Italy - BOOKS Expat memoirs about living in Italy

[Christine]

I also loved the Doerr book about Rome. His time there coincided with our first visit, when Pope John Paul was on his deathbed. We spent 36 hours there and of course have spent much more time there since. This book led me to his other, non-travel books, and I have finished one book of short stories, "Memory Wall".

Our local independent book store recently had their annual 20% off sale, so I picked up the Rome book in soft cover so I can read it to my husband during our commute. Also got Doerr's latest "All the Light We Cannot See" and it's in the to-be-read stack along with the copy of Tim Parks' "On and Off the Rails".

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

My Home Sweet Rome: Living (and Loving) in the Eternal City by Sari Gilbert. I remember Sari from the SlowTrav boards and was excited to read her book. I think it is potentially good, even great, but needs editing and proofreading. She talks a lot about life in Italy which is interesting, and then about her sexual escapades which should have been interesting but weren't. I was annoyed by all the typos and the book didn't flow well.

Mmm, couldn't get the quote in. Just a note, the above is a quote from Pauline's review

Pauline, it's interesting you didn't like this memoir. I quite enjoyed it. I usually get quite irritated over typos but somehow they didn't bother me. I liked all the stuff about her changing neighborhood and Italian politics. Her sexual escapdes less so.

I've rented her apartment for a week in December after our 3 months at Oxford. I started the book well before deciding on renting the apt. Then finished it. Well, I have to admit, I kinda scimmed over the last bits.
I'm familiar with the neighborhood from previous visits. The upside or renting that time of year is hopefully, Trastevere won't be as busy.

 

[Pauline]

My Home Sweet Rome: Living (and Loving) in the Eternal City by Sari Gilbert. ... Pauline, it's interesting you didn't like this memoir. I quite enjoyed it. I usually get quite irritated over typos but somehow they didn't bother me. I liked all the stuff about her changing neighborhood and Italian politics. Her sexual escapdes less so. ...

I thought she had an interesting story to tell, but she did not tell it in this book. Half of the book was comments on how the Italian approach to life is different from ours (interesting but randomly thrown in) and the other half was her relationships (which she did not give enough detail about). The book did not flow well, too many typos, much that needed to be edited. I just could not recommend that someone spend money and time on it.

If anyone wants a book that details an American woman's sexual relationships with Italian men, then read The Marco Chronicles: To Rome, without love by Elizabeth Geoghegan. It is an eye-opener (at least it was for me). $2.99 for the Kindle

And if you want to read about how Italians approach basic life things, my friend Ann Reavis will soon be publishing Italian Life Rules. For now, read her blog - Tuscan Traveler.

Lisa, when are you going to tell us your fall trip plans? Rome? The last I heard was Apt and Nice! Rome sounds like a great idea.

 

[Pauline]

... Head Over Heel by Chris Harrison was also a fun read without any of the "move to Italy" sap.

I am reading this now and enjoying it! Very detailed and interesting. His description of summer in his girlfriend's village in Puglia!! Food, drink, out all night. The only part I liked was swimming in the sea in the dark.

 

[italian excursion]

Has anyone read Donna Leon's latest? By Its Cover; I just finished it. I know it's not the same genre you're talking about in this thread but she is certainly an ex-pat in Italy. I liked it because I like those "formulaic" mysteries and especially in places I am familiar with, like Venice.

Ciao,
Cheryl
www.italianexcursion.com

 

[Pauline]

I just finished this memoir about living in Italy:

Not in a Tuscan Villa: During a year in Italy, a New Jersey couple discovers the true Dolce Vita when they trade rose-colored glasses for 3Ds
by John and Nancy Petralia

I enjoyed the book but felt they padded it out with long discussions of the art (I skimmed them). I liked the details they gave about how they organized their trip - rented out their US house, got visas, rented an apartment in Bologna site unseen and did not like it, moved to a better apartment in better (for them) town - Parma. I enjoyed reading about the details of their lives there and how it compared to how they lived in the US.

The husband and wife took turns writing, alternating chapters. Not sure how much I liked that. They both loved Italy and loved their time there. They also traveled a lot around Italy and give good descriptions of the places they visited.

They have a website.

 

[Christine]

Not a memoir - is there a place for fiction? - but please don't waste your time on "The Italian Wife". What a disappointment. Maybe it's me, but it offered up stereotypical images of Italian women, who only seem to be interested in blond, non-Italian men. Lots of sex. Not for me (the book). Not the ... you know.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

I read a marvelous book many years ago but I think it's still in print. It describes a walk an ex advertising exec took with his wife across France. I believe their aim was to start in the Atlantic Ocean and end in the Pacific. I believe it was called Walk Across France. I loved it.
Found it and the same cover.
Walk Across France

 

[Sue]

I came to the same conclusion as you Pauline....after reading many of the books mentioned here. While I enjoyed many of them, I got tired of the same story with new people and places. However, a few years ago I came across this book in a friend's apartment in Rome and really enjoyed it. The title is "Keeping the Feast:One Couple's Story of Love, Food, and Healing" by Paula Butturini...

