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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
reflective
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
A bit long and wordy, but I enjoyed the story. It really had me wishing I had the friendships and connections they shared together
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Gorgeous loveliness that I can’t wait to recommend at every opportunity. Off I go to look at options for a trip to Florence in 2026
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was the perfect book at the perfect time.
My friend (who got me a copy) described it as “a book about loving each other, becoming overcome by art, picking yourself back up again, and I think somewhat importantly, taking care of small moments that maybe aren’t so small.”
And that’s exactly right. This book was a lovely hug (despite opening in 1944 Italy), and a delightful character study of a group of people through several decades.
I deeply loved the emphasis on friendship and found family, and being there for each other through thick and thin, and that love comes in all forms.
It’s full of queer love and family, with several gay and lesbian characters. While they’re living in a time with criminalization, it’s not a story factor at all. People in their lives love and support them and it’s just lovely to see.
I cried several times reading this book because I grew so attached to the characters and Winman’s writing is just that beautiful. I dog-eared so many passages to refer back to eventually.
I’m so glad this book exists.
My friend (who got me a copy) described it as “a book about loving each other, becoming overcome by art, picking yourself back up again, and I think somewhat importantly, taking care of small moments that maybe aren’t so small.”
And that’s exactly right. This book was a lovely hug (despite opening in 1944 Italy), and a delightful character study of a group of people through several decades.
I deeply loved the emphasis on friendship and found family, and being there for each other through thick and thin, and that love comes in all forms.
It’s full of queer love and family, with several gay and lesbian characters. While they’re living in a time with criminalization, it’s not a story factor at all. People in their lives love and support them and it’s just lovely to see.
I cried several times reading this book because I grew so attached to the characters and Winman’s writing is just that beautiful. I dog-eared so many passages to refer back to eventually.
I’m so glad this book exists.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This extraordinary and exquisite novel is both an ode to chosen family and a love letter to Florence, Italy (with nods to E.M. Forster's "A Room With a View").
In the waning days of WWII in Florence, Ulysses Temper, a young British soldier, meets Evelyn Skinner, a British art historian in her 60s. Their chance encounter has an indelible effect on their lives through the rest of the novel that spans to the latter part of the century. After the war, Ulysses returns to his life in London and to his pub job and eccentric pub mates. All are broken by life to certain extents, yet are fiercely loyal to each other -- a family of friends. An unexpected inheritance befalls Ulysses and allows the chosen family to leave their lives in London and start anew in Florence. Over the years, their lives are restored through truth and love, just as Florence is restored to its wondrous beauty after WWII.
In their depiction, Ulysses, Evelyn, their family of friends and the city of Florence are characters that are both expansive and intimate. The descriptions of the art and Tuscan beauty is written with equal rendering of the emotional landscapes of this group of friends. By the novel's end, my mind and soul felt elevated in that magical way that a richly satisfying reading experience brings me. I have not read Sarah Winman's backlist of works but definitely will do so!
In the waning days of WWII in Florence, Ulysses Temper, a young British soldier, meets Evelyn Skinner, a British art historian in her 60s. Their chance encounter has an indelible effect on their lives through the rest of the novel that spans to the latter part of the century. After the war, Ulysses returns to his life in London and to his pub job and eccentric pub mates. All are broken by life to certain extents, yet are fiercely loyal to each other -- a family of friends. An unexpected inheritance befalls Ulysses and allows the chosen family to leave their lives in London and start anew in Florence. Over the years, their lives are restored through truth and love, just as Florence is restored to its wondrous beauty after WWII.
In their depiction, Ulysses, Evelyn, their family of friends and the city of Florence are characters that are both expansive and intimate. The descriptions of the art and Tuscan beauty is written with equal rendering of the emotional landscapes of this group of friends. By the novel's end, my mind and soul felt elevated in that magical way that a richly satisfying reading experience brings me. I have not read Sarah Winman's backlist of works but definitely will do so!
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Personally this would have been a much better book if I would have done the audiobook for the entire thing. It's such a cute, heart warming story but I could not get over the writing style. I almost DNF multiple timesbecause of it but then I finished it as an audiobook and it was SO MUCH better. If I would have pushed through with just reading, I probably would have rated this book lower.
The audio version, read by the author, is wonderful.