23 January 2025
The Giant’s Daughter
Layana is a little girl who lives in a grand villa in Vicenza during the second half of the eighteenth century. Her father is a giant—not the fearsome ...
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The Giant’s Daughter
Layana is a little girl who lives in a grand villa in Vicenza during the second half of the eighteenth century. Her father is a giant—not the fearsome kind from fairy tales, who devour children and terrorise the villagers, but a kind and loving giant who dotes on her endlessly. He makes sure she has everything: servants, elegant dresses, exotic animals, and glittering jewels. For her twelfth birthday, he gives her twelve wonderful gifts, each more splendid than the last. But the one thing that is missing is what Layana wants most: to be able to go out and see the world. Indeed, her father has never allowed her to go outside—to protect her, he says—because the outside world is a dangerous place, and the people are bad. But Layana’s curiosity is too powerful to contain. One day, she defies his warnings and manages to get out, only to uncover a secret that will change her life forever. Ilaria Mattioni weaves a fairy tale that is both melancholic and comical, tender yet tragic, inspired by the legend of the beautiful Villa Valmarana, renowned for its magnificent frescoes by Tiepolo.
Reading age: from 10 years
La figlia del gigante
Ilaria Mattioni; illustrated by Kalina Muhova
Feltrinelli, 2024