Giovanni Verga 
House by the Medlar Tree 

Three generations of fishermen conduct an epic struggle against nature, fate, and society in this moving tale by acclaimed realist writer Giovanni Verga. Written in 1881 and set in the Sicilian village of Aci Trezza during the 1860s, the novel recounts an impoverished family’s attempts to pay off a crushing debt, to reclaim their lost boat and ancestral home, and to reunite their scattered clan.This groundbreaking work of fiction offers a revealing look at the social and political climate in post-revolutionary Italy. Verga combines lyrical prose and inspiring social commentary to chronicle the poverty suffered by provincial Sicilian communities after Garibaldi’s conquest. Rich in character and starkly honest, The House by the Medlar Tree offers a life-affirming story of misfortunes endured with humor and courage.