I devoured the 300 pages in a couple of days. Treated as a personal, intimate friend she shares her Italian life and thoughts and walks you through her beloved home, Bramasole, once again. I would know it immediately if ever invited.

Her style flows so easily; full of descriptive prose and interesting characters, some yummie and doable, fairly simple recipes, “one, two, three flavors, bold and fresh.”- I plan to cook a chicken under a brick this weekend or some stuffed eggplants and wash it down with ice tea mixed with lemons, pineapple and mint. Or perhaps, a nice, but not too pricey, Italian wine.

There is a certain affluence expressed in Ms. Mayes’ writings. Few of us can afford 2nd homes in faraway lands to fix up and split our time in; however, the simple pleasures in life, such as enjoying people watching, as in a piazza or market, or having cultural exchanges over food, or just being out of our usual element, is what makes for a good read. Better yet, good travel.

Go to Italy. It’s affordable and a joy at any budget once you can get there. If you can’t right now in this sour economy, read this book. Ciao!
Rating: 5 / 5

In her latest book, Every Day in Tuscany, she carries the tradition of her previous books, but this time, as she approaches two decades in the area, her memoirs become a little more serious. That’s not to say that they are any less readable than the previous books, just that after knowing a community for such a long time she finds that life takes its toll on her friends – death, accidents, and illness.

But this doesn’t really alter her approach in this book. Her bubbly style makes you want to drop everything and go to Tuscany, just like the previous two works. If you read them, Every Day in Tuscany is just as readable and pleasant as her other works. And the recipes sound fabulous, not only those that are the traditional set of instructions, but those little hints and tips that make even everyday Italian cooking so good.

Every Day in Tuscany also has a lot to do with Art. Mayes talks about the life and works of the Renaissance painter, Luca Signorelli, born in Cortona. She even describes a mini-tour where you can see some of his famous frescos in the area. And there’s a fascinating trip to Rome with her grandson Willie, who is now six.

But don’t worry if you think the book is going to get too serious on you. Frances Mayes can see the humor in everything, like the “pouty lips” of the carabinieri sleeping in her driveway after an apparent attempt on her life, to the invasions of boars, and the sad behavior of the Italian man on the tour bus. Many of these are literally “laugh out loud” moments.

And Mayes is enthusiastic about the Italian countryside and people. The cover looks like one of those paintings of an idealized Tuscany town, until you look closer and discover that it is a photograph taken from the town hall bell-tower, and that the view, including the valley in the background, is entirely real. You’ll also get to meet the Cubani, the huge Alfonso family who have bought the house above Bramasole and turn up every August, taking rooms in the town to house the overflow.

It might be strange to imagine that, immersed in the Italian culture and daily life, Mayes thinks back to her childhood in Georgia. She had a cook in the house named Willie Bell, a woman who cooked Southern food. Mayes’s love of cooking comes from her adult life, as she was told to get out of the way in the kitchen. Frances contrasts Willie Bell’s cooking compared to the Tuscan method, and concludes that Willie Bell came closer to the Italian ideal.

Here, today, we have light snow falling and the possibility of more. In such circumstances, who could fail to be seduced by the tales of Tuscany so cleverly woven by Mayes? To be able to lie in the sun (sustained by author royalties) and eat wonderful food sounds just great to me now, and probably to you. If you’ve read the other books, you’ll know what I mean. If not, you have a delicious treat waiting for you.

Rating: 5 / 5