Tartufo

"Tartufo" is Italian for "truffle." In this new novel by the author of the delightful Hollow Kingdom (2019) and Feral Creatures (2021), one very special truffle could be the key to a new life for a tiny Tuscan village--or could bring down a curse of epic proportions. Truthfully, the psychic wasn't really very clear about the truffle. This wonderful book has many charms: a disgraced postman described as a "wet weekend of a man," a village mayor who almost lost her election to a donkey, and a village and its inhabitants rendered so richly, so vividly, that we really want to go and see the place for ourselves. Buxton, whose debut was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor, has a style that is unique and captivating, and she tells stories that are cheerfully weird and plausible yet surreal. To readers who enjoyed her earlier novels, or indeed to anyone who enjoys a really fine piece of humorous writing, this one is highly recommendable.

A giant truffle brings hope to a down on its luck Tuscan town in this fun if over-the-top farce from Buxton (Hollow Kingdom). After a truffle dog unearths a six-pound, 14-ounce specimen, the villagers of Lazzarini Boscarino hope it will bring a much-needed influx of funds. They're often overlooked by tourists in favor of Borghese, the next town over, which is known for its festivals and its Michelin-starred restaurant run by Umberto Micucci, native son of Lazzarini Boscarino. Umberto's sister-in-law, Delizia, Lazzarini Boscarino's mayor, is tasked with keeping the truffle safe until it can be appraised and auctioned off by Sotheby's. A distinctive group of villagers help Delizia, including a scowling elderly man regularly referred to as the "disgraced postman" for a long-ago scandal, a wheelchair-using retired driver whose brightly colored pants can allegedly "be seen from outer space," and an octogenarian restaurateur who recently lost her establishment to a landslide. Some of the writing is clever (Delizia "put her heart, soul, and a sizable number of sedatives into her run for election"), though Buxton too often exhibits a weakness for excess (during a commotion in a bar, bottles of wine are seen "leaping from a shelf to their deaths," causing the barkeep to emit "vinegar fumes of fury"). There are laughs to be had, but Buxton has done better. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency. (Jan.)