Peggy Bubone is the envy of the Cold River, Long Island social scene: wife to a respected dermatologist, mother to two handsome children, and newly hired Literature teacher at a prestigious local high school,...before a knock on her classroom door turns her world upside down with the shocking news of her husband's arrest. With her and her children soon ostracized and homeless, she embarks on a humorous yet harrowing journey, which ultimately leads her back to her undesirable roots and, eventually, a deep dive into her own psyche.
"Daniel Damiano has written an extraordinary novel.
The Woman in the Sun Hat takes us on a journey from start to finish that not only invites us into the world of the protagonist Peggy Bubone, but helps us to inhabit that world with her in all its sometimes uncomfortable, emotionally challenging, earthy and ultimately invigorating glory." - J. Wolff, Notes from the City.
"Daniel Damiano's stirring first novel not only creates a gripping tale of family disaster and deception, but he also takes on many myths of our modern life. -
The Woman in the Sun Hat is a novel imprinted by a distinguished voice and led by a heroine memorable for both the ordinariness and super strength of her resolve." - Sunday's Mail
"While Daniel Damiano could have turned Peggy’s tale into one of misery and desperation, he has instead crafted a humorous and uplifting story of perseverance and struggle against the odds."
- Seattle Book Review (2021 Beach Read Recommendation)
"The Woman in the Sun Hat is a wonderful novel. It starts out one way, and then takes a sensationally gripping turn - and we ride with it all the way. It's gripping, disturbing and wrenching and sometimes very darkly funny and completely original."
- Austin Pendleton (Tony Nominated Director, Actor and Author)
"A great read. Full of unexpected moments. I never knew what to expect from one page to the next. A beautifully written journey into a new beginning." - The Soulmate Call Podcast Review
Daniel Damiano is an Award-winning Playwright, Screenwriter, Poet, Novelist and Actor based in Brooklyn, NY. His plays have been performed throughout many areas of the U.S., as well as London, England and Sydney & Melbourne, Australia. His acclaimed play DAY OF THE DOG premiered with St. Louis Actors' Studio in 2013 and subsequently transferred to 59E59 in NYC in 2014. It was a 2013 St. Louis Critics Choice Best Play Nominee, and was published by Broadway Play Publishing in 2018. Other more recent productions of his work include HARMONY PARK ("4 Stars" - Detroit Free Press, with Detroit Repertory Theatre), THE LEPERS (Ensemble Studio Theatre, NYC) and his acclaimed solo plays AMERICAN TRANQUILITY (which has been lauded in both NYC and Washington DC) and, most recently, ONE WITH THE CURRENT, which had an acclaimed run in NYC in the fall of '23. His new play THE WILD BOAR was a Finalist for the 2022 Dayton Playhouse Futurefest, and was 2019 Finalist for both the Woodward/Newman Award and the Janet & Bruce Bunch Award. He has been the recipient of the Christopher Brian Wolk Award for Playwriting, in addition to being a 2013 Nominee for the Pushcart Poetry Prize and a Finalist for the 2012 Arts & Letters Prize for Drama. His debut novel, THE WOMAN IN THE SUN HAT was published in March 2021 through fandango 4 Art House (Seattle Book Review Recommendation). His short story, "The Gift of What For" is included in Palm Circle Press' Short Story Anthology 2021. His poetry book, 104 DAYS OF THE PANDEMIC, was released in September 2021, by fandango 4 Art House. His poetry has been published in Gyroscope Review, Quagmire Magazine, Curlew Quarterly, Crooked Teeth Literary Magazine, Newtown Literary Journal, New Voices Anthology, Cloudbank and HotMetal Press. His second novel, GRAPHIC NATURE, was released in December 2022. In the Summer of 2022, fandango 4 Art House released PLAYS BY DANIEL DAMIANO, Volume 1, the first collection of Mr. Damiano's full-length plays ("Harmony Park", "The Golden Year" & "The Dishonorable Discharge of Private Pitts"). In May 2024, Bottlecap Press released Damiano's second book of poetry, THE CONCRETE JUNGLE AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS, and in Oct 2024, fandango 4 Art House released his third novel, ADVICE FROM A CAT. He recently was awarded the 2024 David A. Einhorn Playwriting Prize.
