Summary

Chapter 1. The Dying Actress. April 1962. Porto Vergogna, Italy.

Pasquale Tursi is working on the cliffs outside his family’s hotel, Adequate View Hotel, on his man-made beach. Pasquale spots his friend, Orenzio, piloting his boat toward the village. Orenzio pilots his boat for Gualfredo, the rich hotelier who runs hotels on the nearby village of Portovenere. Therefore, Pasquale assumes Orenzio has made a mistake when he stops at Porto Vergogna. No one ever comes to the Adequate View Hotel despite the efforts of Pasquale’s father to create a resort for American tourists. In fact, the only foreign guest they ever get is a car salesman from America who comes once a year to work on his novel about World War II.

When Orenzio greets Pasquale, Pasquale asks if Orenzio has come to the right place. Orenzio shows Pasquale a paper directing this...