The Hills of Tuscany – A New Life in an Old Land (Augustana Historical Society Publication) - Softcover

Máté, Ferenc

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0920256627 ISBN 13: 9780920256626

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010

Synopsis

Ferenc Máté's enthusiastic prose is infectious. He brings to life the real Tuscany: the contadini neighbors, country life--the harvest, grape, and olive picking, wine making, mushroom hunting, woodcutting--the holidays, and of course the never-ending, mouthwatering meals.

About this title

Review:

A sensuous valentine to author Ferenc M´t&ecaute;'s adopted homeland, The Hills of Tuscany brims with lush descriptions of golden dales, scrumptious meals, rich wines, and friendly natives. After years of nomadic roaming from Central America to Canada, M´t&ecaute; (a writer) and his wife, Candace (a painter), visit Tuscany and impulsively decide that this is where they will settle down. A year later they return and begin the hunt for their dream house. As the likeable M´t&ecaute;s (they're funny and suitably grateful for the chance to live in one of the world's garden spots) troll the countryside with a series of colourful Tuscan middlemen, it's impossible not to become emotionally involved in their quest. And when they finally discover the perfect abode--La Marinaia, a tastefully renovated stone farmhouse set amid scenery that Ferenc describes as "like being in the middle of a painting"--you're thrilled right along with them. Subsequent chapters follow the M´t&ecaute;s' growing friendship with their neighbours, who not only help rototill the garden but also reveal where to find porcini mushrooms and truffles in the nearby woods. All in all, reading The Hills of Tuscany is the next best thing to quitting your job, climbing on a plane, and finding your own Tuscan dream house. --Rebecca Gleason

Review:

‘After reading this, I feel the glow of those burnt-umber fields, the taste of the wine, the food. more importantly, I feel the generosity of the people. This memoir is an Italophile’s dream, the book of a luminous dream come true.’
Jay Parini

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0920256627
• ISBN 13: 9780920256626
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248