Things That Happened Before the Earthquake, Barzini Chiara

Fifteen year old Eugenia is rudely yanked from her dreamy Roman existence by her filmmaker parents, who dream of fame and fortune, and transplanted to the strange, suburban world of the San Fernando Valley. Its 1992, mere weeks after the Rodney King riots, and she has only the Virgin Mary to call on for guidance as she struggles to navigate the unfamiliar terrain of the LA high school experience--a world of gang rivalries and all-night-raves, fast food and sneakers. But the angst, ecstasy, and self-discovery of adolescence endure, no matter the backdrop. Frank, edgy, honest and raw, this irresistible debut is the love child of Jill Eisenstadt, Eve Babitz, Antonioni and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.