an exquisite companion piece to the drowned and the saved, this novel leads us through the end of the war and the subsequent days with a band of partisans who reveal to us the different ways one comes to be a partisan, the conflicts that carry over from the more typical parts of the war into this one, and the confirmation that we are both drowned and saved. 

okay, I obviously did not read this book in italian. but, while I understand that this translator is an award-winning translator, it’s impossible to read this book and not feel suspicious about translation. on this, the second time around this book for me, I found it even more insightful and compelling. levi gives us compassion without sacrificing rigor, and warmth without sacrificing reason. what a treasure.