Come Back to Sorrento

Come Back to Sorrento follows the lives of two main characters in a small Ohio town during the early 20th century: Connie Benjamin, a music teacher, and Victor Prince, a local druggist. Both characters share a deep passion for classical music and Italian opera that sets them apart from their practical Midwestern community. The narrative centers on their growing friendship and mutual appreciation of art, as they find solace from their daily routines through their shared cultural interests. Their connection develops against the backdrop of small-town social expectations and the limitations of their respective marriages. These two dreamers create a private world of artistic appreciation while navigating the realities of their conventional surroundings. The story traces their attempts to reconcile their sophisticated tastes with the modest aspirations of their fellow townspeople. Powell's novel explores themes of artistic yearning, cultural isolation in small-town America, and the tension between romantic ideals and pragmatic reality. The book presents a portrait of how people cope with unfulfilled dreams while maintaining their daily responsibilities.

Readers found this lesser-known Powell novel captures small-town Midwestern life in the 1920s with sharp insight and dark humor. Many highlighted Powell's unflinching portrayal of thwarted artistic dreams and quiet desperation. Readers appreciated: - Complex characterization of Connie and Blaine - Accurate depiction of stifling small-town culture - Cutting social commentary without melodrama - Musical references that enrich the narrative Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in middle sections - Some secondary characters feel underdeveloped - Ending left some readers unsatisfied Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (127 ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (23 ratings) One Goodreads reviewer wrote: "Powell perfectly captures how art and culture can both save and destroy people trapped in provincial towns." An Amazon reviewer noted: "The characters' yearning for something more stays with you long after finishing." The book has limited reviews online compared to Powell's other works.

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis Chronicles a woman's struggle with small-town Midwestern life while trying to introduce culture and refinement to an unreceptive community.

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson Presents interconnected stories of small-town characters whose artistic and emotional longings clash with their provincial surroundings.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton Depicts characters trapped between cultural sophistication and societal expectations in a restrictive social environment.

An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser Follows a young man's attempt to transcend his humble origins through cultural refinement and social climbing in early 20th century America.

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Portrays a woman's descent into despair as her romantic and cultural aspirations conflict with life in a provincial town.

🎵 The title "Come Back to Sorrento" references a famous Italian song ("Torna a Surriento") from 1902, which plays a symbolic role in the novel's exploration of artistic longing. 📚 Dawn Powell wrote 15 novels during her career, yet she remained largely overlooked during her lifetime, experiencing a literary revival only in the 1990s. 🏙️ The novel's fictional Ohio setting was inspired by Powell's own upbringing in small Midwestern towns, where she lived until moving to Greenwich Village at age 21. 📖 The book's original title "The Tenth Moon" was chosen by publishers against Powell's wishes - it took nearly 50 years for her preferred title to be restored. 🎨 The 1920s setting captures a unique moment in American cultural history when small towns were increasingly exposed to European arts and culture through new technologies like radio and phonographs.