Reviews

In 1989, novelist St. Aubin de Terán (Slow Train to Milan, LJ 3/15/84) and her family began to restore their ``dream house,'' the dilapidated ruins of a villa near the small village of San Orsola in the Umbrian Valley of Italy. This book chronicles their first year of impossibly hard work amid the pleasantries of rich harvests and continuous celebrations. Orginally from England, St. Aubin de Terán gives the reader vivid impressions of Italian life, social customs, bureaucracy, and culture, presenting a setting where food and wine are the daily religion. Her book conveys a strong sense of place, with lush descriptions of the gardens, countryside, weather, and the family's active social life. The year culminated with a habitable villa; a full larder, including walnut liqueur and medicinal herbs; a New Year's Eve dance at the villa; a wedding; and a new baby. Recommended for the armchair traveler.-Janine Reid, Jefferson Cty. P.L., Lakewood, Col.