Malafrena

First edition of Le Guin's historical novel, set in the fictional country of her "Orsinian Tales." "Malafrena" tells the story of Itale Sorde, the son of the owner of an estate on a lake called Malafrena in a valley of the same name. Itale leaves the estate, against his father's will, to seek adventure. He becomes engaged in nationalistic and revolutionary politics in the Austrian Empire of the early 1800's. Perhaps an homage to 19th century Russian literature, the story shares themes with the author's previous sf novel, "The Dispossessed.