The Book of Hidden Things

Seventeen years later and the seven-day disappearance of Art remains a mystery. Did he run away? Was he kidnapped? Art never told anyone; not even his best friends, though they were initially blamed.

Making a vow, Art, Fabio, Tony, and Maruo agree to meet on the same date every year in their small Italian hometown to drink, eat, and catch up on each other’s lives, no matter where they are or what they are doing. But this year, Art has vanished again – without a trace, just like when they were kids. In coming to grips with their own lives, the three friends discover Art’s increasingly erratic behavior might be linked to a local crime family and a rumor that he’s healed a girl of cancer. Tony, Fabio, and Mauro hope that Art’s writings will not only shed light on where their friend is now but what happened years ago when they were kids.

Francesco Dimitri’s The Book of Hidden Things is a combination of Natasha Pulley and Marisha Pessl. It is a story about the strength of friendship and faith in the unseen.