An Italian Affair


Caroline Montague - 2018
    Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore and Dinah Jeffries Love. War. Family. Betrayal.Italy, 1937. Alessandra Durante is grieving the loss of her husband when she discovers she has inherited her ancestral family seat, Villa Durante, deep in the Tuscan Hills. Longing for a new start, she moves from her home in London to Italy with her daughter Diana and sets about rebuilding her life. Under the threat of war, Alessandra's house becomes first a home and then a shelter to all those who need it. Then Davide, a young man who is hiding the truth about who he is, arrives, and Diana starts to find her heart going where her head knows it must not.Back home in Britain as war breaks out, Alessandra's son Robert, signs up to be a pilot, determined to play his part in freeing Italy from the grip of Fascism. His bravery marks him out as an asset to the Allies, and soon he is being sent deep undercover and further into danger than ever before. As war rages, the Durante family will love and lose, but will they survive the war...?

Never Leave Me: A True Story of Marriage, Deception, and Brutal Murder


John Glatt - 2006
    Dr. Jonathan Nyce, an asthma sufferer, had achieved medical breakthroughs that made him rich—and offered hope to countless people. Michelle's beauty made her an object of desire. And adultery was her husband's worst nightmare.Police found Michelle's Land Cruiser floating in a frigid creak near the family home. When forensic investigators examined Michelle's horribly battered body, they knew she had not died in the car. Or by accident.Soon, the truth began to emerge. Of a brilliant man whose beautiful wife had a lover she could not stay away from. Of a family—including three innocent children—pushed to the breaking point. And of one brutal moment, when a man finally ended his torment by horrifically murdering the woman he loved...

Mezza Italiana: An Enchanting Story About Love, Family, La Dolce Vita and Finding Your Place in the World


Zoe Boccabella - 2011
    though she tried to be like 'everyone else', refusing to learn Italian and even dyeing her dark hair blonde, Zoe couldn't shake the unsettling sense of feeling 'half-and-half' - half Australian, mezza italiana - unable to fit fully into either culture, or merge the two. Years later, she travels to her family's ancestral village of Fossa in Abruzzo and discovers a place that is the stuff of fairytales - medieval castles, mystics, dark forests, serpent charmers and witches. As Zoe stays in the house that has belonged to her family for centuries, the village casts its spell. She begins to realise the preciousness of her heritage and the stories, recipes and traditions of her extended Italian family become a treasured part of her life. then the earthquake hits... Beautifully written, sprinkled with recipes and laced with love, Mezza Italiana is a heart-warming journey into the soul of Italy, and into a family you'll never forget!

To Tuscany With Love


Gail Mencini - 2013
    Shipped off to Tuscany by her mother, Bella is suddenly thrust into living with seven strangers during one life-altering summer. Meet Hope, the sturdy and practical girl, steadfast in her loyalty to her boyfriend; Meghan and Karen, identical twins with an eye for fashion and beauty to match; Stillman, haunted by his hard past, and Phillip, an athlete, both fueled by competition; Lee, by family mandate in pre-med; and Rune, the Hollywood-bound wild child. All add sizzling chemistry and rebellious humor to the mix. In one whirlwind summer, while uncovering the charms of Italy, they discover both friendship and love.After their summer together, life – and loss – happens. Returning to Tuscany 30 years later, their dreams, anger, secrets and disappointments create an emotional kaleidoscope. Their reunion sends them on a startling collision course that none of them could have predicted.Set against the allure of Tuscany, with an irresistible fusion of heartbreak and humor, this debut novel, “To Tuscany with Love,” explores the fear of letting the past determine the future and the power of friendship.

