Written and set in 1940s Italy, Natalia Ginzburg’s first novella follows a country girl in a coming-of-age both wished-for and resented, brought on too quickly by misogynistic societal expectations and her own naiveté.  The titular path is her portal to life away from home.  Ginzburg’s prose is spare, honest, and compelling.  As a Ferrante fan, I can’t help but love reading about this time period in Italy—now I can’t wait to read more of Ginzburg’s bibliography.