Bread and Wine
Amazon Reader’s Review: ‘The late Ignazio Silone, the author of Bread and Wine, stated that he “would willingly pass [his] life writing and rewriting the same book — that one book which every writer carries within him, the image of his own soul…” Bread and Wine is just that — a beautiful reflection of a man’s soul. Using humor, easy language and insights into the Italian fascist regime, Silone tells the story of all humanity’s search for truth. In the figure of Pietro Spina, a Socialist political activist, the reader is led to ask questions about politics, relationships, and faith. The irony is that Spina has just returned from exile and must remain incognito — as a priest, of course. Through his experiences, he asks many difficult questions about his Socialist party, his church, and himself. In the end, he is left to bring together who he is as the “priest” Don Paolo and who he was as the anti-political activist Pietra Spina. He must learn to “let the inner and the outer man meet” (Plato).’