by Diana Athill
First published 2017
Diana Athill boards the Golden Arrow train in August 1947, bound for Florence with her cousin Pen. They have two weeks and a tight budget to explore a city still recovering from war. The cousins navigate their financial constraints creatively, accepting meals from eager male admirers they encounter during their adventures. Athill samples local pastries, studies architectural wonders, and finds herself in various predicaments as she and Pen stretch every penny. Through daily diary entries, she captures the immediate pleasures and small dramas of travel. The photographs from their journey preserve moments of discovery in a Florence that feels both foreign and familiar. Athill writes with spontaneous energy, recording not just the famous sights but the texture of daily life in this historic city. Her observations reveal the joy of two young women claiming independence through travel, finding freedom in unfamiliar streets and unexpected encounters. This diary preserves the excitement of postwar travel and the particular thrill of experiencing Florence through fresh eyes.
Genres: travel, 20th-century, adventure, autobiography, biography-memoir, european-literature
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, independence
Setting: Florence
Period: 1947
80 pages · Hardcover · Anansi International