Giovanni Guareschi Livres

Set against the post-war backdrop of a village in the Emilia-Romagna, this is the second of the newly translated Don Camillo series with sales of more than 23 million copies worldwide.

More timeless, bittersweet stories of life in Italy's Lower Plain, most of which appear in English for the first time. They begin, as the last collection ended, with Don Camillo in exile in the mountains, But it isn't long before this lightning conductor for problems in the Little World draws Peppone and all human nature to his door.

The fifth in the Don Camillo series and the first wholly new anthology to be translated into English for over forty years. As ever, the book includes conversations with God.

Reading Giovanni Guareschi's stories about the little world between the Great River and the Mountains, is to travel to the Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, and to do so in the incomparable company of a cast of characters which testifies to the exquisite humour and humanity of their creator. Place and people are as one: 'The river country of the little world created them;' the author wrote. 'I crossed their path, linked their arms with mine and made them run through the alphabet, from one end to another.' The year is 1953. All is peaceful in the village we know so well. The people are cheerful and friendly, and exercise their famous sense of humour. But the national elections hang like a shadow over proceedings. The Soviet Union is the West's No. 1 enemy and the Vatican has issued its famous 'Decree against Communism', which makes voting communist a mortal sin. No.6 in the Don Camillo series provides the sharpest real-life context yet for the often hilarious feud between the battling village priest and the communist Mayor, Peppone. Although, as ever, the author's message as to what truly lies at the heart of being human is for all times and peoples. 'These haunting stories about this haunting place... Somehow Guareschi made people laugh at their own predicament at a time when humour was sorely needed.' BBC Radio 4

Beset by the third young progressive leftwing priest with a mandate to steer him into the modern world, Don Camillo digs in and finds a surprise ally in Peppone as he fights to save the three-metre high figure of il Cristo through which he conducts his famous conversations with God.

No. 7 in the Don Camillo Series, this bumper volume of classic Tales from the Lower Plain includes many never before translated into English. Beloved of 23 million readers worldwide, the appeal is universal, to readers aged from 10 to 100.

These enchanting, wise and strangely moving tales of life in Italy's Emilia-Romagna continue to enthral millions of readers of all ages around the world. In this newly translated volume, many are available in English for the very first time.

First time publication in the English language of 26 Don Camillo stories by Giovanni Guareschi.