I Stole the Rain

Book excerpt: A trio of unforgettable stories from the superstitious Italian province of Campania In Campania fizzy drinks are delivered by cart, old women sell gold to a furtive clientele, and the tobacconist’s daughter is a prize beyond imagining. In the first tale, “I am Super Legend,” a local team of beer-swilling, smoking, perennial losers is dragged toward the dubiously prestigious championship by the coach’s son, who becomes cursed by his nickname, Super Legend. In “Look at Me,” a motherless boy tries to help his father’s best friend, the mute Cesare, who has fallen in love with their housekeeper Silvia. And in “The Child Comes Home,” a young boy disappears, and his mother – after losing everything and being forced to take up her grandmother’s questionably legal profession – is consoled by her bickering sisters-in-law and her undying wish to hear her son’s knock on the front door... A sublime mixture of humour and pathos, and brimming with colourful characters, I Stole the Rain is a delightful collection from one of Italy’s pre-eminent storytellers. Elisa Ruotolo is a Classics teacher who has published several short stories. I Stole the Rain is her first collection. ‘Armed with a frightening mastery over the complicated landscape of human emotions and an ability to stunning portray them with crisp, concise prose, Ruotolo has managed to pull off a near impossible balancing act. She’s created a set of fictional pieces so believable that they breathe on their own, and so inspired by life that word by word they force the reader to experience every glorious moment of their existence.’ Typographical Era ‘By the end of the book one feels as if a lifetime in stories has passed by in the blink of an eye. The prose is sharp, witty, and transcendent, and the characters remain long after the stories have been read and reread.’ Necessary Fiction 'The three short stories of “I Stole the Rain” are happy, dark, humorous, cynical, charming and sad. They are the human experience. Ruotolo creates truly quirky characters that are very well developed.' Reader review