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All fairy tales are disturbing, and most are scary. For sure Bluebeard is one of the most frightful: a blood spot on a gold key, wives murdered and hung in the dungeon like cloaks on hooks. And, as often the case in fairy tales, all this happens without us knowing why. This rewrite precisely attempts to explain the protagonist’s motives. Al least until Blue shows up. Blue is the last wife, the only one destined to survive counting on her own strength, on her perspicacity, on her quick thinking and promptness, on her ability to deduce and connect the dots. Blue and Blue-beard play cat and mouse throughout the story. However, we don’t know who the cat is and who the mouse is.

  • Beatrice Masini won the Elsa Morante Prize, the Andersen Award and was shortlisted for the Campiello Prize.
  • By the Italian translator of Harry Potter, a story on the extraordinary strength of women.
  • Evocative drawings by one of the most talented Italian illustrators, Virginia Mori.


She was born in Milan. She has been writing since her childhood and has previously worked as a journalist for two newspapers (“Il Giornale” and “La Voce”). Afterwards she moved on to the publishing industry as a translator, editor, and author. She writes for readers of all ages, and it’s the story to decide where it’s going to lead her: to illustrated stories for little kids, novels for kids and young adults, or novels for adults.

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