War in Val d'Orcia

War in Val D'Orcia is a book in diary form, by Iris Origo, the Irish-American-Italian writer who, with her husband Antonio, owned and managed the Tuscan estate of La Foce, comprising 57 farms in 7,000 acres.^[1]Set in Italy during the Second World War, the book describes the experiences of the author and her family in 1943 and 1944 as they sheltered children seeking refuge from the war and the bombing of cities in Northern Italy (after the allies had taken control of the area south of Rome). The New York Times called it a remarkably moving document that, like the best of the elemental war stories, eventually becomes a statement about the unplanned nature and folly of war.^[2]

Versions

Originally published in hardback by Jonathan Cape, London (1947), the book has been reprinted in The Travellers Library (Cape) (1951); Penguin Group UK (1956); John Murray Publishers (1984); David R. Godine, Publisher Boston USA (1984-2002); Century Hutchinson (1985); Allison & Busby UK (1999); and HarperCollins, Australia (2002)

References