The Leopard by Giuseppe Di Lampedusa

I'm really learning that literature provides a powerful pathway to understanding a culture.  This was re-enforced with my reading of The Leopard, one of the most famous of Sicilian novels.

Set in the period following the unification of Italy and it's incorporation of Sicily as part of that new nation, it tells the heartfelt story of an aristocrat and his family enduring that transition.

Don Fabrizio - the patron of the Salinas family - watches Sicily's identity fade as it's swallowed by Italy, just as he endures his own fading identity and slow march to death.

It was beautifully told, a poignant story that will help me appreciate Sicily on a deeper level in our upcoming trip.