Three university friends escape the city for a languid summer among the rolling hills of Piedmont. What begins as idle wandering—wine, laughter, endless conversations—soon leads them into the orbit of Poli, a wealthy, enigmatic young man, and his alluring wife, Gabriella. Their presence transforms the holiday into something darker: a descent into desire, decadence, and the dangerous allure of corruption.
In Pavese’s haunting prose, the golden landscapes of the hills become a stage where innocence falters, temptation beckons, and youth discovers its own shadow.
