I haven’t felt this enraptured and immersed since The Shadow of the Wind! The richly layered world and atmosphere hit me just right. Oriana and her twin brother Oriano live in an Italian village steeped in religion and superstition. Their father is a blacksmith, and their family may have entered into a dark contract that will …
A sweet story of compassion and friendship set in a cozy Italian hotel. Give yourself a warm, sunny little holiday and read this one! –Annette, The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d’Alene, ID Travel without having to wait for passport checks– shop destination-setting books at The Well-Read Moose and other independent bookstores.
Ah…Italy in the Springtime. The war is over and it’s time to return home to Valetto, where few citizens remain. The village has been devastated, leaving it in ruins. But it is beautiful in its setting. Yes, even the three widowed sisters seem more lovely than they should be. But not everything is as it …
March 1st is Plan a Solo Vacation Day. On short, cold days, it can be particularly fun to think about possible destinations for treating yourself. Whether you’re considering an international excursion or a house- and book-swap with a neighbor, you might want to browse your local bookstore for inspiration. Here are some books that transported …
Rebecca Serle’s One Italian Summer has family deaths, reincarnation, Italian villas, reconciliation, and the joy that is found friendship. This isn’t a morality tale set in a harsh and unforgiving climate. This is a love story about your own damn heart and about everyone needs a change of scenery now and again to shake off the …
The last novel from Italian writer Camilleri (1925-2019), who produced more than two dozen wonderful Inspector Montalbano mysteries over the past four decades, this was written years ago as a final installment and locked away until after the author’s death. In it, an early morning murder outside a bar becomes immediately complicated. As always with …
I love Donna Leon’s Brunetti mysteries! To me, her latest, Trace Elements, is one of her more “Italian” stories. There is a lot about the canals of Venice and Venetian politics, as well as a mystery that starts with the deathbed whisper, “They killed him. It was bad money. I told him no.” –Wendy B., …
A trusted source recommended Warburg in Rome to me. The author is James Carroll, who is Catholic. I mention that because I think it is important when reading this story. The setting is primarily the city of Rome just after the WWII Allies liberated that city in 1944. The story also moves to other parts …
Based on the true story of 17th century painter Artemisia Gentileschi, this beautiful novel is vivid, heartwrenching, and undeniably gorgeous. Alternating between Artemisia’s time told in stunning verse and the tales of ancient heroines Judith and Susanna, Blood Water Paint is the truly magnificent tale of a young woman battling to be heard in a …
Sometimes when I look back over the past few books I’ve read, I notice a common thread running through them. Might be a particular time period or historical event, a theme whether big or small, or frequently, a locale. And that’s why one corner of The Front Table is currently draped in the green, white …
