Book description
Set in Lombardy during the Spanish occupation of the late 1620s, The Betrothed tells the story of two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, prevented from marrying by the petty tyrant Don Rodrigo, who desires Lucia for himself. Forced to flee, they are then cruelly separated, and must face many dangers…
Why read it?
1 author picked The Betrothed as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This book transported me to the shores of Lake Como shortly before I trekked there, but in a far-distant era—1628.
Manzoni's vivid portrait of the culture—from the landscape to each character's innermost thoughts—allowed me to time travel, giving me friends to root for and villains to hate. The Betrothed gave me a new appreciation of ordinary people's struggles, a more nuanced view of the Roman Church's role in their lives, and a better understanding of the political realities they had to face.
The lengthy but colorful story reveals the years-long fallout of a single evil deed and the positive effects…
If you love The Betrothed...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
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