The Mayor’s Tongue is a bold, vertiginous debut novel that unfolds in two complementary narratives, one following a young man and the other an old man. The young man, Eugene Brentani, is a devotee of the reclusive author and adventurer Constance Eakins, now living in Italy. The old man is Mr. Schmitz, whose wife is dying; confused and terrified, he longs to confide in his dear friend Rutherford. But Rutherford has disappeared, and his letters, postmarked from Italy, become more and more ominous as the weeks pass.

In separate but resonating story lines, both men’s adventures take them from New York City to the mountainous borderlands of northern Italy, where the line between imagination and reality begins to blur and stories take on a life of their own. Here we are immersed in Rich’s vivid, enchanting world, full of captivating characters—the despairing Enzo, who wanders looking for a nameless love; the tiny, doll-like guide, Lang; and the grotesque Eakins. Over this strange, spectral landscape looms the Mayor, a mythic and monstrous figure considered a “beautiful creator” by his townspeople, whose pull ultimately becomes irresistible.

From a young writer with exceptional promise, this refreshingly original novel is a meditation on the frustrations of love, the madness of mayors, the failings of language, and the transformative power of storytelling.

NathanielRich.com