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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
A beautiful, atmospheric, nostalgic, memoir about renovating a home in Tuscany and learning about the culture and life there. I really enjoyed it and would read it again.
Hmmm. Well I loved most of it, but the last couple chapters have nothing to do with anything, certainly nothing to do with renovating a house. So it ended on a weak note, which I am trying not to let overshadow the rest of the book.
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
It was in our Airbnb so I couldn’t take it with us.
emotional
informative
slow-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
For the first time ever, I wish I could give half stars- I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't particularly like it either, so I would put it at a 2.5. Mostly it was just incredibly slow and difficult to read; at times I nearly DNFed it. The writing and descriptions of people and general place were gorgeous, but it got bogged down with details- whenever I thought I could picture Bramasole, there would be an overload of more information and I'd lose the image again. I don't think this was helped by a lot of the book being dedicated to the minutaie of house restoration, sometimes getting a little overly technical and long-winded. The recipes were fantastic though, and I wish there were more of them- I made the melted peppers over the weekend and adored them.
Written 4/2000: Travel tale of a woman and her partner purchasing a run down home in Tuscany Italy. Tells about the trials and tribulations of renovating this old home as well as how it renovates their life. Full of recipes and cultural tid bits.
It is difficult to grasp the scope of journaling three years worth of renovation, meals, and sight-seeing. That one can take that journal and produce a 352 page book of any public interest is unusual.
I would not recommend reading this book in one sitting. The experiences imparted here are interesting and fun, but I felt I needed a break from the three full years of sight-seeing stories. If the breaks were not taken, I would feel as though I read the full tourism recommendation of a AAA guide book. (Something, by-the-way, of which my mother was capable! Groan☻)
Every part of the renovation process was full of humor and revealed the Italian state of mind versus the American mood, and the absolute need to go with the flow or go insane. There did not seem to be a single Italian workman who took seriously the projects for which they were paid, while Polish men, sub-contracted by the Italians, were relentless. These stories were my favorite sections of the book.
Interspersed with these vignettes, are recipes for some of the spectacular meals that were planned during that time, several of which I have noted to give a try at home.
My final advice, which I suppose the author and I deduced through the Italians: “Lighten up; take your time.”
I would not recommend reading this book in one sitting. The experiences imparted here are interesting and fun, but I felt I needed a break from the three full years of sight-seeing stories. If the breaks were not taken, I would feel as though I read the full tourism recommendation of a AAA guide book. (Something, by-the-way, of which my mother was capable! Groan☻)
Every part of the renovation process was full of humor and revealed the Italian state of mind versus the American mood, and the absolute need to go with the flow or go insane. There did not seem to be a single Italian workman who took seriously the projects for which they were paid, while Polish men, sub-contracted by the Italians, were relentless. These stories were my favorite sections of the book.
Interspersed with these vignettes, are recipes for some of the spectacular meals that were planned during that time, several of which I have noted to give a try at home.
My final advice, which I suppose the author and I deduced through the Italians: “Lighten up; take your time.”