"… what was caught in the water, in the passage of the water down to wherever the Tiber emptied, swirled with it, helplessly… it was deep, he remembered: though it was a narrow river, it was deceptively deep." (pg. 102)

The phrase 'hidden gem' could almost have been created to describe Alfred Hayes' work. I first came across the name serendipitously back in February; the novella My Face for the World to See proved to be an intensely brilliant literary read. His short novel The Girl on the Via Flaminia suggests this was not a one-off; it is so perfectly crafted, almost like a painting (one review I read, of another of Hayes' novels, says it is as though 'Edward Hopper paintings had captions', which is very apt). Hayes is becoming not only a writer I can admire, but one I can trust.

The Girl on the Via Flaminia takes place in Rome in the winter of 1944; six months after liberation from the fascists and the Germans, the cold is quite literally creeping in. It is fascinating to move around in this 'occupied' city, for that is what it now feels like: the bunting and the American flags waved during liberation are now gone; the nights are cold and without electricity, there are queues for bread, and the children throw rocks at the G.I.'s jeeps. Hayes served in this theatre and stayed on in Rome after the war, and the book breathes an authenticity that can't be faked.

The book takes as its narrative the story of Robert and Lisa, an American GI and a desperate but beautiful young Italian woman. He has cigarettes and chocolate and soup rations; she has a warm body and the nights are cold. The Girl on the Via Flaminia navigates this taboo of war and military occupation, of the girls who 'disgrace Italy', as one prominent Italian character, an army deserter, puts it. Hayes deals with the intricacies of sexual politics very deftly, and all of the characters and their relationships are excellently drawn. The war is essential to the story but takes a back seat: "they bomb each other, they destroy cities – but a girl in bed is a crime" (pg. 111). The book is like a stage play in its dynamics and its drama, with few – albeit important – scenes outdoors, and it was no surprise to learn that Hayes later adapted it as such. The vibe is crisp and noir-ish, with scenes that are almost begging to be filmed, but this is very much a piece of literature. There are taut descriptive sentences knitting it all together, and the book is almost like the best parts of Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms distilled – a perceptive chronicle of affection during a time when things are broken apart.

The story is so finely balanced that books longer than this begin to look unseemly; a brutish mash of words in contrast to Hayes' precision. The only thing I didn't like was how much of Lisa's bitterness remained unexplained – the "envelope of numbness she seemed to sit in" (pg. 138) – but even here I am willing to trust the author. Hayes' writing is very acute, and it is likely that I overlooked some small detail which explained her. Certainly, there are unspoken literary explanations underpinning many of the dynamics; it was only after I finished the book that I realised the crossroads choice between the river or the city was the choice between death or prostitution. Hayes' ambiguities are considered, not cheap; his characters are flawed, not poorly-drawn; his prose is precise, not simple. I think I'm going to end up reading everything by this writer. ( )

Roma 1944: gli americani sono padroni della città, mentre nel nord la guerra continua. Ovunque i segni della sofferenza e una generale atmosfera di catastrofe morale e materiale. In una casa della via Flaminia, Lisa accetta di incontrare Robert per guadagnarsi da vivere, perché, in fondo, "tutte hanno un americano". Oltre l'umiliazione e lo squallore, oltre la vergogna si accende il contatto fra due solitudini. Attrazione e diffidenza, violenza e abbandono sul finire di una guerra che lascia ancora qualche speranza di vivere e forse di amare. La storia raccontata da Hayes ci riporta al tempo di un'Italia sconfitta e umiliata e con semplicità assoluta di mezzi espressivi scava dentro i rapporti tra occupanti e occupati. Il distacco e l'intuizione penetrante dell'autore fanno della Ragazza della Via Flaminia uno dei più veri e credibili romanzi sulla guerra in Italia. ( )

The Via Flaminia is a street in Rome that starts near the stone arches on the far side of the Piazza del Popolo, and runs down to the river. The location seems chosen for the context it gives the story, illustrating the options available to the main character Lisa. If she cannot reconcile herself to life in the rented room inside the apartment of Signora Pulcini on the Via Flaminia, she can choose the river or the city: death or prostitution. Her situation is desperate and her options are limited. Continued ( )

It's set in Rome, Italy during World War II. Robert is an American stationed in Rome during the period following the liberation of Italy from the Germans. Italy was very grateful to the Allies...at first...but now they just want them gone. They want their country back.

Robert has made a deal with a local Italian girl, Lisa. She rents a room in a house, they pretend they are married. She gets some food, gifts, etc....he gets company at night. But in war, nothing is that simple.

This was a fairly short novel but very powerful. The book jacket sort of gave me the impression that this was a love story. But I wouldn't call it that. It really portrayed a segment of society that may get overlooked in other war stories. What happens to people when their country is occupied whether it be by friends or foe? What happens to the women? How do they survive?

I found it fascinating that Robert is an American while Alfred Hayes was a British writer. It really didn't portray Americans in a positive light...not negatively but definitely not positive either. Maybe spoiled and naive. And the title of the book, I think, references the type of girls who walk the streets who get picked up for money. And of course the ending was perfect for this type of novel. It really leaves you hanging...which is the point. ( )