The Good Life: Fiction Reading Group
Thu, Feb 13
|Stumberg Hall
Usually described as "Italy’s greatest novel," The Betrothed chronicles the unforgettable romance of Renzo and Lucia, who endure tyranny, war, famine, and plague to be together. You do not want to miss it!


Time & Location
Feb 13, 2025, 6:00 PM – Feb 20, 2025, 7:30 PM
Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
About The Event
In the Good Life reading group it is usually the Director who picks the book (she is also the only one who may not abandon it or miss any meeting). And when the Director is Italian, it is almost inevitable to find out that the next fiction book will be "The Betrothed", the masterpiece by Alessandro Manzoni. Usually described as "Italy’s greatest novel," The Betrothed chronicles the unforgettable romance of Renzo and Lucia, who endure tyranny, war, famine, and plague to be together.
The group will meet the second Thursday of the month, starting on January 9th, 2025.
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