In 1910 Sabé Parella makes the journey from northern Italy to southern Colorado to join her husband who has gone ahead to work in the coal mines. But when Sabé arrives along the banks of the Purgatoire River, he is nowhere to be found.
“PURGATOIRE is an examination of hope, secrets, and the relentless forces of human nature. Prato writes with the magic touch, incorporating both the real and the fabulist into one aching, beautiful novel." —RENE DENFELD, bestselling author of The Child Finder and The Enchanted.
Purgatoire is a gorgeous novel of connection, bringing to life how we’re tethered across generations, through blood and soil and the stories we carry. —REBECCA BEARDSALL for Psaltery & Lyre
“Liz Prato brings the reader into the hearts and minds of generations of characters, revealing their secrets, their wishes, their regrets, and their inheritances with masterly poise. A vivid and engaging saga." — SHAWN LEVY, author of Clint: The Man and the Movies
“Liz Prato breaks open secrets and gives voice to spirits from the past, offering us a book that speaks directly to the bonds of family, the pain of fracture, and how those histories ripple through to the present day. A deeply American story, Purgatoire is as compelling as it is heartfelt.” —WENDY J. FOX, winner of the Colorado Book Award and author of The Last Supper
“Each element is executed with confidence, contributing to the novel’s holistic approach to family storytelling . . . An empathetic, historically attuned novel. —FOREWORD REVIEWS
April 7, 2026
PUBLISHED BY FOREST AVENUE PRESS DISTRIBUTED BY PGW
LIZ PRATO is the author of Kids in America: A Gen X Reckoning; Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: Essays on Hawai‘i, a New York Times Top Summer Read and a Finalist for the Oregon Book Award; and the short story collection, Baby’s on Fire. Her novel in stories, Purgatoire, is coming out in Spring 2026 from Forest Avenue Press.
Liz loves visiting book clubs, teaching, and speaking to groups (virtual and in-person). To book Liz for an appearance, please fill out the contact form HERE
“Searching, wise, intimate and illuminating, Liz Prato’s Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege is a complicated love letter to a place, and powerful reckoning of a life. I was moved and astonished by this beautiful book. —CHERYL STRAYED, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things
"A dazzling exploration into how cultures and identities criss-cross each other, Liz Prato's Kids in America traces how Gen X emerged from the fire and fury of a nation falling to pieces.” —LIDIA YUKNAVITCH, author of Thrust and The Chronology of Water