''Bebo's Girl'' () is a

historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the Setting (narrative), setting of particular real past events, historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literatur ...

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

by Italian writer

Carlo Cassola Carlo Cassola (17 March 1917 – 29 January 1987) was an Italian novelist and essayist. His novel '' La Ragazza di Bube'' (1960), which received the Strega Prize, was adapted into a film of the same name by Luigi Comencini in 1963. Bibliogra ...

which was published in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

and was awarded that year’s Premio Strega. Its initial reception was enthusiastic and an English translation by Marguerite Waldman was published in 1962 as ''Bebo’s Girl''. By 1995 the original had been through in 14 editions.

Plot summary

Mara, a young woman from Monteguidi, a small town in the Val d'Elsa, who, in the aftermath of the

Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

, meets the partisan Bube, hero of the Resistance, and falls in love with him.

Film adaptation

In 1963 the book was made into a film, also called '' La ragazza di Bube'', directed by

Luigi Comencini Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the "commedia all'italiana" genre. His daughters Cristina Comencin ...

and starring

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938), known as Claudia Cardinale (), is an Italian actress. Born and raised in La Goulette, a neighbourhood of Tunis, Cardinale won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" competition ...

as Mara.

Notes

References

*
BUR libri
1960 Italian novels Strega Prize–winning works Casole d'Elsa Giulio Einaudi Editore books {{1960s-novel-stub