Reflections of a Wine Merchant


Neal I. Rosenthal - 2008
    Rosenthal set out to learn everything he could about wine. Today, he is one of the most successful importers of traditionally made wines produced by small family-owned estates in France and Italy. Rosenthal has immersed himself in the culture of Old World wine production, working closely with his growers for two and sometimes three generations. He is one of the leading exponents of the concept of “terroir”—the notion that a particular vineyard site imparts distinct qualities of bouquet, flavor, and color to a wine. In Reflections of a Wine Merchant, Rosenthal brings us into the cellars, vineyards, and homes of these vignerons, and his delightful stories about his encounters, relationships, and explorations—and what he has learned along the way—give us an unequaled perspective on winemaking tradition and what threatens it today. Rosenthal was featured in the documentary film Mondovino and is one of the more outspoken figures against globalization, homogenization, and the “critic-ization” of the wine business. He was also a major subject in Lawrence Osborne’s The Accidental Connoisseur. His is an important voice in defense of the individual and the artisanal, and their contribution to our quality of life.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot [With Paperback Book and Black Organdy Tarot Bag]


Ciro Marchetti - 2009
    . . A world veiled in darkness after a cataclysmic collision that stilled the earth. Millennia have passed and only humankind has survived--through the divine gift of dreams. Exquisitely rich and magical, this new Rider-Waite-Smith-based tarot deck by digital artist Ciro Marchetti takes you into the heart of fantasy. You can use this legacy from ages past to discover what you need for your own life as it guides you toward hope, wisdom, and inspiration. The companion guidebook, Gateway to the Divine Tarot, presents the author's interpretation of each card's significance, along with additional perspectives from experts in the tarot community, including Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone, James Ricklef, and Leisa ReFalo. Includes a 78-card deck, a 312-page book, and a black organdy bag. Legacy of the Divine Tarot for iPhoneLegacy of the Divine Tarot for iPad Larger signed prints of the individual cards and themed montages from the Legacy of the Divine deck are available from the artists web site. www.ciromarchetti.com Get the entire interactive experience: Watch the trailers below and visit the companion site at www.legacyofthedivinetarot.com. The Tower Card http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSBAe2u87Xc Empress Card: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoSTPd--Nik Wands IV: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX-cFCxPu2U Swords III: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=jok8LWU968o Swords IV: http: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgCBIljCbOk

True Vines


Diana Strinati Baur - 2012
    But it's never that simple, especially when old family ties have been strained by years of geographic and emotional distance. A chance encounter with a childhood friend brings back a betrayal she could never put to rest, and readjusting to life in the States in upper mid-life wears her thin in ways she never could have imagined. Just when Meryl feels she can't go on, Providence steps in and gives her permission to completely fall apart. Only then can she finally manage to grieve both her magnanimous, flawed Francesco and the unforgettable country she left behind.True Vines traverses the manicured rows of northern Italy's majestic wine country and the winding path of Pennsylvania's Delaware River as Meryl seeks to reconcile her past and her present. Several people on each side of the Atlantic guide her as she relives her own stories: a spirited sister-in-law, a petulant physician, a strong-willed landlady, a good-guy boss, a determined mother-in-law, an amazing flood survivor, a Senegalese English student, a young co-worker. Each recollection and encounter deepens Meryl's insight into how to make peace with her new reality.Saying goodbye to one existence allows Meryl to swing the door open to another as she weaves a new, uniquely beautiful tapestry that transports her to exactly the place in this short, sacred life she is meant to be.

The Island Hideaway


Louise Candlish - 2013
    But on the shimmering, sun-drenched Sicilian island of Panarea, distractions come in many forms - including her fellow hotel guest Lewis, an enigmatic Englishman with secrets of his own to protect. And then there's Frannie, a young Italian actress on the island to prepare for her first film role, who is as charming as she is beautiful. Can she really be so perfect? And shouldn't Eleanor be the first to suspect that things might not be as they seem?The Island Hideaway is a surprising, insightful and compelling novel from the bestselling author of Since I Don't Have You.Previously published as Prickly Heat.

A Quiet Death in Italy


Tom Benjamin - 2019
    When the body of a radical protestor is found floating in one of Bologna's underground canals, it seems that most of the city is ready to blame the usual suspects: the police. But when private investigator Daniel Leicester, son-in-law to the former chief of police, receives a call from the dead man's lover, he follows a trail that begins in the 1970s and leads all the way to the rotten heart of the present-day political establishment. Beneath the beauty of the city, Bologna has a dark underside, and English detective Daniel must unravel a web of secrets, deceit and corruption - before he is caught in it himself. Tom Benjamin's gripping debut transports you to the ancient and mysterious Italian city less travelled: Bologna.

Beard's Roman Women


Anthony Burgess - 1976
    When he is hired by a Hollywood studio to write a musical based on the meeting of Byron and Shelley in Geneva, he leaves England and finds new love in Rome, only to be haunted by his past.

