The Hunger Saint

The Hunger Saint 

By Olivia Kate Cerrone

Released Tuesday, April 11, 2017

The Hunger Saint is a story of hope and survival set in post-WWII Italy. Hailed by Kirkus as "a well-crafted and affecting literary tale," this historical novella follows the journey of Ntoni, a twelve-year-old boy forced to labor in Sicily's sulfur mines to support his family after his father's untimely death. Faced with life-threatening working conditions, Ntoni must choose between escaping the mines and abandoning his family. As a series of unforeseen events soon complicate his plans, Ntoni realizes that all is not what it seems and to trust anyone might prove to be as fatal as being trapped inside of a cave-in. The Hunger Saint draws from years of historical research and was informed by the oral histories of former miners still living in Sicily today. 

Olivia Kate Cerrone's Pushcart Prize-nominated fiction won the Jack Dyer Prize from the Crab Orchard Review. She's received various literary honors, including residencies at Ragdale, the VCCA, and the Hambidge Center, where she was awarded a "Distinguished Fellowship" from the National Endowment for the Arts. She currently resides in Boston, MA.