The Solitude of Prime Numbers, by Paolo Giordano

Prime numbers are only divisible by themselves and 1. Mattia, a mathematical genius, is fascinated with them. He is a surviving twin – his mentally impaired sister disappears as a young child, partly as his fault. Alice survives a damaging ski accident as a young girl, which leaves her with scars and a limp. She tries to control her life through anorexia, Mattia through cutting. Both struggle, with limited success, to fit in with the “normal” world, but in truth are drawn, as solitaries, “primarily” to each other. The book follows their lives into their thirties, when both have reached a degree of success and happiness. An interesting character study and somewhat disturbing book. The story is set in Italy and was an international bestseller. 271 pp.