Folger Book Club
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Our traditional spooky reads asks the question, what’s scarier: a Renaissance ghost bent on destruction, or spending a week-long vacation with one’s own family?
Booking and details
Coming SoonDates Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 6:30pm
Venue Virtual - on Zoom
Tickets Free, Registration required
Duration 6:30pm - 8:00pm (ET)
Registration opens Tue, Sep 8 at 4 PM, with early access for members beginning at 10 AM.
Our October 2026 pick is Diavola by Jennifer Thorne.
About Diavola
Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.
Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.
It isn’t easy when she’s the only one in the family who doesn’t quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he’s practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone―including her blandly docile husband and two kids―falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.
The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails―the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.
(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)
About the Book Club
Our informal Book Club is free and open to all. Our picks range from historical fiction to adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays, encompassing a wide variety of genres.
Each session begins with a guest speaker exploring that month’s pick and highlighting items from the Folger collection related to the novel. After the short presentation, participants will be broken into smaller groups for breakout discussions, moderated by a team of staff and volunteers.
Why did we choose this book?
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection explores not only Shakespeare’s life and works, but also the plays’ historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists.
October can only mean one thing at Folger Book Club—time for our annual “spooky” read! Continuing our exploration of things that go bump in the night, this novel’s malevolent spirit hails from the 16th-century Italian court, allowing an opportunity to think of what dastardly deeds may have been happening across the continent leading up to when Shakespeare was writing.
Critical reception for Diavola:
“Funny and engaging family drama, compelling travel writing, and a scary story: this book really has it all.”—Emily Martin, Bookriot
“. . . gothic gem, as full of sharply observed characterization as it is genre tropes.”—Neil McRobert, Esquire
Men’s Health Best Horror Books of 2025 • Esquire Best Horror Books of 2024 (so far)
Content transparency
Diavola includes potentially sensitive subjects. Expand below for a full list of content (includes spoilers).
- Blood
- Vomit
- Death
- Abortion
- Animal death
- Infertility
- Suicide
Guest speaker
Dr. Ashley Buchanan
Support the Folger
Fall Folger Book Club selections are now available online and in-person through the Folger Shop!
Click below to purchase your copy of Diavola online or come visit us at 201 East Capitol St SE during our opening hours.
You can also choose to support your favorite local bookstore through Bookshop.org or Libro.fm.