The Sun and Other Stars

by Brigid Pasulka

Set in a seaside village on the Italian Riviera, this irresistible new novel by PEN/Hemingway Award-winner Brigid Pasulka tells the story of a widowed butcher and his son whose losses are transformed into love.

After losing his brother and mother within a year, twenty-two-year-old Etto finds himself adrift in his hometown, where every man’s life revolves around soccer, except for his. Frustrated and lonely, Etto is faced with the seemingly impossible prospect of cobbling together the remaining pieces of his life, including his mostly nonexistent relationship with his father, the town butcher.

Things begin to change for Etto when Yuri Fil, a scandal-ridden Ukrainian soccer star and his tough-love sister, Zhuki, arrive in town, and sweep him into their universe of soccer, celebrity, laughter, and fierce loyalty. Under their influence, Etto begins to reconstruct his relationship with his father and learns a few life lessons: that perhaps the game of soccer isn’t just a waste of time—and that San Benedetto, his father, love, and life itself might have more to offer him than he ever believed possible.

Genres: Fiction, Italy, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Book Club, Soccer, Coming Of Age

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 13, 2013

About the author

Brigid Pasulka is the author of A LONG, LONG TIME AGO AND ESSENTIALLY TRUE, which won the 2010 Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award and was a Barnes & Noble Discover selection. Her second novel, THE SUN AND OTHER STARS, was a Chicago Tribune Editor's Choice and an Indie Next pick. Visit her website at BrigidPasulka.com.

Reviews

[Cam Mannino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't resist this book - but then, I didn't try very hard. I once got to spend time in a small Italian town like the fictitous San Benedetto of this book and I still walk around that little walled city in my imagination to calm myself on sleepless nights. No doubt I romanticize life there; the sun, the sense of community, the rambling streets and collection of tiny shops run by local eccentrics all make that inevitable. I'm aware that I'm romanticizing, but for once I just don’t fight it. Oh, yes, there are the rigid, unfriendly "statale" who work in banks and post offices, and over-worked women with husbands out playing cards in the piazza. But also, they smile when you try to use their lilting language. They sing arias while cooking and whole families stroll the streets together during the passegiata on Saturday night - women with babies, punk teenagers, old people waving handkerchiefs as they argue. Italians gesture and raise their voices like my Sicilian dad. They relish food, wine, color, style and conversation.

So anyway, that's why I love this book. OK, it's not a totally realistic, complex look at a small Italian town. No doubt in real life, the fatalism that rears its head periodically in many Italians might make them more prone to despair than the citizens of San Benedetto. And maybe a gay son would be treated more harshly than one minor character in Pasulka's book. And if all Ukrainians were like the famous calcio (soccer) player in this book, we'd all move there immediately and they wouldn't have a hope against the Russians. But Pasulka's got the important stuff right about San Benedetto - the warmth, the joking tolerance of difference, the noisy bars full of calcio fanatics, the nonnes carefully opening their change purses as they dicker and gossip at the butcher shop.

The main characters are wrestling with loss while surrounded by a community that can only help in concrete ways - not listening sympathetically, not "giving you space," but rather trying to drag you off to parties, teaching you to carve up a side of beef or providing a warm meal at the bar every night. A disgraced soccer hero both heals and is healed by just a grassy spot, a ball and choosing up teams. The bare ceiling of an abandoned classroom becomes your own Sistine Chapel, a place to come to terms with sorrow by painting your story. Love in this book is expressed through doing, rather than saying. I like that.

If you can tolerate some soccer talk, want to hang out with flawed, lovable people, need a sense of what community can mean - if you're just craving some redemptive endings for a change - luxuriate in this story. A little romanticizing feels good now and then.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I won this ARC as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

If I were to have rated this based on the first half of the story it would have had a three star rating and if I were to have rated it based only on the last half it would have received a four star rating. I compromised and gave it a 3.5.

If you are not a fan of soccer or calcio as described in this book then this may not be the read for you. This storyline is heavy on soccer and soccer references. I in fact found it humorous that it mentioned that everyone has a love and appreciation for the sport unless you are American. While I am Canadian I can attest that it is the same case where I am. I simply could not understand the fascination with the sport in the book or in real life for that matter. With this in mind those who can push past all of the soccer will be rewarded in the end.

The book started very slow. You could not tell where it was heading and if you were really interested in what would occur with Etto. I found myself struggling to get through the beginning and not as lost in the pages as I normally get when reading a new story. I am so glad I stuck with it because as soon as Yuri entered the picture the book completely turned around for me. The story came to life and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

Without giving away the plot this story ended up being less about soccer and more about learning to live again, the ties of a community, family and moving beyond grief. It was a lesson in learning to appreciate what you have by embracing something new. This was the winning message within the pages.

