Beatrice Salvioni was born in Monza in 1995. A recent graduate of the Scuola Holden, she won the 2021 Italo Calvino Prize for short stories. The Cursed Friend is her first novel.

"Monza, Italy, 1936. Thirteen-year-old Francesca lies on the banks of the Lambro River under the weight of a dead man who was trying to rape her, when he suddenly died. Her friend, Maddalena, crawls out of the water and helps her get out from under the dead body, which they then hide in some bushes. Their friendship began a year earlier, and is one marked by rebellion and the search for freedom beyond the rigid social hierarchy of the town. Maddalena, who comes from humble beginnings, is called "La malnacida/Born Evil" because of her supposed dark powers. Francesca joins her group of friends against her family's will, and discovers a new way of living beyond social conventions. Their bond will overcome the town gossip, which blames Maddalena for several deaths. It will be tested by war and fascism, and the two friends will have to decide whether to join together against social oppression or let the course of history separate them forever."--Provided by publisher.