Breakfast in the Park with Virginia Woolf

Why do we read? 

Through these pages, Perego invites us to ask new questions, see the world from fresh angles, and—perhaps—uncover unexpected answers.

Science tells us that reading can ease anxiety, calm overthinking, sharpen empathy, slow cognitive decline, and even help us live longer. But beyond the proven benefits, reading is something much deeper.

Great novels don’t shy away from life’s complexities. They don’t chase  happy endings or rely on motivational clichés. Instead, they dive headfirst into the messiness of being human—into the light and the dark, the joy and the pain. Reading doesn’t give us certainty; it teaches us that life is full of unpredictable seas,and gives us tools to navigate unknown currents and discover new horizons.

And so, when we feel adrift and need a compass, books become a lightin the storm—guiding us, grounding us, giving us hope.

In Breakfast in the Park with Virginia Woolf, cultural journalist, author, and literary expert Marta Perego takes us on a personal and profound journey through twenty iconic novels.

From Virginia Woolf, a pioneer of inner awareness, to Jane Austen, a master of navigating the most intricate relationships; from the raw intensity of Sylvia Plath and Goliarda Sapienza, to the timeless insights of Italo Calvino, Dino Buzzati, and more.

A celebration of literature’s enduring power to speak to us, soul to soul.