A Light for Fools

New York: E.P. Dutton & Co.. Near Fine in Near Fine dj. 1957. First American Edition. Hardcover. [nice clean copy, minor shelfwear only; jacket shows just a touch of wear to extremities]. "The story of two well-to-do Italian families, who are engulfed by the impersonal forces of world events. From the late thirties when the teenage youngsters are growing up -- the boys to become involved in anti-Fascist politics, the girls to seek marriage -- to the close of the war when the scattered group is reunited in their little town in northern Italy, this vivid story carries the stamp of living truth." Ginzburg (1916-1991) has been called "arguably the most important woman writer of post-World War II Italy." This book, her first full-length novel following two shorter works published in 1942 and 1949, earned her the prestigious Veillon International literary prize; it was published in England under the title "All Our Yesterdays." Decent copies of both English-language editions are quite scarce. .