Two Lives and a Dream — Marguerite Yourcenar

Set in Rembrandt''s Amsterdam, ""An Obscure Man"" is the story of Nathanaël—innocent, open to experience—born like Everyman upon the stream of life. In ""A Lovely Morning,"" Nathanaël''s young son joins a touring company of Jacobean actors. ""Anna, soror . . . ,"" the final tale, is an account of illicit passion in the baroque world of Naples.

""An Obscure Man swarms with life. This intricately researched, imaginative, beautifully written tale of a young man''s brief life in the mid-17th century is entirely engrossing.""—Leona Weiss, San Francisco Chronicle

""In these three stories, [Yourcenar] succeeds in making the essences of these past lives a part of the reader''s future through the sheer intensity of their portrayal.""—Margaret Ezell, Houston Chronicle