A friend just finished the book The Lost Boy of Santa Chinonia and learned that the book was inspired by the work of Ann Cornelisen. She wrote a book about poverty and power in rural Italy in 1969 when she was living there and working as an aid worker for Save the Children. Her history is all private schools, society mentions, and marrying (tho not staying married to) the "right" men, but she got attention where it was useful, helped where it was needed.