L'Arrabbiata

by Paul Heyse

"L'Arrabbiata" by Paul Heyse is a novella written in 1853 and published in 1854. The story follows young Laurella, a defiant beauty nicknamed "the angry one" by local boys in Sorrento, and Antonino, a boatman who ferries her across the sea to Capri. During their return voyage, a moment of aggression leads to violence and unexpected consequences. As Laurella struggles with her fear of marriage—haunted by memories of her father's treatment of her mother—she must confront her true feelings.