The bottom line is if you can get past all of the soccer talk and soccer references as they are numerous you will be rewarded with a sweet story with a good message. I still have no plans to watch a soccer match or pick up a soccer ball however I can now at least appreciate just a little of what it's sense of tradition and community it has for others

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was something about this book that made me want to drop everything and read it. The writing is good - a beautiful, honest voice and intriguing characters. I giggled aloud more than once while reading, yet also shed a few quiet tears. The pacing is smart and the plot has depth that isn't apparent from the beginning. It seduced me away from a cold snowy weekend and fully into summer on the Italian Riviera, and I didn't want to leave. It's a perfect vacation/beach read, if your idea of vacation is to escape into good literature.

I don't really think this is a soccer book, btw. Several of the reviews I glanced at said that it's about calcio - Italian football - but one needn't truly be a fan to enjoy it. It's about relationships, about memory, community and self-discovery and plenty of other things, with calcio as a vehicle to get there. If you absolutely hate football then you'd struggle, yes, but it's an enjoyable read even if you're not a fanatic. It's about football in the same way that Harry Potter is about magic.

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't have to be a Calcio (football for Europeans, soccer for Americans) fan to fall for this novel. Twenty-two year old Etto, of the town of San Benedetto, has just lost his twin brother Luca (a star player of soccer) in a motorcycle accident and then his mother drowns herself in grief, committing suicide during a swim. Luca was his father's favorite son, sharing a bond over Calcio, while Etto shared a special bond with their mother. Etto, feeling abandoned by his mother's desperate act, spends his days in the butcher shop dreading his future in the business and unable to relate to his calcio obsessed father.
On his brother Luca's death, he says 'After Luca died, it was like a soft fog creeping in, gradually obliterating him from the stories people told, but after Mamma, it was like a door slamming shut. Sure, there were the respectable visits right after, when everyone would come and pat our hands and drop off plates of food, but even then, they always came in pairs and always hurried away spooked, like if they looked Death or Suffering or Heartache directly in the eye, it might be contagious. This is another thing you will discover if you lose someone close to you- if you ever want to go out in public again, you'll have to learn how to treat your grief like a goiter or a great big boil. You'll have to learn how to camouflage it and tuck it away so as not to scare the living.'
The novel isn't stuck in grief, it is filled with humor. This exchange with his Nonna reveals the all too familiar realities of living in a small town.
'But maybe I moved too abruptly because Nonna looks up at me, alarmed, and starts shouting for help. "Aiuta! Aiuta! He's going to sell me to the gypsies! He's going to sell me to the gypsies!"
Everyone in the courtyard turns to look, including Zhuki.
"Nonna, it's me. Etto. Your grandson."
"You're not my grandson! You're not my grandson!" Nonna shouts. "Aiuta! Aiuta!"
Fortunately, when the nonne aren't gossiping, they are busy meddling in other people's business, so it only takes a few seconds for a group of them to swoop in, explain everything to Nonna, and calm her down.
"Zita, it's your grandson."


Everyone in Etto's life is full of personality, his womanizing friend reminding us of the typical Italian playboy,the nonne and their busy body gossiping, his father's exasperating soccer obsession, his Nonno's penchant for parables, and the sea-side town itself is a character. Soon, famous calcio player Yuri explodes into his life, bringing his sister Zhuki who will stimulate Etto's sad heart and just maybe be the bridge to understanding his father and calcio. This is a story about grief, soccer, and the search for one's path in life. Written for calcio fans, and anti-calcio fans alike, there is something for every reader. Delightful enough for the young and old, The Sun and Other Stars is a gem!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recall a recent read that I loved more than this one. Captured me from the very first page, and kept me enthralled throughout. Please do yourself a favor and read this immediately. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cheer, you will be reminded of the very best parts of our humanity. Brigid, if you see this, my only fear is catching up on your other work. I don't see how I can love another novel quite as much as this one. Bravo!

[Penny McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As soon as I finished this book I knew that I'd come back to this book again and again and this feeling has totally surprised me. It's a story about a young man, living in a small town in Italy, working in his father's butcher shop. None of those things should appeal to me - there is very romance here, there are no period dresses, no great sweeping dialogue with the possibility for more dialogue, all the things I love - but I was torn up by Etto and his life from the moment I met him. Then (I forgot all about this odd part of the story once I was swept in by the fellow) he begins to share endless details about European soccer and I actually kept reading, all because of Etto, even though I've pretty much been left cold by that sport my whole life. I like watching little kids play soccer because it is cute to see them run around but, reading a book about it?

