The Amalfi Curse

In a letter dated April 9, 1821, an unnamed “devoted friend” writes to Matteo Mazza (12), “the owner of Naples’s most preeminent shipping company” (11). The writer claims that a group of women who live in the fishing village of Positano has control over the seas. As evidence, he cites that Positano is the only location along the Amalfi Coast that is never troubled by pirates, poor fishing catches, or the eroding cliffs that make life precarious for others in the region. The anonymous letter writer invites Signor Mazza to purchase his secret knowledge about Positano’s powerful women—knowledge that he believes will make the business owner unimaginably wealthy.

At 2 in the morning, a group of 12 streghe del mare, or sea witches, gather on the shore of Positano and cast a spell to keep away an approaching fleet of pirate ships. The sea witches’ power stems from their unique heritage as descendants of the sirens who lived in the nearby Li Galli islets thousands of years ago. Twenty-year-old Mari DeLuca carries the weighty responsibility of the current curse. Her magic is the strongest because she comes from an unbroken line of witches, making her the group’s leader, like her mother before her.