History (La Storia, 1977) by Elsa Morante, published by the Franklin Library, is a monumental and harrowing epic set in Rome during World War II and its aftermath. The novel centers on Ida Ramundo, a half-Jewish schoolteacher, and her son Useppe, conceived after she is raped by a German soldier. Through their struggles against poverty, fascism, and the chaos of war, Morante weaves a tapestry of ordinary lives shattered by historical forces, juxtaposed with italicized passages chronicling global events to underscore the brutality of “History” as an impersonal, crushing machine.
Morante’s prose—lyrical yet unflinching—captures the resilience of the marginalized, particularly children and the poor. The Franklin Library edition, bound in full leather with gilt detailing, honors this masterpiece of neorealist literature, often compared to The Grapes of Wrath in its tragic grandeur.
A searing indictment of war’s collateral damage, History is a testament to the persistence of humanity in the face of systemic violence.