His twin brother dies in an accident and his mother has taken her own life in despair, all in the last year. This leaves Etto and his butcher shop-owning father knocking around in a sterile apartment where Etto is trapped in this chore-filled life with ghosts and memories, tense relationships with his friends, an uncertain future (other than butchering) and constant family duty to his father, grandparents and every other adult in his small town. It could make for a dark novel but Brigid Pasulka makes her world into one where good things are coming for Etto, you can see them flickering out there like fireflies at night by the cottage. She paces the book perfectly, letting you get to know his town and friends, and getting to know him more intimately until you are just aching for good things to happen, flipping through the chapters like you are right there beside him.

It's a book about more about family and relationships than it is about soccer but by the end of the book I could actually sense a bit more of why people are so devoted to it. I had a tiny peep into the world where people are unified and divided by love of the sport and it made a bit more sense to me. The character of Etto could have been created in another city, another time, with a much different set of circumstances, but the fact that the author is able to weave this powerful story within the confines of a tiny seaside town filled with some of the most intense soccer dialogue I've ever read (or wanted to read) is just amazing. I might just try and pay more attention next time it's on tv. Nah, I'll probably read a book and just glance up from time to time, like I usually do.

[Kaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book at a small Italian bookstore in Boston. It was wrapped in brown paper as a part of the store's "don't judge a book by it's cover" campaign. It was labeled "Italian riviera, love and loss, contemporary" with a big hand drawn sun. It's definitely not something I would have picked for myself- but OH MY GOD. This book is fucking BEAUTIFUL. How the author uses so few words to paint a picture so vivid and lively and create characters so wholesome and loving is beyond me. It ripped my heart out and put it all back together again. The ending wasn't too outlandish or fantastic- it's just life. In all it's horror and beauty, sprinkled with little miracles. This will be one of my favorites for years to come, I can feel it.

[Nancy Croth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book four stars, not because of the literary quality of it but because the character development was superb. Told in the voice of the 'star' of the story, the reader becomes enmeshed in his life but also the life of the village of San Benedetto. An easy read and one to reinforce the notion of the healing power of love both from an individual and communal perspective.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely BRILLIANT. This is hands-down one of the best books I have read in quite a while. You don't have to be a soccer fan to appreciate the beautiful writing, clever humor, and relatable personal journey at the heart of this story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Michele Bové · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author crafts memorable characters that stick with you long after you've finished the book.

[Stella · Rating 5 out of 5]

😊🥲😊🥲❤️🥲🙉❤️

[Lara]

Audio

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Sun and Other Stars” by Brigid Pasulka, published by Simon and Schuster.

Category – Fiction/Literature Publication Date – February 04, 2014

Things are about to change in the Italian Riviera town of San Benedetto and the change could well be due to the sport of soccer.

Etto, at twenty-two years old, is dealing with the death of his twin brother and his mother. He is also in a negative relationship with his father, the town butcher. His life seems to be going no where. He works in his father’s shop while his father discusses the game of soccer with friends at the local bar/restaurant.

Yuri Fil, a renowned Ukrainian soccer player who is a favorite of Etto’s father, arrives in San Benedetto with his wife, children, sister, and bodyguards. Yuri is being implicated in a soccer scandal and has come to San Benedetto to get away from the media. Yuri, who lives and breathes soccer, convinces his entourage and Etto to play at night. Etto is sworn not to tell anyone that Yuri is in San Benedetto or that they are playing soccer. Etto, whose brother had a promising soccer career, has had little to do with soccer and finds himself outmatched. Yuri and his sister, Zhuki, work to improve Etto’s skills. Etto and Zhuki find themselves being enamored with each other. Eventually the town finds out about Yuri and their night soccer games and the entire town becomes involved in these soccer games, both young and old. It is through the game of soccer that these lives become entwined but it remains to be seen how much of a change can be made in Etto.

A nice read that is well suited for those looking for a little romance, a little soccer, and a small town on the Italian Riviera.

