Discover the Magic of Italy with Under the Tuscan Sun: A Journey Through the Italian Countryside

Julie from Vancouver BC: Fast shipping, perfect condition for a used book! A nice surprise!

Canada on Aug 19, 2023

Alksped: Loved Mayes writing, recipes, and just, soothing way she writes about her life in Italy; even when facing barriers. The only thing that didn’t earn it a 5 is that it started to feel a little too predictable and I started to wonder when it would end, but for the most part, a relaxing, enjoyable read.

United States on Jul 22, 2023

Keke: Excellent

United Kingdom on Jun 09, 2023

SaMo8141: Die Bücher die ich hier bestelle sind fast alle für einen Freund, ich lese sie zwar auch, aber es sind seine. Deswegen muss ich meistens mit der Bewertung warten, weil ich erst dann, wenn ich oder er die Bücher gelesen habe, bewerten kann.

Germany on Sep 12, 2022

Giulia Marcelli: Bellissimo libro acquistato dopo un viaggio in Toscana, a Cortona. Ne sono rimasta così affascinata che ho visto il film e comprato subito il libro.

Italy on Jan 28, 2022

Amazon Customer: If someone wants to travel to Italy, this book is a must read.
It is about writers experience of buying a villa in Cortona. The struggles she faced along with the beauty of this city.
Writer explained each part of the Cortona and around it vividly. Can imagine you are in her place experiencing it for the first time.
Must read

India on Mar 28, 2021

Rachel28: What a beautiful, inspiring book! I felt like I was in Cortona, Italy WITH the author. She writes in such a way that I could see the soft nuances of colors on the Italian hillsides, and I could hear the Italian voices and laughter in the marketplace. I could feel the warm sun and hear the crack of the thunderstorm. I could smell the rain in the air. This book really transported me to the little village in Italy, with her. I loved experiencing the renovation of a very old and very beautiful home. I loved the sights and smells of the region's food and recipes they cooked up. What a beautiful book. I almost didn't bother to read this book because I thought it followed the same storyline as the movie that bears it's name. Thank goodness it does not. I found the movie to be tiresome and predictable. The movie completely destroyed the story of this book. It took a beautiful, genuine story and went "Hollywood" with it, thereby ruining it. But the BOOK! The book is completely different! The book is deeply thoughtful and emotional.... it draws you in with a beautiful story and keeps you there by transporting you into a lovely place full of authentic and warm people. I loved it!! Thank you...

United States on Jul 27, 2018

Mr. C.: Bought this as a gift and it was a true hit! It's a great real story about Frances Mayes and her husband (Spoiler Alert! most of the book is nothing like the movie, it's better) and their adventures in restoring an ancient villa in the village of Cortona, in late 20th century Tuscany. It even includes her seasonal recipe ideas. It's a great addition to anyone's library, whether you've been to Italy or not. If you've been to Tuscany, this will bring back fond memories. If you've not been to Tuscany, you'll feel as if you've been there because of the wonderful visuals the words create. In either case, you'll want to go back to Tuscany for sure!

United States on Oct 29, 2017

Gabby M: Even if I never get to go back, I've been able to travel to Tuscany (Florence, specifically), and that makes me incredibly lucky. But it's one level of privilege to be able to visit briefly. It's a whole other level to be able to buy property over there and actually live there for parts of the year. But what some of us can only dream of, others are able to make happen and Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun recounts her experiences buying and renovating a farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, and the first years she spent with it as her Christmas and summer home.

First things first: the movie (which I've never seen) is apparently not a strict adaptation of the book. While in both cases Frances' divorce from an apparently very wealthy man (she mentions it only vaguely in the book) is what enables her to purchase the home, the movie apparently gives her a hot new Italian man to mend her broken heart. In reality/the book, she is already happily remarried by the time she decides to start looking for a summer home in Italy. Let me stress that again: they have the means to start searching for a summer home in ITALY. If rich white people doing home renovation, eating food, and...

United States on Jun 14, 2017

Gina M. Pace: Somehow, I do not believe this book needs my review to help it sell... It is a wonderful read and I have really been enjoying it as a summer book. One thing to stress: if you are coming to this book because you love the movie, it is barely recognizable as the same work! The movie is in my top ten favorite movies list, I've seen it about thirty times, so I'm familiar enough with it to make the solid comparison. Tons of the book got included in the movie, like the famous line about the hot grape "it even smells purple" but the movie fictionalized almost all the characters and the romantic story didn't happen in real life this way. Frances and Ed bought the house together, she didn't meet him at the end of the story. If you can free your mind from these expectations, you will find a rich and loving narrative that easily draws you in and keeps you riveted long past the time you should have turned out the light and gone to bed.

United States on Jul 24, 2014