Villa Coco | Andrew Sean Greer

Villa Coco: A Novel

Extended Synopsis

In Villa Coco, a young aspiring archivist determined to begin a "serious" life after an undistinguished undergraduate career takes up residence in the lush, sun-soaked Italian countryside. He accepts an unspecified job as the all-purpose assistant to the Baronessa, known affectionately as Coco—a defiantly youthful, naturally flamboyant woman of ninety-two living in a crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills.

Amid a chaotic and colorful milieu of gin-swilling princesses, incomprehensible handymen, roaming boarhunters, and nuns, our young protagonist attempts to catalog the estate's extensive collection of art and antiques. As he navigates this eccentric environment, he notices items mysteriously disappearing from right under his nose and tumbles into a complicated affair with a married man. When Coco loses someone close to her, he becomes an unwitting accomplice in the Baronessa's great and final plan: to locate the true love of her life and reunite before it's too late. Told with Andrew Sean Greer's signature wit, charm, and profound humanity, Villa Coco is a dazzling meditation on how seriously we ought to take ourselves and a bawdy Mediterranean ballad about becoming who we've always wanted to be.

Author Biography

Andrew Sean Greer is a celebrated American novelist and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the international phenomenon Less. Known for his sophisticated humor, literary charm, and deeply human storytelling, Greer consistently captivates readers with narratives that seamlessly blend comedy with poignant explorations of identity, aging, and love.

Reader Targeting

• Enthusiasts of literary fiction set in picturesque, vibrant Mediterranean locales.
• Readers who enjoyed the humor, heart, and sophisticated wit of Greer's previous bestseller, Less.
• Fans of character-driven, coming-of-age stories featuring eccentric and memorable casts.

Accolades & Awards

• A Most Anticipated Book of the Year: People, TIME, Esquire, Oprah Daily, Lit Hub, Seattle Times
• "No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. Every sentence in this novel sings." — David Sedaris
• "An absolute delight." — Elif Batuman
• "Such a sunny book." — Kate Atkinson

Bibliographic & Physical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the story take place?
The novel is primarily set in a sprawling, crumbling villa located in the sun-soaked Tuscan hills of the Italian countryside.

Who is the Baronessa?
Known as Coco to her friends, she is a defiantly youthful, charismatic, and flamboyant ninety-two-year-old woman who employs the young protagonist as her all-purpose assistant.

Is this book connected to the author's previous novels?
While Villa Coco is a standalone novel, it is imbued with the same signature wit, warmth, and charm that made Greer's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less an international success.

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