I am going to preface this book club entry by telling you Under the Tuscan Sun by Francis Mayes I one of my personal favorite books. I have probably read this book a half a dozen times. I can relate to her story in a very personal way. It is almost as if she lives a parallel life to me in many ways. She is a teacher as am I. She went through a very painful divorce she didn’t ask for – as did I. She married again to another teacher- as have I. Her and her husband bought a very old house in Italy and restored it to live in. Our house is not quite as old- only 180 years and is in Cedar Springs, but you get the idea. It is a story about recovery and reinventing oneself. I read it every February when I have begun to wonder if I will ever again see anything green. The book is full of gardens and recipes along with remodeling and rediscovery. The rest of the club was – so so on it. They just didn’t find the story as moving as I have. The over all rating was three stars. I was not dissuaded.I will be found again in February curled up on he couch with my head deep in a field of sunflowers and my toes in the garden dirt of Italy.
