A Zany Slice of Italy Author:Ivanka Di Felice This light, lively book takes place in Italy, with hilarious anecdotes about the author and her husband?s trip to visit his family in Abruzzo and finally their escape to Tuscany. It?s a rural relocation similar to Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence, but with zany family members adding a "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" touch. Other writers have elabora... more »ted on their travels in Italy, but they didn?t have what Ivanka Di Felice has: relatives. Her whimsical portrayal of a real extended Italian family defies the romanticized notions people have of this land. Many books about Italy were written by relatively rich, retired people. The author, however, needs to earn a living. So while other authors are chasing after the Tuscan Dream, this author is also on the run: chasing her spoiled students at a kids? summer camp and running away from well-intentioned, yet overbearing, relatives. Although the author was initially drawn to Italy for its art, architecture, and Vogue, often described in other books, it is evident that still lifes and stilettos do not hold this author?s attention as much as living people do. The author?s open, sympathetic viewpoint captures the characters' quirky charm and the local color. Although you certainly wouldn?t call this a philosophical book, how the author observes and deals with individuals and situations in her life shows that she follows her own philosophy, one that is worth looking into. If we could regard the most sinister carabinieri and the most self-important consulate employee with sympathetic amusement and not anger, that would be an accomplishment worth imitating. The author can laugh at her own expense, a rare quality. Her attitude and wit can turn even adversity into an almost tolerable and redeeming experience. Although the author is not so naïve as to think that all Italians? lives flow as smoothly as their olive oil, she has not met anyone in Italy who is bitterly disappointed with life. So pour yourself a glass of bad Italian wine, add a dose of accordion music, and spend some time in Ivanka Di Felice?s Italy.« less