The Island

The Island by Victoria Hislop
From the Cover:
The Petrakis family lives in the small Greek seaside village of Plaka. Just off the coast is the tiny island of Spinalonga, where the nation's leper colony once was located - a place that has haunted four generations of Petrakis women. Read Louise France's review here.

The story was intriguing and Victoria Hislop did a great job at explaining the lives of her characters, but it read more like a biography than a novel. I didn't feel any emotion from the characters whose lives had such dramatic turns of fate. However, this would be a great book club read as it delves into the relationships of families who lived in the village of Plaka.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

 I picked up a copy of  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and was surprised by the format. The story is told entirely by letters - mainly between residents of Guernsey, a writer and her editor.
"January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she'd never met, a native of Guernsey, the British Island once occupied by the Nazis. . . As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."

The Channel Islands are just off the coast of France, and have an interesting history. Although a British Crown Dependency, they are self governing and have a different tax system from the British Isles. Some of the letters referring to the German occupation reminded me of a visit there as a child. In particular, the stark and eerie German hospital constructed in the side of a hill. The letters brought to light many of the harsh conditions that the Island endured during the occupation. Lack of food, for both the islanders and the occupying solders. Construction workers were given no food and left to their own devices by foraging at night. But despite the hardships, the book shows camaraderie, friendship and a band of neighbors who form the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. They withstand the oppression together. This would make a great book club read - reader's guide here

Island at War was a miniseries based on another Channel Island, Jersey, and would be a good companion for the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
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Too Much Tuscan Sun - Dario Castagno

This is the second time I have read Too Much Tuscan Sun and the humor hasn't diminished with time. Dario Castagno is a tour guide in Tuscany and the book is about "Americans through Tuscan Eyes." Through his  tour company Dario shares his love of the Italian Chianti region and his experiences with tourists of all shapes, nationalities and sizes. One older white haired couple, who professed to be "athletes," met their young guide wearing identical jogging suits  . . . baby pink for her, baby-boy blue for him. Their tour ended not at the hillside cafe where Dario had planned a charming lunch, but at the insistence of the tourists, under McDonald's golden arches.  This is a great lighthearted read.

Hop on over to Shanty Girl for some beautiful Italian farmhouse pictures.