Dark Heart
The unforgettable, award-winning international bestseller - a story of love, guilt, betrayal and atonement
Will be published approx. on 18. June 2026
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-1-78658-470-0 (ISBN)
Description
'You can't love someone without knowing their whole story . . .'
Fleeing a pitch-dark past, Emilia Innocenti arrives in a tiny village deep in the mountains of Piedmont, Northern Italy, with one aim; to hide away from the world. Surrounded only by a handful of inhabitants, the looming Alps and the weight of her own terrible crime, Emilia is determined to let isolation be her punishment.
Equally intent on cutting himself off from the world is Bruno, one of her only neighbours. In the wake of a devastating loss, living in complete solitude seems like the perfect complement to the pain in his heart. But when Emilia and Bruno meet, the two realise they can't be alone forever - and maybe, they no longer want to be.
As Emilia's dark secret threatens to break the surface, both will question everything they thought they knew about each other - and themselves . . .
From bestselling Italian literary sensation Silvia Avallone, Dark Heart is the shocking, deeply moving story of trauma, love and forgiveness, set against an unforgettable mountainous backdrop.
Readers LOVE Dark Heart (originally published as Cuore Nero):
'One of the most beautiful and intense books I've ever read'
'This story is a precious gift'
'If you love stories that capture your heart and leave an indelible mark, this is the book for you'
'An extraordinary novel. Unputdownable'
'It captivated me from the first page to the last'
'Undoubtedly one of the best books I've read this year'
Fleeing a pitch-dark past, Emilia Innocenti arrives in a tiny village deep in the mountains of Piedmont, Northern Italy, with one aim; to hide away from the world. Surrounded only by a handful of inhabitants, the looming Alps and the weight of her own terrible crime, Emilia is determined to let isolation be her punishment.
Equally intent on cutting himself off from the world is Bruno, one of her only neighbours. In the wake of a devastating loss, living in complete solitude seems like the perfect complement to the pain in his heart. But when Emilia and Bruno meet, the two realise they can't be alone forever - and maybe, they no longer want to be.
As Emilia's dark secret threatens to break the surface, both will question everything they thought they knew about each other - and themselves . . .
From bestselling Italian literary sensation Silvia Avallone, Dark Heart is the shocking, deeply moving story of trauma, love and forgiveness, set against an unforgettable mountainous backdrop.
Readers LOVE Dark Heart (originally published as Cuore Nero):
'One of the most beautiful and intense books I've ever read'
'This story is a precious gift'
'If you love stories that capture your heart and leave an indelible mark, this is the book for you'
'An extraordinary novel. Unputdownable'
'It captivated me from the first page to the last'
'Undoubtedly one of the best books I've read this year'
Reviews / Votes
Silvia Avallone is an enchantress. She shows you a forest, a house, a girl, then a man. And she asks you to give her your hand and follow her. If you do, she won't let it go until the end. This is the spell of writing. * Niccolo Ammaniti, author of I'm Not Scared * A story of strong narrative and moral tension: it explores the search for love, friendship and forgiveness * il Corriere di Bologna * Two protagonists with difficult but opposite pasts: she is a perpetrator, he is a victim. Their love is unexpected: but what happens when the truth comes to the surface? * F Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bonnier Books Ltd
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78658-470-0 (9781786584700)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Silvia Avallone (1984) was born in Biella and lives in Bologna. She has published the international bestseller Acciaio (2010, winner of several prizes, finalist at Premio Strega and adapted into a movie), Marina bellezza (2013), Da dove la vita e perfetta (2017) and Un'amicizia (2020). Her novels are translated in over thirty countries worldwide.