Novelist Nino Ricci was in grade school when the charismatic Pierre Elliott Trudeau became Prime Minister in 1968, but even then, he was aware of Trudeau’s singularity. As Trudeau fought for strong federal powers, individual rights, and bilingualism, it was his advocacy of multiculturalism that most directly affected Ricci’s life. His family was part of the wave of Italian immigrants who felt welcomed to Canada by Trudeau’s expansive vision of the country. Written with the narrative flair that has made him a bestselling author, Ricci explores Trudeau’s two sides: the private intellectual and the pirouetting politician who changed Canada.

Nino Ricci's first novel, the bestselling Lives of the Saints, garnered international acclaim, appearing in over a dozen countries and winning a host of awards, including the Governor General's Award for Fiction. It was followed by In a Glass House and Where She Has Gone, which completed the trilogy that Lives of the Saints began. Nino Ricci's most recent novel is Testament, which was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize for Canada and the Caribbean and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and was the co-winner of the Trillium Award. Ricci lives in Toronto with his family.