Eugenio Montale the Fascist Storm and the Jewish Sunflower Toronto Italian Studies

the long version

"Eugenio Montale, the Fascist Storm, and the Jewish Sunflower uncovers one of the great hidden sagas of modern literature. During Italy's fascist period, Eugenio Montale--winner of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Literature and one of the greatest modern poets in any language--fell in love with Irma Brandeis, a glamorous and beautiful Dante scholar and an American Jew. While their romance would fall apart, it would have literary repercussions that extended throughout the poet's career: Montale's works abound with secret codes that speak to a lost lover and muse."--Publishers website