In her novel, written at the beginning of the 1920s, Maria Messina tells the stories of several young women who struggle to assert themselves but often fail to find a viable path for themselves. The heroine of the book, who shares some traits with the author, moves with her father from Tuscany to Sicily, where she has to contend with strict rules of behaviour and backward customs. Eine Blume, die nicht blühte is also a novel about the North-South conflict within Italy. Messina succeeds in describing female sensitivity from a female perspective with a gentle realism that is unrivalled in 20th century Italian literature. Although not an outspoken feminist, her literature made her a champion of female self-confidence.

Further information

Author: Maria Messina