About the Author

Simonetta Agnello Hornby was born in Palermo, Italy. She finished her law studies in England, where she now lives and where she is a chairman of the Tribunal of Special Educational Needs. The Almond Picker is her first book.

Reviews

"A classic Sicilian novel [in its] skeptical view of human goodness and a surprising tenderness for those on the lower, slippery rungs of the social ladder." --Los Angeles Times "With impressive technical skill, first-time author Hornby introduces a raft of characters [and] a series of mysteries satisfyingly solved in a well-crafted narrative. . . . Surprisingly moving." --The Washington Post "This is at heart a potboiler, but Alastair McEwen's translation preserves its dark and bitter Italian flavor." --Booklist