Books
by Iris Origo
|
A Chill in the Air: An Italian War Diary 1939-1940 |
Anyone who has read War in Val d'Orcia (bwl 2) will be fascinated by Origo's diary of the years leading up to the war. A real eye-opener to discover how desperately the Italian rural population trusted Mussolini to keep them out of the war. Also fascinating to see how propaganda turned Britain into the hated arch-enemy and foresaw its apparent downfall with immense satisfaction. As for Anglo-American Iris trying to keep sane under these circumstances, well, heroic!
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 87 Winter 2018) |
|
|
Images and Shadows: Part of a Life |
And here are Origo's memoirs . . . Her privileged upbringing - America, Ireland, then Fiesole - gave her a breadth and depth of sympathy which illuminated her life both as chatelaine of the Val d'Orcia estate and as biographer. The worlds she evokes may be lost but her intelligent, perceptive attitude to life are for all time. She says 'It has only been through my affections that I have been able to perceive, however imperfectly, some faint "Intimations of Immortality"'. There you go!
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 87 Winter 2018) |
|
|
War in the Val d'Orcia |
(just re-issued, I've been told) American woman finds herself running her husband's isolated estate in occupied Tuscany. Things become complicated (understatement) as Allies approach: partesans hiding in the woods, retreating Germans, locals from both sides of political divide all have to be juggled (and fed) and children taken to safety. Amazing.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 2 March 2000) |
|
|
|
