Siracusa

By: Delia Ephron

Narrated by: Talia Balsam, Katie Finneran, Darren Goldstein, John Slattery

A New York Times Bestseller
One of People Magazine's Top 10 Books of 2016
Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2016 (Fiction)

A Washington Post Bestseller • A Los Angeles Times Bestseller • A USA Today Bestseller • One of Vulture’s 100 Greatest Beach Books Ever • A People Magazine Summer Reading Pick • One of Elle, InStyle, and Marie Claire’s Best of July

“Delia Ephron’s Siracusa is a stunning portrait of two marriages coming unraveled during the stress of travel abroad. Insightful and engaging. A must-read!”
—Sue Grafton, author of X

“Siracusa is an Italian aria, a Greek tragedy and a modern American master­piece written by Delia Ephron at the height of her powers. This is a story of two complicated marriages, one vulnerable child, and a trip to Italy that changes each of their lives forever. Secrets, lies, love raging, love dying, and the shame of unrealized potential are exposed in detail under the Sicilian sun. And, like the Moro blood oranges that grow there with abandon, the taste is both sour and sweet at once, but the bitterness that remains is not only haunting but unforgettable.”
—Adriana Trigiani, author of The Shoemaker’s Wife

“Siracusa is an unusually crackling, tricky journey into the distant land of other people’s marriages: their secrets, paradoxes, weaknesses, and plea­sures. Delia Ephron writes like a warm-blooded Patricia Highsmith, her sto­ry’s treachery matched by a deep and easy feel for the various human, imperfect ways that people find themselves bound together, and sometimes painstakingly unbind themselves. An absorbing, tense, and original novel.”
—Meg Wolitzer, author of The Interestings


An electrifying novel about marriage and deceit from bestselling author Delia Ephron that follows two couples on vacation in Siracusa, a town on the coast of Sicily, where the secrets they have hidden from one another are exposed and relationships are unraveled.

New Yorkers Michael, a famous writer, and Lizzie, a journalist, travel to Italy with their friends from Maine—Finn; his wife, Taylor; and their daughter, Snow. “From the beginning,” says Taylor, “it was a conspiracy for Lizzie and Finn to be together.” Told Rashomon-style in alternating points of view, the characters expose and stumble upon lies and infidelities past and present. Snow, ten years old and precociously drawn into a far more adult drama, becomes the catalyst for catastrophe as the novel explores collusion and betrayal in marriage.

With her inimitable psychological astute­ness and uncanny understanding of the human heart, Ephron delivers a powerful meditation on marriage, friendship, and the meaning of travel. Set on the sun-drenched coast of the Ionian Sea, Siracusa unfolds with the pacing of a psychological thriller and delivers an unexpected final act that none will see coming.

Pretty good.

Book was not bad. Kinda predictable but I wasn't sure if I'd be thrown a curveball at the end so it kept me interested. Easy listen.

This Is A Relationship Deep Dive

The characters are unique and very interesting. Each has a story and a set of circumstances that keep you interested. I love the intimate look into the two marriages and how they are intertwined yet also individual. The story is set in a magical location that also plays into the story and adds depth. I really enjoyed this book and it was refreshing after a long, dry spell where good novels are concerned.

WHOA... Now this is some weird $h*t !!

The only reason I'm giving this creepy, and hard to follow story a 3 , is because it held my interest all the way through! What an unlikable cast of characters... I read where another reviewer said she was glad she didn't know these people, and I whole heartedly agree ! Also, I can't decide if the narrator who reads the part of Taylor is awful, or if it was just the character. I can't really recommend this weird book, but I have to admit that it was never boring

Fabulous Performance!

A great pleasure to listen to. Acting is wonderful. Delia Ephron is great to hear aloud.

Fun summer read ..an hey it's Italy !

Really enjoyed this, but took a while for me to "get it" , meaning the characters actually suck , and that's a tribute to the writer - they are supposed to be unlikeable !
After I got into that mindset I was fully invested. Cleaned my whole house listening to this one .
Narrator was very good also .
Loved the setting .
Will look for more books by this author.