When the Spring Comes

by Dr. Watson

Water is life. Children are sacred. Every year, the people of Riola celebrate the incoming Spring with rituals whose meaning has been long lost. Until one day, the children of the village begin to disappear, one after the other, without a trace. Anna, a misfit among the girls of the village, and Andrìa, a newly appointed priest, team up to find the truth and take the kids back home.

The evidence hints to an old pagan god of rain who would be taking their toll. A lieutenant of the Carabinieri tries to solve the case, fighting against the legends but faced by the elusive words of the people. Surrounded by an atmosphere of mistrust, Anna and Andrìa uncover a reality they had never even imagined.

398 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 2024

About the author

Dr. Watson is a Sardinian self-published author and astrophysicist. Her love for fiction came from horror books, which inspired her to take pen and paper herself. Fond of medieval history, she began experimenting with fantasy and historical fiction, with length and points of view. Her bilingual status allows her to write for both Italian- and English-speaking audiences, bringing to a larger public the history and traditions of Sardinia.

Her favourite genres to write are historical fiction and fantasy, with a pinch of gothic horror, and all their possible crossovers, with particular attention to themes and plots which involve the Unknown, the great struggles and the human nature in any setting or time period.

Keen on research, you might find her reading books or lost into the depth of academic papers.

Her first book, STORIE DI SARDEGNA – EPOCA GIUDICALE, a historical fiction collection of novellas revolving around Sardinian medieval history, released on December 1st 2021, in Italian. Her English debut, SONG AMONG THE RUINS, released July 25th 2022, now available also in Italian as UN CANTO FRA LE ROVINE.


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Reviews

[Erika Vernizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aspettavo questo romanzo con impazienza, e l'ho divorato! Siamo a Riola Sardo, fine Ottocento: tipico paese di poche anime dove non succede mai nulla. Oppure sì? Anna, una giovane donna che sogna un futuro diverso, e Andrìa, altrettanto giovane prete trasferito dal sud Sardegna, si ritrovano coinvolti in misteriosi avvenimenti, ovvero bambini scomparsi improvvisamente, senza lasciare traccia. Decisi a risolvere il caso, i due iniziano a raccogliere indizi, tra misteriose sparizioni analoghe in altri paesi avvenute settant'anni prima, inquietanti "perdas fittas" altre più di uomo che appaiono nelle campagne, fino a racconti su antiche divinità pagane. Che cosa sta accadendo a Riola? Affiancati - ma non troppo- da un tenente dei Carabinieri giunto da Oristano per far luce sulla scomparsa dei bambini, Anna e Andrìa si troveranno coinvolti in qualcosa di arcaico e antico come l'Isola stessa.

"Maimone Maimone, abba cheret su laore. Abba cheret su siccau, Maimone laudau"

Se siete appassionati di racconti legati al folklore, al mistero, e volete conoscere antichi riti sardi, non potete perdervi questo libro e questa autrice!

[Dr. Watson]

When the Spring Comes is a folk horror book, with a touch of mystery, set in 19th century Sardinia (well into the Kingdom of Italy era). The story centres the local pagan cults of the god of rain, and water, in an interpretation that links it to pre-Classical Greece Dionysus and the Catholic religion itself. The main character, Anna, is a girl who always felt different in her social environment, due to her different personality and ambitions, not centred around the ideas of romantic life and family. Andrìa, a young, newly appointed priest, joins her in her search for the kids that start disappearing in the village, and in the search for the Truth.

When the Spring Comes is not an easy book, due to its many hidden, philosophical meanings. Nature, Life, Death, Rebirth... The Greater Good and free will. Identity and belonging. Madness and its preferred path towards the Truth.

Genre: folk horror, Sardinian fiction, historical fiction. Preferred age range: Adult fiction.

⚠ Content warnings:
- prologue. Yes, there's a prologue. Don't skip it;
- disappearing children;
- religious themes;
- altered states of conciousness;
- mention of death and suicide ideation.

💜 Romance-free book 💚



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Disponibile anche in italiano con il titolo "Quando arriva la Primavera"!