A young woman with an unyielding will and a society that tries to break her.

Under the scorching sun of Lombardy in 1935, Francesca encounters Maddalena for the first time, a girl whom everyone in the village calls "Malnata": "The Doomed One." Raised to conform and obey, Francesca is immediately captivated by the barefoot girl with perpetually dirty hands and defiant eyes. Despite all warnings, Francesca befriends Maddalena and gradually learns to distrust the lies of adults. However, in a society that has no room for female independence, every wrong word and every act of defiance is a danger.

An eye-catching novel, highly praised by critics, about the power of female self-determination and a tribute to the strength of friendship. Beatrice Salvioni's debut has garnered significant attention not only in Italy, where it remained on the bestseller list for weeks: "Malnata" is being translated into 35 languages.