World War II is just over, and in Venice, an American colonel named Richard Cantrell falls passionately in love with Renata, a young Italian countess who has "a profile that could break your or anyone else's heart." Cantrell is embittered, war-scarred, and old enough to be Renata's father, but he is overwhelmed by the selflessness and freshness of the love she is offering. But in Ernest Hemingway's final completed novel, the fighting may be ended, but Cantrell's wounds are deep, and for some, the longed-for peace has come too late.

"The direct speech of a man's heart … and that makes it, for me, the finest thing Hemingway has done."—Tennessee Williams