Dispute Over a Very Italian Piglet

An Italian journalist gets wrapped up in the criminality and cultural controversies of modern Turin in this "e;very funny"e; satirical novel (The New York Times).It's October 2006. The northern Italian town of Turin has been rocked by a series of murders involving Albanians and Romanians, and journalist Enzo Lagana is determined to get to the bottom of the crime wave-even if he must invent a few sources to do so. But first he's been conscripted to mediate the issue of a pig running loose in a mosque.Gino the pig belongs to Enzo's Nigerian immigrant neighbor, Joseph. The Muslim community wants Gino killed, an animal rights group wants him saved, and Joseph is pleading his pig's innocence. As Enzo navigates various calamities large and small, he scrambles to keep track of his lies even as he uncovers some uncomfortable truths about contemporary, multicultural Italy."e;This very funny novel examines a town's heightened ignorance and hostility toward foreigners, and what it means to be a "e;true"e; Italian, even if the native in question is a small pig."e; -The New York Times

It’s October 2006. In a few months Romania will join the European Union. Meanwhile, the northern Italian town of Turin has been rocked by a series of deadly crimes involving Albanians and Romanians. Is this the latest eruption of a clan feud dating back centuries, or is the trouble being incited by local organized crime syndicates who routinely “infect” neighborhoods and then “cleanse” them in order to earn big on property developments? Enzo Laganà, born in Turin to Southern Italian parents, is a journalist with a wry sense of humor who is determined to get to the bottom of this crime wave. But before he can do so, he has to settle a thorny issue concerning Gino, a small pig belonging to his Nigerian neighbor, Joseph. Who brought the pig to the neighborhood mosque? And for heaven’s sake why?
 
This multiethnic mystery from the author ofClash of Civilizations over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio pays homage to the cinematic tradition of thecommedia all’italiana as it probes the challenges and joys of life in a newly multicultural society.