The Valley of Decision

In this magnificent historical novel set in late eighteenth-century Italy, Edith Wharton dramatizes the tragic clash between Enlightenment ideals and entrenched tradition. When young idealist Odo Valsecca unexpectedly inherits the duchy of Pianura, he endeavours to reform his realm and grant a liberal constitution, aided by his brilliant Fulvia Vivaldi. But caught between church power and a superstitious mob, their noble dream ends in heartbreak.