The First True Lie

They always tell you that you shouldn’t tell lies, but without lies I’d already be in an orphanage.  
This, in any case, is my first true lie.

Luca and his mum are like two peas in a pod in their special, fragile world. Then, one winter morning his mother doesn’t wake up. Luca suddenly finds himself alone for the first time. Terrified of what telling the truth might bring, he decides to keep the biggest secret of his life. Luca goes to school pretending everything is alright but returns home to a cold, dark house. With the memories of his mother, Luca begins to build a bubble of protection from the truth on the other side of the bedroom door.

The First True Lie, translated in many European countries and in the United States, is a beautiful novel that tells a terrible story. Luca, our narrator, is a child facing a situation that is much bigger than him. I wish I could summarize, but I would reveal the twists and turns. In addition to a shocking plot, it is also Luca’s tone that makes the anti-rhetorical humanity of this book precious and unforgettable. The ambiguity of words reflects that of human feelings and behaviors. Little Luca will have to deal with deception, dissimulation and finding salvation in this atrocious situation.  

Tiziano Scarpa

Rights sold:
France (Presses de la Cité)
Germany (Piper Verlag)
Holland (Ambo-Anthos Uitgevers)
Israel (Keter Books Ltd)
Spain (Lumen/ Random House)
UK (Canongate Books)
US (Crown Publishing Groups)