Untold Lessons

Reviews / Votes

Vivid, beguiling and needle-sharp, Untold Lessons is an unmissable literary thriller that stirs our darkest impulses -- Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb Untold Lessons is rich and evocative, as well as slippery and strange, in the best possible way. I was hooked from the first page -- Chloe Ashby, author of Wet Paint and Second Self A satisfying and deeply felt novel * Irish Times * An intense literary thriller that subverts expectations by allowing its victims to have complexity and agency, forcing us to ask whether it's a good idea to pry into the inner-lives of those who do socially taboo things * Dazed * A mysterious and elegant novel, full of fears and tenderness, where getting lost in the woods can be a choice and a destiny and a regeneration -- Veronica Raimo, author of Lost on Me A strong debut by an emerging novelist and a loving work of restitution * TLS * A compelling exploration of personal growth and self-discovery. Vaglio's ability to blend introspective storytelling with deep emotional resonance is evident throughout this novel. The narrative delves into the complexities of life's unspoken lessons and the impact they have on personal transformation . . . lyrical prose and insightful character development create a moving and thought-provoking reading experience * Glamour Magazine * Untold Lessons is a beautifully crafted feminist fable that not only confronts patriarchy but also raises the question of whether one can ever fully escape the trauma, alienation, and guilt that come with possessing a human form * World Literature Today * A powerful exploration of the fragility of the ties that bind us to society and loved ones * Marie Claire * Crystalline . . . Maddalena Vaglio Tanet draws the best from the Italian literary landscape her vivid language is shaped in. Both lyrically and psychologically effective, with a careful and tender gaze -- Claudia Durastanti, author of Strangers I Know A dark literary thriller . . . In her prose, the natural world becomes something out of a fairy tale, escapist and dangerous * The London Magazine * Maddalena Vaglio Tanet captivates us from the very first sentence and then carries us away with her olive-green language, telling through her stirring style the depths of fear and breadth of the human heart. As if Elena Ferrante's heroines had come to the barren northern Italy to find themselves caught between tender longings and bitter disappointments -- Floran Illies This mysterious and elegant debut novel uncovers small town secrets and probes our darkest impulses -- Daunt Books Newsletter, 'Our Five Favourite Books of the Week' A debut novel from one of Italy's most exciting new feminist authors - a tantalising thriller that will keep any reader on their toes * Service95 * Tanet's skill is to use short chapters shuttling between characters to create a matrix of voices, relationships, gossip and guilt. But in a book full of upended expectations, the most surprising detail is that it is all based on a true story. * Guardian * A heartbreaking story about individual choices and their consequences . . . Moody and enshrouded in a veil of obscurity, Untold Lessons subliminally explores the unconscious and how it allows us to process the world around us - be it to our detriment or not * New Statesman *