This month we focus on The Betrothed, an Italian literary masterpiece Italians revere, but most Americans have never heard of.
Why read this nearly two centuries-old novel about a young couple, priest, and a local strongman set in 1628 in Italy’s Lake Como region?
The Betrothed (I promessi sposi) offers a deep, yet entertaining, portrayal of life in the Lombardy region in the 1600s.
In Italy, this historical novel is considered the nation’s literary masterpiece, penned by Alessandro Manzoni, famed as a poet and philosopher, as well as a novelist.
Thanks to a new English translation, the first in 50 years, the novel is now a much smoother read for English readers.
What’s the story?
Lucia and Renzo, an endearing peasant couple anticipate their wedding the following day. Disaster strikes when a local baron who wants Lucia for himself uses his power to prevent their marriage.
The remainder of the novel (a years-long saga!) reveals the extensive fallout of that single evil deed, as well as the beneficial repercussions of some characters’ positive choices.
Although The Betrothed has high as well as low moments, the author spares no effort to detail the suffering and powerlessness of innocent, low-born people. He raises questions:
How can God, the Church, and the justice system allow this?
How do people cope with all these crises?
Heavy-handed military domination of their region (by Spain), followed by German invasion
Corrupt justice system allowing virtual free reign of petty strongmen and criminal gangs
Church officials (with notable exceptions) who often turned a blind eye to injustice and oppression of common people
Famine
Plague (perhaps brought by soldiers) in Milan and surrounding areas in 1630
Characters:
This novel has many characters, but it follows the lives of several key individuals, revealing how each one responds to these hardships:
Renzo – a hard-working young man who has saved his earnings in preparation for marriage to Lucia; he endures many undeserved perils
Lucia – Renzo’s fiancée, a simple, pious peasant whose circumstances force her to choose between terrible options
Don Rodrigo – main villain, a local baron/strongman who wants Lucia for himself and will stop at nothing to have her
Don Abbondio – the parish priest who cowers under threats from henchmen of Don Rodrigo; he refuses to marry Renzo and Lucia
Padre Cristoforo – Capuchin friar rescued from a death sentence; he responds by showing mercy to peasants
Federico Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan – wise, compassionate cardinal
Agnese – Lucia’s well-meaning mother, she schemes to trick the priest into marrying Lucia to Renzo
The Unnamed – greatest robber baron, his change of heart transforms the lives of many
The Nun of Monza – an unfortunate woman sentenced by her family to life in a convent, she plays a key role in the story
Strengths:
The plot is fascinating, with many entertaining twists, and it plunges the reader into the culture and events of the era.
Weakness:
This novel is very long, and modern readers may wish to skim through the many pages of historical background.
Content review:
This novel contains violence and suggestions but no explicit descriptions of physical intimacy.
I recommend this novel to intellectually curious readers ready for an immersion into the culture of 17th-century Lombardy, especially if they plan to travel to the regions near Lake Como and Milan.
As a reader and a writer, stories of courage and heroism inspire me. I love to spotlight them here, too, each time in a unique time and place. This time, the focus is on Italy’s Resistance in World War II .
Today, I briefly review Courage, My Love, a recent novel set in Italy in the World War II era.
Keep reading for my interview with the author, Kristin Beck.
Imagine living in a time when your every action could have fatal consequences (as for members of in Italy’s Resistance in World War II).
Courage, My Love takes readers on a suspenseful journey, immersing them in the lives of two female partisans in Rome:
Francesca–her leg is crippled by polio, but she won’t let it deter her work for Italy’s liberation
Lucia–the daughter of German immigrants, but she shares and acts on her husband’s ideals in opposing the Fascists and Nazis.
At great risk, both women struggle to free Italy from the control of the Nazis. I worried the Nazis would catch, torture, and execute the protagonists, and I had trouble putting down this novel.
The author seamlessly weaves history, local geography, and period details into a compelling story of courage and sacrifice in the midst of the misery and deprivation of life in an occupied city (and nation).
I especially enjoyed observing the transformation of normal people. They had to choose a side—obey their Nazi occupiers or resist them and risk death—even as familiar landmarks become sites of violence and clear warnings against opposing the Nazis.
Although I knew some basic details of this historical setting, Courage, My Love brought this period to life vividly. I recommend this book to readers who aren’t put off by descriptions of torture and violence within the context of an engaging and heroic story.
Suspense, heroism, a great historic setting—a riveting combination in Courage, My Love!
If you’re a history-lover who’d like to learn more about Rome and organized resistance to Nazis in World War II, here are a few non-fiction books:
The Vatican Pimpernel, by Brian Fleming, about Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish Vatican official who, at great risk to himself, played a major role in creating and operating the Rome Escape Organization. This group saved over 6,500 people (escaped prisoners of war as well as civilians, including Jews, who were hiding from the Nazis and Fascists) in and around Rome during World War II.
Q: What drew you to focus your novel especially on female partisans in late World War II Rome?
Kristin Beck: As a history nerd, I find myself falling down various rabbit holes all the time, and I tend to do a lot of research about subjects just to satisfy my own curiosity. One day, I stumbled upon an article about female partisans in Italy, and it led me to search for more information. Because I lived in Italy when I was younger, I was especially interested in this bit of history, and I quickly knew that it would lead to a book.
Q: How did you research details of that time and place?
KB: Lots of reading! I was lucky in the sense that I’ve lived in Italy and know Rome well, so it felt natural to develop that setting in my work. For historical details, I relied on a huge stack of books, memoirs, diaries, and historical documents.
Q: Did you discover surprises while researching this novel?
KB: Absolutely! In some ways, surprises happen constantly during research, because there are always fascinating stories and characters tucked into history. One that appears in the book, that was a true story from WWII Rome, is what happened at the Fatebenefratelli hospital. They really did create a fictitious disease, called “Syndrome K,” to scare the Germans away. I loved reading about that.
Q: How much did you have to deviate from history to create a satisfying story?
KB: Not much, actually. This story uses fictional characters, which allowed me to create a satisfying plot and story. However, I tried very hard to place those fictional characters within an accurate depiction of 1943/44 Rome. As a result, many of the tiniest details are correct – I even researched the weather on particular days!
Q: What were the most challenging aspects of writing this novel?
KB: With any historical novel, it can be a challenge to align the plot and character arcs with the historical record. As mentioned, accuracy was very important to me regarding this book, so it was a bit of a juggling act at times to develop two point-of-view characters, the plot, and maintain historical accuracy. I do enjoy the challenge, however!
Q: What did you enjoy about writing this novel?
KB: As mentioned in the previous question, I really enjoy almost every aspect of writing, even the challenging parts. Sometimes a book feels like a big puzzle, and I love seeing it come slowly together, piece by piece.
Q: What do you hope readers will take away after reading Courage, My Love?
KB: Like the characters in my novel, we currently find ourselves living through dark and uncertain times. I hope that readers will be inspired by the courage and resilience of Francesca and Lucia, who represent so many real people who lived and prevailed despite unthinkable circumstances. If my novel can give people some hope, I will be very happy.
Thank you, Kristin, for sharing your research and writing process with us!