Lady of Venezia


Siobhan Daiko - 2019
    There, overcome by the beauty of the landscape and consumed by a history she finds fascinating, Fern is catapulted into the life of the beautiful but reckless Cecilia, a sixteenth century lady of Venice.The closer Fern comes to discovering why Cecilia appears to be pulling her back in time, the more echoes of the past reverberate in the present.When past and present collide, throwing both Fern and Cecilia into deadly danger, can Fern stay safe and come to terms with her own past?Praise for Siobhan Daiko‘…an effortless and highly entertaining read.’ Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House.‘Loved this beautiful, evocative and sensuous book.' Renita D'Silva, bestselling author of Monsoon Memories.‘This book ticked all the right boxes for me: Italy, history, art, passion, intrigue - all things that I love to read and learn about.’ Read and Relax Reviews.

Marcella Says...: Italian Cooking Wisdom from the Legendary Teacher's Master Classes, with 120 of Her Irresistible New Recipes


Marcella Hazan - 2004
    From cooking classes held in her small New York City apartment kitchen in the 1960s to the avidly sought after Master Classes she led in her beautiful Venice home, Marcella has been the authoritative guide to Italian cooking.This much-anticipated follow-up to Marcella Cucina offers 100 new tantalizing recipes that bring Marcella's warm, conversational, and illuminating teachings into home kitchens everywhere. The legendary author and cooking teacher shares invaluable lessons in Italian cooking, including mastering traditional techniques, selecting and using ingredients, and planning and preparing complete Italian menus. Drawing on her unique ability to present each recipe as a narrative with subplots, characters, and rich history, Marcella demonstrates just how many delicious new stories she still has to tell.

Love on a Lark: an Italian love story


C.L. Donley - 2019
     African American savant Lark Chambers is young, beautiful and brilliant, an interpreter formerly trained by the United Nations. Fluent in seven languages, she's at the top of her game at Linguistics, Interpreting, Sign and Translation (LIST), the company that assigns her to Dario DiRossi, a multi-billion dollar textile heir, and currently her devastatingly handsome boss. DiRossi is no threat to her self control, however. As a product of the foster care system, Lark doesn't know the first thing about getting close enough to a man to trust him with her heart. But when a handsome stranger christens her first night in her favorite city of Florence with lovemaking, Lark finds herself confronting the turmoil behind her put- together exterior. And her latest assignment just might put her over the edge.

The Life and Prayers of Saint Benedict


Wyatt North - 2013
    Benedict was not interested in fame, power, or legacy. He was only interested in living the Christian life to the fullest and helping those around him to do the same. The rest is history—and the work of Providence. St. Benedict is regarded as the Father of the Benedictine Order of both religious men and women that follow his Rule, a key principle of which is ora et labora—pray and work. Today, many people wear holy medals of St. Benedict, invoking his intercession for protection against the powers of evil. Not only consecrated religious but also many lay people find inspiration in his call to balance, discipline, and prayer. Historically, St. Benedict helped bridge the early Church with the medieval period by standing on the shoulders of the fathers of the monastic tradition and bringing that tradition solidly into a new era.

Pedalare!: A History of Italian Cycling


John Foot - 2011
    It was a sport so popular that it created the geography of Italy in the minds of her citizens, and some have said that it was cycling, not political change, that united Italy.Pedalare! Pedalare! is the first complete history of Italian cycling to be published in English. The book moves chronologically from the first Giro d'Italia (Italy's equivalent of the Tour de France) in 1909 to the present day. The tragedies and triumphs of great riders such as Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali appear alongside stories of the support riders, snow-bound mountains and the first and only woman to ride the whole Giro.Cycling's relationship with Italian history, politics and culture is always up front, with reference to fascism, the cold war and the effect of two world wars. The sport is explored alongside changes in Italian society as a whole, from the poor peasants who took up cycling in the early, pioneering period, to the slick, professional sport of today. Scandals and controversy appear throughout the book as constant features of the connection between fans, journalists and cycling.Concluding with an examination of doping, which has helped to destroy what was at one time the most popular sport of all, Pedalare, Pedalare is an engrossing history of a national passion.