magicians, and strangers in crowds.
The Sister's Curse
by Nicola Solvinic
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
by Chanel Cleeton
The Vanishing Place
by Zoë Rankin
 (1).gif)
Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for ...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
