At the Wolf's Table (Italian: Le assaggiatrici; "The [Female] Tasters") is a 2018 novel by Italian author Rosella Postorino, with the English translation by Leah Janeczko. It is about a woman, Rosa Sauer, who becomes a food taster for Adolf Hitler during World War II. This is the first novel by Postorino to have an official English translation.[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c5/Le_assaggiatrici.jpg/220px-Le_assaggiatrici.jpg)
It was originally published by Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore in Italy in January 2018.[2]
Background
editPostorino derived the story from that of real-life food taster Margot Wölk.[1] The author used her own given name for the fictionalized version of the inspiration.[3] Postorino learned about Wölk in 2014 after reading an article about her in an Italian newspaper, but Wölk died before Postorino had a chance to interview her.[3] Postorino decided to write a novel with a fictional character due to the fact she never got to speak to Wölk.[3]
Plot
editThe main character is telling the story while in the present day as a senior citizen.[4]
Reception
editThe novel won the Premio Campiello literary prize.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Ellingwood, Susan (2019-02-22). "Hitler Had Food Tasters, Anne Frank Lived and Maud Baum Wanted to Be Heard". The New York Times. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ Le assaggiatrici. Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore. Retrieved on April 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Nichols, Clare (3 April 2019). "Hitler's last food taster gets the novel treatment in bestseller At the Wolf's Table". ABC News. ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ Tasting Food For The Führer At 'The Wolf's Table', NPR, January 26, 2019.
External links
edit- At the Wolf's Table - Simon and Schuster Australia
- Le assaggiatrici. Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore. (in Italian)