Little Virtues

This book is a quick-read, but don't let the size fool you. The final two essays in Part Two of this compilation of Natalia Ginzburg's works entitled "Human Relationships" and "The Little Virtues" pose some very interesting ideas. Natalia Levi Ginzburg married Leone Ginzburg, leader of an antifascist conspirator group during the 1940s. Natalia and her family were forced to confinement in a small area in Abruzzo, which she vividly describes in the first essay, "Winter in the Abruzzi." The most thought-provoking part of this book for me was not the experience of World War II from the perspective of a Jewish family, but the ideas that Ginzburg proposes with respect to nurturing children. From now on, I will give this book as a wedding gift in hopes of inspiring critical thought in the very important task of raising children and instilling in them virtue. Of particular emphasis is the concept of money (e.g. How can a wealthy family teach its children the value of money while not restricting them unnecessarily from things that every child should have? Is such a balance possible?)

I have personally purchased more of these books than any other human being. I like to keep a stash of them because they are simultaneously poinant, poetic and full of wisdom. I find that the cadence of her speech remains as beautiful in translation. "The Little Virtues" is a timeless book that speaks to the wonders and concerns of today, although the stories it contains were written earlier in the mid-twentieth century.