Three Timeless Short Stories by Grazia Deledda, Volume 2

These three short stories, originally published in a 1912 collection, serve as a perfect jumping-off point for anyone curious about Grazia Deledda, a renowned voice in Italian—and world—literature. Easily read in a single sitting, this modest collection presents a rewarding introduction to Deledda’s themes and style. And for those who’ve already read some of her other work, these thought-provoking stories are an ideal way to broaden your familiarity with her writing.
Set in or near the town of Nuoro where Deledda was born, these intriguing tales offer a glimpse into the lives of the people and world she knew so intimately. If there’s a common thread to these three stories, it’s that they focus on female characters, representing a broad socio-economic gamut. We have the capable, business-minded Austina who’s always been the boss of her marriage; the simple, illiterate Annarosa and her devout mother; and the cunning young Zana who, despite supposed wealth, lives in wretched conditions and utilizes her abundant feminine charm in an attempt to achieve her nefarious ends.
These stories are also sprinkled with many familiar elements from her novels. Notably, the natural world plays an evocative role. Along with her vivid depictions of human characters, she evokes all the senses as she weaves dreamlike descriptions of the awe and majesty of the sky, mountains, forest, sunlight, plants, and animals.
Perhaps the reader is most struck by the author’s disarmingly straightforward and engaging voice—alternately plain and elegant, direct and poetic, grounded and spiritual. Her subtly profound prose lingers in the memory long after it’s read, and her storytelling ability is undisputed: Deledda was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1926.