Under the Tuscan Sun

I remember seeing this book for the first time on my mother’s bedside table.

As a mother of six children (five boys and a girl—me), I strongly suspect she dreamed of escape from time to time. A mother now myself, I understand feelings of overwhelm.

When I read this book back in the late ‘90s I saw a woman brave enough to step into her dreams and create a beautiful and sensuous life. It was bold, and it allowed me to dream of a bigger life. It made me curious if I could ever do such a thing.

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Frances Mayes’s first bestseller takes us along on one woman’s journey of taking a leap of faith and pursuing a dream – buying a house in the Tuscan countryside, restoring it, and blending into the rhythms of life in Cortona. Her writing is mesmerizing, immersing us in the sensual details of the adventure – from scents of the markets season by season to faces of the locals, the wonderful sounds of the language, and changing colors out her window. She even includes easy recipes to give us a true taste of life in this paradise.

This book by Frances Mayes is a stunning memoir of her personal journey in Tuscany. It’s about loving and feeling deeply connected to a place. Her writing is authentic and evocative. She describes her time in Italy with such devotion it borders on poetic, as she transports you into her home, her daily life, and her kitchen. Under The Tuscan Sun is a love letter to what is best about Italy. It is part personal journey of discovery, part travelogue, part history, and part cookbook: it’s the best of all those worlds. If you’re so inclined, then cook up a… show more.

Frances Mayes narrates life in Tuscany with a clear, refreshing voice, adding in some cooking recipes, scenic Tuscan landscapes, and adventures around Italy, along with the recipe to find happiness in the simple things in life, in a wonderful foreign setting. Italy like you’ve never experienced it before, through the eyes of an almost-local.

I love how Frances, after heartbreak, leaves everything behind to reinvent her life in beautiful Tuscany Italy. Doesn’t that sound dreamy? Although she faces challenges and hardships—language barrier, renovating an old house, making friends—it’s a lovely worthwhile journey. And her descriptions of grand old homes, glorious vineyards, delicious foods... are all scrumptious. I visited Italy ages ago and being transported back there in this delightful autobiographical story was pure delight. 

When it was first published, Frances Mayes struck gold with Under the Tuscan Sun. It is a book that plugs into the contemporary fantasy of giving it all up to live out the idyll in some sun-kissed spot abroad. I confess I am a sucker for it and to read of her patient and loving restoration of Bramsole, the house she bought near Cortona, is to indulge in a highly potent daydream of a beautiful, neglected dreaming house longing for the restorative touch – and she is the one to bestow it. There are the funny and, occasionally, almost… show more.

Another blockbuster book about Italy, this memoir introduces the reader to the ins and outs of daily living in Italy from the viewpoint of an American. The insights into the Italian people and their wonderful culture are truly enjoyable and written with wit and understanding. Her observations are spot-on and welcome the reader into her adventure. Reading this memoir about the villa she bought in Tuscan will make you want to book a trip to Italy and buy your own villa to renovate!