This month we will be reading

Forbidden Notebook

 By Alba de Céspedes

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this modern translation by acclaimed author Elena Ferrante and translator Ann Goldstein,Forbidden Notebookcenters the inner life of a dissatisfied housewife living in postwar Rome. 

Valeria Cossati never suspected how unhappy she had become with the shabby gentility of her bourgeois life—until she begins to jot down her thoughts and feelings in a little black book she keeps hidden in a closet. This new secret activity leads her to scrutinize herself and her life more closely, and she soon realizes that her individuality is being stifled by her devotion and sense of duty toward her husband, daughter, and son.

As the conflicts between parents and children, husband and wife, and friends and lovers intensify, what goes on behind the Cossatis’ facade of middle-class respectability gradually comes to light, tearing the family’s fragile fabric apart. An exquisitely crafted portrayal of domestic life,Forbidden Notebookrecognizes the universality of human aspirations. (Astra House)

Published by Astrain the Goldstein translation 2023 (first published 1952) , 272 pp.

BOOK CLUB MEETING DETAILS

We hope you will join us for a discussion of this remarkable novel.

When: Thursday, July 18,19:00

Where: Residence of Carol H. 

Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.