** spoiler alert ** My initial reaction to this book owed itself to class jealousy, as I was ready to co-sign this book to the pile of "another entitled American parlaying about her fanciful life in a gorgeous part of the world, while I sit and toil away in mine". Fortunately, I was able to squelch that upon further reading.

The level of history and personal insight into Tuscany, it's surrounding areas, Venice and all of Italy were well thought out, well played. I got a tear in my eye at Anselmo's passing. I felt for Frances and Ed when they had to fly back to MN and tend to the end of Ed's mother's life. It became less a travel book and more about someone's personal history, going beyond what was initially promoted and seeing the full fledged person behind the memoir. THAT is good writing.