Acquisition: Liz Prato’s PURGATOIRE, a novel

Forest Avenue Press has acquired rights to PURGATOIRE, a novel by Liz Prato, author of Kids in America, Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege, and Baby’s on Fire. Publication is slated for spring 2026.  

Prato returns to fiction with PURGATOIRE, which follows a family of Northern Italian immigrants who come to Colorado at the start of the twentieth century in search of a better life, but instead find themselves struggling for freedom in a society that demands toughness from men and tries to extinguish the fire in women. As discrimination, extortion, and Prohibition close in on them, the men succumb to drinking, crime, and mental illness, while the women find strength in themselves, and in each other, to survive.  

Set in Colorado’s rural mining communities, PURGATOIRE traces how the shame and secrecy of one man’s abandonment haunts the family for generations. Based on Prato’s paternal ancestors, the characters include a single mother-turned saloon girl, a violin protégée who loses his grip on reality, a merchant facing extortion from the vengeful Mano Nera, an immortal cat yearning for family, a bootlegger and his teenage daughter, and stranded souls who narrate, speak, and interfere—sometimes with tragic consequences.

“I’m a longtime fan of Liz’s prose and I’m so honored to publish PURGATOIRE, her first fiction title since her debut story collection,” said Publisher Laura Stanfill. “The storytelling is incisive and surprising and deeply human, as we have come to expect from Liz. In PURGATOIRE, she incorporates fabulist elements with historical research, family stories, and a strong social relevancy, making this an exciting addition to the Forest Avenue catalog.”

LIZ PRATO