Buon Natale -- A Merry Christmas -- made all the more joyful with these literary treats filled with ancient churches, plates piled high with pasta, flowing wine, shimmering gifts and plenty of style.

In this collection, classic works by Boccaccio to Pirandello intertwine with more recent stories from writers like Anna Maria Ortese, Natalia Ginzburg and Nobel laureate Grazia Deledda to bring together the greatest festive tales from the land of enchantment: Italy.

An Italian Christmas showcases stories that put the passionate, fiery side of the festive period back into Christmas.