Soon to be a film directed by Martin Scorsese, this first novel is set in Italy and South America in a period ranging from the 1920s until the end of World War II. In memoir form it tells the story of Antonia, a timid girl lacking role models, whose determined development into successful adulthood astounds those who know her. The rich cast of characters includes Dora, the bizarre, tyrannical mother; Arturo, the loving, understanding husband; and Count Moro, the elegant, artistic family friend who is more like family to Antonia than her real family. A child trapped in a psychological wasteland, Antonia breaks free to reorient her life successfully, finally standing on her own two feet.

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