[Pamela Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Etto is a young man living in a small village on the Italian Riviera. He is mourning the fact that both his mother and his brother died in the previous two years. He goes on with his life, detached, cynical and hurting. He doesn't fit in in his town, a place obsessed with soccer. As he crosses paths with Ukrainian soccer star, Yuri Fil and his family, Etto starts to heal and realize that soccer is not just a game, but a vehicle to bring people together and change lives.
I had a really hard time getting into this book, mostly because of the language. It was incredibly written, but with so much Italian and cultural references that were not explained, I was confused at times. But Etto was a sympathetic character and I truly found myself rooting for him. The symbolism was deep and the setting was mesmerizing. I loved the characters and the journey that each of them went on.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never understood obsession with soccer ... with Italy ... with love and grief ... until now. I wish I had been to the Italian Riviera, had Calcio in my blood or could understand a word of Italian before I read this beautiful book. So many well-written lines that flowed out and made me laugh or cry. Some of the best character development I've ever read. The author runs a writing center at a public high school. What fortunate students she must have.

[Carol Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intelligent fiction with heart. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, taking my time, getting to know the characters. (I even picked up some Italian slang words.) It's a great view of life in an Italian seaside village.

[Jessica J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but I didn't love it.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

**2.75**

RTC

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little love story woven through a tale of tragedies and triumphs big and small. Brigid Pasulka is not only a skilled writer but a keen observer of the human condition.

[R.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

English review below...

Ένα βιβλίο γενικά προβλέψιμο, γεμάτο από στερεοτυπικούς χαρακτήρες, αλλά γενικά ευχάριστο σαν ελαφρύ ανάγνωσμα.

Ένα μικρό, Ιταλικό παραθαλάσσιο θέρετρο, καμάκια, γιαγιάδες, νεαροί που βαριούνται τη ζωή τους, νεαροί που δεσμεύτηκαν νωρίς, στέκια που αναλύονται όλα και κυρίως τα ποδοσφαιρικά τεκταινόμενα, ένας νεαρός που έχει χάσει το δίδυμο αδερφό του και τη μητέρα του και προσπαθεί να ανακτήσει τις ισορροπίες του, να τα βρει με τον πατέρα του, να αποφασίσει τι θέλει να κάνει στη ζωή του κι επιτέλους να ξεθαρρέψει στα ερωτικά... κι ένα ποδοσφαιρικό σκάνδαλο που θα έχει αλυσιδωτές αντιδράσεις...

Σε πολλά σημεία το βιβλίο είναι τραβηγμένο από τα μαλλιά, ενώ είναι εύκολο να μαντέψει κανείς τι θα ακολουθήσει από την αρχή. Κι όμως, αρκετά ενδιαφέρον και διασκεδαστικό, καθώς ο Έλληνας αναγνώστης μάλλον θα ταυτιστεί μαζί του...

This was a decent, light read.

The characters are a bit stereotypical, the plot is a bit far-fetched and VERY predictable, while it was easy to see that the author wrote it with an American audience in mind.

Still, I enjoyed the setting and the cultural references. There is a saying, una faccia, una razza (~one face, one race) often used to describe the similarities and familiarity between Italians and Greeks. Been Greek my self I could recognise lots of behaviors, dilemmas and other stuff mentioned in the book, while the football/soccer thing was a pleasant surprise. The blurb on my edition doesn't mention much of the story line and I had no idea this book will revolve a lot about the game, which I'm a great fun of. The author mixes real football events and players with her fictional ones and captures a lot the mentallity of football fans and the obession many people on Mediteranean countries have with it. Of course the premise about Yuri et al is not concincing, but it was a nice touch and differentiated the book from others on this genre.

A bit naive, predictable and not very believable story, but in general an enjoyable one!

[Logan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book as part of an ARC Goodreads giveaway.

What do I have in common with a butcher’s son in a small coastal town in Italy? More than I thought. This was one of those books that I raced home at the end of the day to read, simply because I connected so much with the main character. Even though I’m not Italian, not into soccer, not a butcher, and don’t have a shred of artistic ability, Etto is so believable as a character that I almost instantly saw myself in him.

Pasulka masterfully creates this world and shows it through the eyes of someone who has suffered extreme loss and doesn’t know what to do with their life. As a result, the tragic beauty of this small town is exemplified through the writing, and changes as the main character changes. Despite the lingering tragedy, the story is still full of humor, real people, and the funny situations that come out of any family, any community.

I would heavily recommend The Sun and Other Stars to anyone who may need a quiet escape to a small town in Italy. You don’t have to be a fan of soccer, or butchering, or art to enjoy this story. A fun read, full of ups and downs, but a satisfying and enjoyable story.

[Bonnie]

One of those books that I'm going to leave unrated because I DNF'd it when it turned out it wasn't the book I was in the mood for, but wasn't a bad book per se.

