The City and the House Author:Natalia Ginzburg The title of "The City and the House" indicates the journey taken by the book's dozen or so characters from the familiar house, Le Margherita, where they are welcome and form a nucleus in the little town of Monte Fermo, to the indifference of Rome, the hub of Italian life and culture. Central to both locations is Lucrezia, mother of five and lov... more »er of many. Among her lovers - and perhaps the father of one of her children - is Giuseppe, who sets events in motion when he leaves for America "like someone who has decided to throw himself in the sea." After the sale of Lucrezia's home, Le Margherita, the characters wander aimlessly as if in search of a lost paradise. In this warm-hearted novel composed of their letters to one another, their isolated voices reveal a constantly changing kaleidoscope of human perceptions, misunderstandings, and passions. Once again, Ginzburg guides us through one of her obsessions, the disintegration of the family in modern society.« less