MELISSA P. - A major worldwide best-seller, 100 STROKES OF THE BRUSH BEFORE BED is the often daring tale of the coming of a sexual age of a young Italian schoolgirl, and was allegedly heavily autobiographical. But beyond the sexual excesses longingly described, it also presents a fascinating insight into a mind still torn between the poetry of romance and the harsh realities of societal expectations.
Lovereading view...
I was very surprised that this book was written by a schoolgirl. This is her diary over two years as a teenager. It is candid, explicit and unexpectedly well-written. Although a major part of the book focuses on her sexual encounters (of which there are many), it is also a haunting memoir of a young woman trying to define her identity.
One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed Synopsis
One very hot Italian summer, a young woman sits alone in her bedroom and writes in her diary: 'I want love. I want to feel my heart melt. I want to sink into a river of passion.' As the summer unfolds, she follows her desires wherever they lead her, often into the arms of men who set her world on fire. She is thrilled to discover the sexual power she wields. And yet, will any of these passionate encounters lead to the love she longs for?
'A warm and erotic book, packed with intense sexual experiences' - Diva
'This coming of age tale is the latest women-can-write-about-sex-too bestseller' - Metro
Author
About Melissa P.
Born in 1985 into a middle class family, Melissa Panarello grew up in Aci Castello near Catania in Sicily. Since 2000, she kept a diary which became One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed. A great admirer of Almudena Grandes and AnaÑ—s Nin, Melissa P has always been a keen reader. She is currently studying at the University of Sapienza at Rome and finishing a collection of short stories.
