Iris Origo: Marchesa of Val d’Orcia

by Caroline Moorehead
David R. Godine, Publisher

Iris Origo’s War in Val d’Orcia, a classic account of wartime Italy, had been a Godine backlist staple for years, so it seemed only fitting to add this biography to the list. The jacket of the UK edition was (predictably) unsightly (alas), making a hash of this wonderfully soigné portrait of the marchesa – an American socialite who married an Italian marchese. Shortly after their marriage, the Origos took over and revitalized a large estate near Florence, and Iris spent a large part of the Second World War protecting the valley’s inhabitants and their children, while supporting resistance and Allied fighters as the war drew to its end. Despite a long-standing prohibition against blue jackets or covers of any sort (“Blue covers don’t sell!”), this one sailed through the approval process. It sold just fine, and I’ve done plenty of blue covers since.

Hardcover with jacket, 6 × 9"