Piperno's debut novel, which was an instant bestseller in Italy, and won both the 2005 Campiello Prize for Best First Novel and the 2005 Viareggio Prize. It depicts the rise and fall of a family in contemporary Rome.
The astounding rise and equally astounding fall of the Sonninos, as seen through the eyes of the youngest heir to the Sonnino dynasty. A boisterous, passionate tale of adventure, sex and betrayal in the opulent neighbourhoods of contemporary Rome.