‘A beautifully written novel, translated from the Italian, with a heartwarming story... The language soars like a symphony. The notes are in perfect pitch.’

– New York Journal of Books

‘If, like me, you are a fan of Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet, I urge you to check out What Hell is Not.’

– Literary Hub

‘A mature work that looks the theme of evil and violence in the eye.’

– Libero

‘Rich in figurative language... [the story is] equally rich in characterization and setting.’

– Booklist

‘D'Avenia convincingly conveys the extent of the deprivation and of the reach of the Mafia's influence and control... [He] has a lyrical touch amid the violence and the squalor.’

– Herald Scotland

‘The dark story of Father Pino’s passion and death is a long shriek of grief, but it is not in vain: it is also a hymn to love that becomes beauty.’

– Antonia Arslan, author of Skylark Farm

‘What Hell Is Not celebrates resilience in the face of deprivation and the transformative power of small acts of love.’

– Fra Noi, Chicago

‘Each short chapter of this book is a work of poetic beauty, some showing the transformative power of love and some showing the devastation that hate brings into the world.’

– Marjorie's World of Books, blog review