Miss Giardino

Faithful followers of Dorothy Bryant's work revere this subtle, lyrical and moving novel, originally published in 1978 as a rare testament to the inner life of a teacher and of an older woman struggling to rediscover her place in a world which, increasingly, seems to have no need for her. As the novel begins, 68 year old retired school teacher Anna Giardino wakes up in the hospital after being found lying unconscious in front of Camino Real High School where she taught for 40 years. She cannot remember what has happened and is unsure even of who she is. In the week that follows she slowly regains her memory and the events of her past slowly unfold in a series of flashbacks.