The Enchanted April

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim (1922)

Four very different Englishwomen escape their dreary London lives by renting a medieval Italian castle for the month of April. Under the spell of wisteria, sunshine, and the Mediterranean, each woman is transformed.

Historical Significance:
Elizabeth Von Arnim wrote The Enchanted April from personal experience — she had lived in Italy and knew the transformative power of the Mediterranean on repressed English souls. Published in 1922, it was a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. The 1991 stage adaptation and 1992 film (nominated for three Academy Awards) revived interest in this enchanting novel. With 45,000+ Gutenberg downloads, it is one of the most popular comfort reads in the public domain — a book people return to when they need to believe in the possibility of happiness.

This public domain classic was originally published in 1922. Free to read and share.