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All Our Yesterdays

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( 4,798 ratings, 598 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg is a poignant narrative set in Italy before and during World War II. It follows the intertwined lives of two families, capturing their struggles, loves, and losses against a backdrop of political upheaval. Ginzburg skilfully explores themes of resilience and the enduring human spirit.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate deeply emotional storytelling set against the backdrop of World War II Italy. It weaves together the lives of two families navigating the turmoil of war and personal hardship, offering a poignant reflection on human resilience and relationships.

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'One of the Great Italian Writers of the 20th Century.' - The New York Times

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Anna, a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl in a small town in northern Italy, after a brief romance finds herself pregnant. To save her reputation, she marries an eccentric older family friend, and they move to his village in the south. Her relationship with Cenzo Rena is touched by tragedy and grace as the events of their life in the countryside run parallel to the war and the encroaching threat of fascismβ€”and in their wake, a society dealing with anxiety and grief.

At the heart of the novel is a concern with experiences that both deepen and deaden existence: adultery and air raids, neighbourhood quarrels and bombings. With her signature clear-eyed wit, Ginzburg asks how we can act with integrity when faced with catastrophe, and how we can love well.

All Our Yesterdays offers a powerful reflection on human resilience and courage, interwoven with a narrative that is both contemplative and compelling.

"I'm utterly entranced by Ginzburg's styleβ€”her mysterious directness, her salutary ability to lay things bare that never feels contrived or cold, only necessary, honest, clear." β€” Maggie Nelson

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

All Our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg has been praised for its mysterious directness and clear, honest style that lays bare the necessary truths. Described as a beacon of modern Italian literature, the prose's simplicity and occasional illuminations make it both direct and profound, reflecting deep emotional truths in a naturally expressive manner.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781914198236

Publisher: Daunt Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 30 June 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Daunt Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Angus Davidson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Natalia Ginzburg (1916-1991) was born in Palermo, Sicily. She wrote dozens of essays, plays, short stories and novels, including Voices in the Evening, All Our Yesterdays and Family Lexicon, for which she was awarded the prestigious Strega Prize in 1963. She was involved in political activism throughout her life and served in the Italian parliament between 1983 to 1987.

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