Knights and Dragons

by Elizabeth Spencer

268 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Elizabeth Spencer was an American writer. Spencer's first novel, Fire in the Morning, was published in 1948. She has written a total of nine novels, seven collections of short stories, a memoir (Landscapes of the Heart, 1998), and a play (For Lease or Sale, 1989). Her novella The Light in the Piazza (1960) was adapted for the screen in 1962 and transformed into a Broadway musical of the same name in 2005. She is a five-time recipient of the O. Henry Award for short fiction.

Reviews

[Sherill Leonardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few authors capture the idiosyncrasies of American tourists as well as Elizabeth Spencer. In her novella "Knights and Dragons" she masterfully integrates discomfort and disappointment with discovery and renewal as seen through the eyes of an American expat who takes the bold step of walking away from everything she'd been in the States to become a free-spirited Italian woman. The theme is reminiscent of an Anne Tyler character walking down the beach, and into a new life. Quite inspiring!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most reviews were not positive, but I think this is a great moment in Spencer's evolution as a writer. A complex psychological drama about a woman trying to find her way.