Bāzī: Persian 1402

Sharp, succinct storytelling and breathtaking prose combine in this new novel by the author of the New York Times Notable Book of the Year, New York Times editor’s pick, a Sunday Times, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year, Ties. Imagine a duel between an elderly man and a mere boy. The same blood runs through their veins. One, Daniele Mallarico, is a successful illustrator whose reputation is slowly fading. The other, Mario, is his four-year-old grandson. The older combatant has lived for years in solitude, focusing obsessively on his work. The younger one has been left by his querulous parents with his grandfather for a 72-hour stay. Shut inside an apartment in Naples that is filled with the ghosts of Mallarico’s childhood, grandfather and grandson match wits, while outside lurks Naples, a wily, violent, and passionate city whose influence is not easily shaken.