This is a story of small town Italy, grief (Etto's twin brother and then his mother died in a span of a year), family (Etto is not close to his strict, critical father, the town's butcher, despite being the one to run the day-to-day business of his father's butcher shop), first love, and soccer. Based on the description, Etto's life will begin to change for the better once he befriends a scandal-ridden Ukranian soccer star, but that hasn't happened yet nearly a quarter of the way through the book. Instead, Etto is still aimless, one of those judgmental, horny, driftless young men who need an outsider (mostly beautiful manic pixie dream girls) to shake up their prosaic lives. Etto also reads surprisingly American, despite never leaving Italy. He did have an American mother, but would that still lead him to saying "It's a free country" to someone in Italy?

It's a lot of set-up, which to some will be charming but made me want to cut a 100 pages.

DNF @ 25%.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I! Loved! This! Book!

I got this book signed back in 2014 at the library where my friend Jez works. I'd met Brigid Pasulka once before and gotten her other book signed, so it was neat to have this one signed as well. As with her previous novel, I let this one languish on my shelf for waaaay too long before reading it.

Coming off a slight reading slump, I needed something with good characters that would really pull me in. This definitely fit the bill. The novel takes place in Italy, and Pasulka peppers Italian words into her narration. This was done in her previous novel (but with Polish) and I found once again that it grew on me as I continued to read.

By about page 75 or so, I was hooked. Each day I found myself so excited to return to the world of this book, and I'm definitely going to miss it. Highly recommend!

[Ryan Feagin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Sun and Other Stars is a small slice of the cake, and it left me wanting more... but the fottuto baker ran out.

Etto's struggle with death of loved ones, while combating his outside-looking-in culture shock really made this book worth reading. The middle half (25%-75%) was amazing. The first quarter of the book laid out the culture around Soccer and how important it is for Italians, but the last quarter did not drive this home for me.

The book took a turn after the scene where all of the men in SB play a match with Etto and Yuri; and then it suddenly turns into a tragedy met with another tragedy, and then the ending feels empty because we don't get much closure, and the first 75% of the book didn't impact the ending at all.

For me, this lands somewhere between a 3/5 and a 3.5/5.

[mmk4 Koenen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The setting for this book is San Benedetto, Italy. The main theme is the life value of the game of soccer. There are interesting characters and subplots. The author must be bilingual/trilingual because there are many times the individuals in the book speak either Italian/Eng/Ukrainian.
This story gives great insight to the mores and cultural traditions of native Italians (emphasis is on the older generation.) The imagery the author describes really gives you the feeling of what the village of SB is like and you can just see in your minds eye them all playing soccer.
. What I enjoyed most about this novel was it told an endearing story with sincerity and great insight.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I’ve not read this author’s other book so had no idea what to expect. Her writing is beautiful! It is set in a seaside village on the Italian Riviera and the story is told through the eyes of 22 year old Etto. Etto is navigating his way through life after the loss of his twin brother and mother and trying to rebuild his relationship with his father. A lot of quirky and fun characters are trying their best to help Etto. There were a few times I had to peruse back to remember some of them. Calcio, which is American soccer, plays a big part in the story but you don’t have to be a soccer fan to enjoy this book. There is some Italian swearing in the book which may offend some but didn’t detract from the story for me. I fell in love with everyone in the book and didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend to anyone who likes a beautifully told story of family and friendship.

[Asdzáá g · Rating 2 out of 5]

started slow, got into the 2nd third and actually started enjoying the read. the last chapter didn't sit well with me, so that ruined the book for me. so many people loved it, maybe because I don't understand the game of futbol/calcio. and really don't have any interest in it, either. in addition, I don't understand Italian or their local mannerisms...so all in all..it wasn't one of the better books I read this year - sad to say. : (

[Becca Dellinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was incredible, gripping, emotional - it went so much deeper than I thought it would. I was glad to see a male character experiencing and sorting through his emotions and problems. I don't read many books from a male perspective, especially with so much feeling. Eto struggled with a lot of things that don't make it into the average story. The story was well written and perfectly designed. One of my favorites this year.

[Carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I love the small town Italian setting and the strong personalities of the various village characters. The soccer details and fever were great. I realized about halfway through that those charming Italian phrases that kept being repeated were actually Italian curse words. 😳😂 But the story was longer than it needed to be a lagged in some places. Not bad, but not a book I would recommend.

[JennanneJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in a while to keep me up at night reading. I was surprise by all of the (what I assume was) Italian cussing, but I thought it was a legitimate look at a hurt young man. He actually acted like a sulky teen! But also somehow was so sweet.

Recommended if you want to read about Italy!