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

I've just finished reading 2 lovely memoirs about living in Italy. Both refreshingly different from Tuscan variety. A Zany Slice of Italy written by a Canadian. Describes moving to Italy and living in his family home in the country side of Abruzzo and later Tuscany. Funny, light hearted, entertaining.

Footpath in Umbria describes how author and husband spent a year in a small town in Abruzzo(mm Abruzzo again). It chronicles the author's inner and outer journey as she discovers new things about herself as well as about italy. it is very down to earth. Unlike so many memoirs written by Americans, they did not renovate a farm house but lived on a pretty tight budget and walked everywhere. Except when her husband ws biking up the side of a mountain. Her observations about the italian way of life and her struggles to accept and appreciate the differences between America and italy parallels her journey toward deeper self acceptance.
I really enjoyed both books.

Pauline, I just saw your review of A Footpath in Umbria after I posted this one. I thought her website was a little strange. in the bio section all she writes about is her struggle with anxiety. Nothing else. I know she feels it's impt to share but...

 

[Pauline]

Footpath in Umbria is set in Umbria (as the title suggests) not the Abruzzo I liked that book too. They rented a place outside of Citta de Castello, in northern Umbria. I was a little frustrated with them choosing an agriturismo where they had to walk along a busy road to get to town because they had no car - why not choose something in a town if you are not going to have a car? Still, it was very interesting I thought.

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

Footpath in Umbria is set in Umbria (as the title suggests) not the Abruzzo I liked that book too. They rented a place outside of Citta de Castello, in northern Umbria. I was a little frustrated with them choosing an agriturismo where they had to walk along a busy road to get to town because they had no car - why not choose something in a town if you are not going to have a car? Still, it was very interesting I thought.

Oh for goodness sake, I'm an unreliable source!!!! how could I have said Abruzzo???? I agree about the choice of accommodation. I thought it was a little bizarre. I think they had difficulty finding shor term accommodation on their budget. I also wondered if Rich brought his own bike as he cycled in the mountains and you need a pretty good bike for those climbs. plus he never seemed to cycle to town. Also the stuff they shipped for a year seemed silly. But I still enjoyed it.
Now I'm reading Living in a Foreign Language( not sure if that's the exact title) by Michael Tucker. Took me a minute to realize he and his wife were the stars of L.A. Law many years ago. I sure liked that show.

 

[vasttravel]

i read "Finding Rome on the Map of Love" it's very important book in traveling to Italy i recommended it for every one

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

Well, I just finished my 3rd expat memoirs of the trip and I'm DONE! Living in a Foreign Language by Micheal Tucker. While enjoyable, I would put it in the Frances Mayes style of writing. Buy an old farmhouse, spend a ton renovating. Spend your time eating and partying with your wonderful creative and artistic friends and hanging out with the locals. Never have a bad meal. In fact, it's a wonder everyone packed away as much food as he describes doing.
Still, I enjoyed it. He's an endearing character and devoted to his wife.
I'm now reading the biography of Iris Origo and have downloaded a sample of her classic about the war years in the Orcia Valley.

 

[Dana]

Clare Pedrick, a dear English journalist friend we met while living in rural Umbria in the 1980s (and who still lives there to this day with her Italian husband), has just written a book called Chickens Eat Pasta that covers the years when we lived in the next village ('Lavena' in the book- she changed most of the names of the places and people I guess to protect the innocent!) . She does capture the dotty characters and craziness of the hilltop village she lived in, especially the couple called Ercolino and Angela in the story, who became the parents she didn't have. Reading it brought out lots of memories. Clare did leave us out and some mutual but very funny expat friends, but said she had to or else they would have taken over the book!

 

[Kris Bean]

There is a new book called Il Bel Centro by Michelle Damiani. Michelle and her husband and three young children lived in Spello, Umbria, for one year, with Michelle writing a blog the whole time. She edited the blog into a wonderful book that I have read more than once. I will tell you now that she is a friend of mine, but I would not recommend this book if I did not think it was one of the best written expat books--and I have read dozens. I travel to Italy frequently and only wish I could have had this experience myself. It is available in print or kindle from Amazon. I think there are exerpts on her website.

 

[Pauline]

Link to Michelle Damiani's website.

We spent two weeks in Spello about 15 years ago. It is a beautiful town. We returned in September and the main street was being dug up in several places.

 

[Rebecca]

I've had Michelle's book on my Kindle for a bit and I'm looking forward to reading it. Now, if only people would leave me alone so I COULD read. ;-)

 

[Lisa in Ottawa]

On my recent trip I read a lovely book by an american author, Anthony Doer. It chronicles his 1 year in Rome as a fellow at the American Academy. But mostly it's about the first year in the life of his twin boys born shortly before the trip. He sees Rome through the bleary insomniac eyes of a new parent. It is quite a lovely book and was written about 12 years ago. Since then Doer has gone on to win the Pulitzer Prize for "All the Light We Cannot See." He was attempting to write the book while in Rome so it gives you some insight into his process as well.

 

[Pauline]

I really liked All the Light We Cannot See and now want to go to St Malo - which we could get to by ferry from Dorset! You did not put the name of his Rome book. I think it is "Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World" published in 2007. I downloaded the sample to my Kindle - thanks!