Author: Frances Mayes
Image courtesy : Amazon
Frances Mayes is a well known travel and food writer and a widely published poet. She takes us through her journey to a wonderful new world, thousands of miles away from her home in California. After coming out of a divorce, she buys an abandoned old villa - Bramasole (meaning - to yearn for sun), in picturesque Tuscan countryside by stretching her financial limits too much to pay for that. She then toils with her new partner to restore and renovate the villa to fit their specifications and likings. The arduous process of restoration of the dilapidated villa and then enjoying the art of performing simple tasks like - buying the fresh produce, gardening and cooking make us feel a part of the narrative itself. She validly points out the prominent difference between the American and Italian culture how Americans follow the idea of burning the bridges after they cross it whereas the Italians like to cross and recross the bridges making present and past coexist. The descriptions are so life like that while reading, we actually see those brilliant colours appearing on the sky the way she watches them from the terrace of her villa and smell those unique fragrances of olives and herbs that she grows in her kitchen garden. She very passionately and vividly writes about the tastes and flavours of Itlay. As it becomes a part of their annual routine to spend the summer months in their new acquired villa, during these months she gets all the time to try her culinary skills using all natural and easily available ingredients for wonderful preparations.
Getting recipes of some Italian dishes in the book is an added bonus for the readers.
One thing which I found a little inadequate though, was the depth at which she has tried to explore the Italian lifestyle and the Italian people. Her exposure of that side remained restricted to the people she hires to restore her villa and to the ones from whom she buys things of her daily use. Doesn't look like an account from someone who experiences this life style year after year for a few months on regular basis.
A few months back I had read – “Eat, Pray and Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, found a few similarities in the two stories, the protagonists in both, spend time in Italy after having gone through a divorce in their lives. They both enjoy the Italian food and the flavours and revel in the beauty of the place. But Elizabeth dwelled a litle deeper in the Italian lifestyle and brought out the cultural differences more prominently.
Frances Mayes is a well known travel and food writer and a widely published poet. She takes us through her journey to a wonderful new world, thousands of miles away from her home in California. After coming out of a divorce, she buys an abandoned old villa - Bramasole (meaning - to yearn for sun), in picturesque Tuscan countryside by stretching her financial limits too much to pay for that. She then toils with her new partner to restore and renovate the villa to fit their specifications and likings. The arduous process of restoration of the dilapidated villa and then enjoying the art of performing simple tasks like - buying the fresh produce, gardening and cooking make us feel a part of the narrative itself. She validly points out the prominent difference between the American and Italian culture how Americans follow the idea of burning the bridges after they cross it whereas the Italians like to cross and recross the bridges making present and past coexist. The descriptions are so life like that while reading, we actually see those brilliant colours appearing on the sky the way she watches them from the terrace of her villa and smell those unique fragrances of olives and herbs that she grows in her kitchen garden. She very passionately and vividly writes about the tastes and flavours of Itlay. As it becomes a part of their annual routine to spend the summer months in their new acquired villa, during these months she gets all the time to try her culinary skills using all natural and easily available ingredients for wonderful preparations.
Getting recipes of some Italian dishes in the book is an added bonus for the readers.
One thing which I found a little inadequate though, was the depth at which she has tried to explore the Italian lifestyle and the Italian people. Her exposure of that side remained restricted to the people she hires to restore her villa and to the ones from whom she buys things of her daily use. Doesn't look like an account from someone who experiences this life style year after year for a few months on regular basis.
A few months back I had read – “Eat, Pray and Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert, found a few similarities in the two stories, the protagonists in both, spend time in Italy after having gone through a divorce in their lives. They both enjoy the Italian food and the flavours and revel in the beauty of the place. But Elizabeth dwelled a litle deeper in the Italian lifestyle and brought out the cultural differences more prominently.
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Vibha, really enjoyed this review ! I think I should drop by here often for picking books for myself. Based on your reviews here, I picked up Jodi picoult's Salem falls this weekend. Yet to start reading !
ReplyDeleteHi Ranjani,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. I have not read Salem Falls myself, but as you can see it is definitely in my wishlist. Do let me know how it is when you are done with it.
Enjoy reading.
Vibha.
My personal recommendation would be - Palace of Illusions, if you've not read that book already.
ReplyDeleteVibha.