Heart is a novel written by the Italian author Edmondo De Amicis who was a novelist, journalist, writer and poet. The novel is his best known work to this day, having been inspired by his own children Furio and Ugo who had been schoolboys at the time. It is set during the Italian unification, and includes several patriotic themes. It was issued by Treves on October 18, 1886, the first day of school in Italy, and rose to immediate success. Representing the Huckleberry Finn of Italy, this is the most read classic in the country. Presented in the form of a diary, its subject is a young boy's life in Turin.