{"product_id":"a-handful-of-blackberries-ignazio-silone-1st-uk-edition","title":"A Handful of Blackberries, Ignazio Silone — 1st UK Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublication:\u003c\/b\u003e London, Jonathan Cape, 1954\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormatting:\u003c\/b\u003e 8vo, pp. 288.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Report:\u003c\/b\u003e Very Good. The publisher's original green cloth binding remains firm, square, and tight, with sharp corners and bright gilt titling to the spine and upper board showing minimal shelf-wear. Internally, the text block is structurally sound, though there is light, uniform tanning and faint dust-spotting to the page edges, typical of the paper stock from this post-war era. The original, unclipped dust jacket (priced at 12s. 6d. net) presents well in a protective archival sleeve, exhibiting only minor rubbing to the extremities and slight sunning to the spine. Notably, the verso of the dust jacket and the inner flaps reveal historical tape staining (offsetting) from a previous, non-archival protector, though this is entirely hidden from external view and does not compromise the jacket's structural integrity or its striking mid-century design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCatalogue Note:\u003c\/b\u003e This is the true First UK Edition and the first English-language appearance of Silone's novel, translated from the Italian by the author's wife, Darina Silone. Originally published in Italian in 1952, this 1954 edition by Jonathan Cape is unillustrated and features the iconic 'RECOMMENDED BY THE BOOK SOCIETY' wraparound band printed directly onto the lower half of the dust jacket's front flap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhile later printings and the American edition (published by Harper \u0026amp; Brothers) are relatively common, finding the true First UK Edition in its original dust jacket with the unclipped price intact has become increasingly uncommon on the open market. This copy serves as a highly collectible and presentable example of post-war European political literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSet against the rugged, barren mountains of southern Italy in the immediate aftermath of World War II, \u003ci\u003eA Handful of Blackberries\u003c\/i\u003e captures a community caught in the turbulent crossfire between the entrenched Catholic Church and the rising Communist Party. The narrative follows Rocco de Donatis, a disillusioned local Communist leader, as he grapples with ideological burnout and the terrifying realisation that his party's doctrines ring hollow. When Rocco breaks away to find a more authentic truth, his lover, Stella, is left behind to navigate a dangerous web of party loyalty and betrayal. Masterfully woven by Ignazio Silone, a prominent anti-fascist who lived through the very political disillusionments he describes, this poignant novel is a timeless exploration of moral courage, individual freedom, and the enduring spirit of the Italian peasantry.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Broadhursts Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54482828624211,"sku":"4021","price":27.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0960\/1469\/6787\/files\/20260729_154447.jpg?v=1785842758","url":"https:\/\/broadhurstsbooks.com\/products\/a-handful-of-blackberries-ignazio-silone-1st-uk-edition","provider":"Broadhursts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}