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Franco Malanima’s writing is approachable and warm. I couldn’t put it down.
―Gary Lovely, THE HARPOON REVIEW
An entanglement of relationships across two countries.
―Andrew Singer, TRAFIKA EUROPE
A Perfect Idiot follows a man who works at a foster home, caring for children the world has forgotten. Among them is Odette, a quiet girl with her black cat, whose presence changes him in ways he never expected. As he grows closer to Meli, a social worker navigating the same fragile terrain, the two must confront uncomfortable truths — about honesty, about protection, and about what it really means to show up for someone.
A novel that invites us to look beyond appearances: through the eyes of a grotesque yet deeply human antihero, it reveals the beauty and fragility of marginalized lives, echoing the empathy of Fredrik Backman and the lyrical humanity of Kent Haruf, with an existential irony that makes it a singular work in the contemporary literary landscape.
ISBN : 978-1-83543-869-5
Scheduled: 11/06/2026
Pages : 192
Size : 205x140
Imprint : Olympia Publishers
Franco Malanima was born in Naples, Italy, on February 8th, 1982, and he has lived between France and the United States. He is the author of numerous novels. His fiction is known for focusing on the human condition and internal dialogue of emotions. He currently lives in Annecy, France, with his family, where he runs Articoli Liberi, a literary review and publishing house.