He's sixteen, angelic-looking, with a future all mapped out for him. One day, he realizes he can kill without the slightest qualm. A whole new world opens up to him...
Davide had a pampered and uneventful childhood. One evening, at a party, he was kidnapped and locked in the back of a truck. Lurking in the dark, a stranger jumped on him and tried to kill him.
He's sixteen, angelic-looking, with a future all mapped out for him. One day, he realizes he can kill without the slightest qualm. A whole new world opens up to him…
Davide had a sheltered and uneventful childhood. One evening, at a party, he was kidnapped and locked in the back of a truck. Lurking in the darkness, a stranger jumped him and tried to kill him. Terrified, Davide reacted instinctively and killed his attacker. He was then taken to a cellar, where he joined other prisoners. Like him, they were there to train to fight and one day join the elite of assassins. Stunned, Davide understood that his only means of survival was to kill. He won every fight. One day he decided to escape, but the organization had other ideas…
Are we born murderers? This is the question Davide grapples with throughout the novel as he discovers he can kill with his bare hands without the slightest qualm. A keen psychological analysis of the relationship between kidnapper and hostage, Bare Hands tells the story of the brutal education of a modern-day gladiator.
Paola Barbato was born in Milan in 1971 and lives on the shores of Lake Garda. She is a screenwriter for television. *À mains nues* (Bare Hands), a veritable Italian Fight Club, is her first novel.
