A great story..and if youve been to Italy even better!
353359
I don't always like books organized like this with a chapter for the various characters and their perspectives. But the characters were captivating in their own ways and the story interesting on many dimensions. Ive been to Siracusa but saw it thru a new lens.

One disappointment was not knowing or understanding Snow. Shes central to the story but I didn't get her.

But I was hooked by the story and characters. A really good read.
2182111
I really enjoyed reading this book, and tank Olga for having written it. I am italian, I have read "The master of lucid dreams" in an italian translation, about two years ago, and I found it so helpful and fascinating. When I knew ther's an other book of Olga, but just in english edition, I decided that I need absolutely to read it, likely I can read english. Likely I got it in few days, just before Christmas.
I found the story very intriguing and the main characters very well delineated. All the plot and the characters make me wonder, because of many reflections, impressions, questions that this story brings in an inquiring mind with a open soul. Maybe a fiction is the best way to explain the muliple dimensions of our experience, and how limitating is the denial of one of them.
I found so many situations and descriptions in the book that resonate with pieces of my life and my (lucid) dreams, that I am grateful that Olga has created a framework in which many feelings make sense and give me a better insight of my personal story.
I am sure I will read this book again, as I did with " The master of lucid dreams" and find more, that's nice. So, thank again Olga!
Just a very, very little question or "revision": in Nadia's love letters (page 65) she wrote that he told her " Are you crying, Piccolo?". Why "Piccolo", wich is the translation for "baby" in italian, but in masculine gender? Why not "Piccola", with a final a , in feminine declination? She is a
woman....anyway this is just a detail, I hope this book will be translate in italian, in that case, check that word :-)
3354491
A great writer who captured the true essence of the Italians!!
Even if you are not Italian, you will want to be by the end of the book.
Or at least eat like them. Enjoy!!
1392744
Patricia has written a book, that also serves
as a guide for young woman everywhere.
She so completely taps into
What life can be like for an Italian family
And the Greek Culture. I being half Italian
Myself could relate and the humor she utilizes
Is touching and makes this story captivating
And imensley enjoyable. You don't have
To be a female either to enjoy this true
And factual story as told by a fascinating,woman who I am lucky enough to know and see often. Kudos to you Patricia, well done!!
1750084
I LOVED IT!!! ... But it wasn't what I expected - a mystery. It was about Val's adventures and romance with Friedrich first in Italy and then in Germany.
I love Italy and I am a German living in Canada. Reading this book was like coming home to the life I've left behind.

A lot of ups and downs that gave me an array of emotions included smiles, laughter, anger and tears.
I can't wait to read more from Val's life and maybe there will be a mysteries in the following installments....

A highly entertaining read. Especially if you love Italy and/or know a few Germans ;)
1976089
It was a lot of fun to read. I really felt the lifestyle of Italy in the book and had a hard time putting it down. It also inspired me to want to go back to Italy to visit and maybe to even take a cooking class there.
2894767
I love Italy and all things Italian. I have spent time in Italy, travelling, tasting the wine and enjoying the cuisine, always wondering what is really going on behind closed doors. Sari Gilberts My Home Sweet Rome has opened some of those doors with her rendering of an American who has lived in Rome for the past forty years. But this is not just the story of an American ex-pat living the good life. Gilbert is a  journalist and former correspondent for The Washington Post, who met and mixed with a wide swath of Italian society, from the political elite to her local barista.  Her adventures, both sexual and professional, are played out against the background of recent Italian history, a roller coaster ride of high and sometimes low drama, always interesting. I found Sari Gilbert to be a bold writer and I suspect an even bolder woman. She writes honestly of what it means to be a single woman living outside the comfort of her native country and doing it successfully. Along the way we get to experience the beauty of Italys complicated and multi-faceted culture.
3362299
Sometimes the story left me a little "uninvolved",  but o really enjoyed it.
Too bad  so much of Italy's struggle During WW2 has been ignored.
Serious battles and heavy fighting have never been really acknowledged.
What a life!
3723712
I ate this tale up! Here's a mix of personal healing, vindication, some underdog themes, and even a believable, heart-warming romance.

The gist of conflict comes about halfway in when everything about an important, therapeutic Italian getaway goes very wrong. And as readers, we love it when things go very wrong. Ms. Gates paints beautiful images of provincial Italy, from the cascading towns, to the warm locals, to the enviable evenings sipping Prosecco in the night air. I may not be able to relate to the reasons that brought Juliet to Italy, but I sure wanted to be there with her. Unfortunately, "there was a serpent in paradise." And that makes for a great story.

The length and complexity of story were appropriate for each other. One can almost read it in one sitting, and that's a great way to spend an afternoon, alongside Juliet who ends up traveling a far different journey than she could possibly have expected.
3217059
Love how the story unfolded, made me want to go to Italy.  Characters were amazingly real and loved the true back story!
3536409
A great plot and twists throughout kept me wanting to read more, and a wonderful immersion into Italian culture which I can only imagine comes from the author really understanding the place/lives there.  A real page turner - must read.
136717
Refreshing and a true insight into a culture we love from the outside but actually as "tourists" we know little about. This is the kind of book I long to read more of and wish there were more of. Honest, real, delightful and satisfying. The best book on the South of Italy I've read. Nicola Hunt from NZ
2110656
I felt like I was in Italy with the very good descriptive writing. Really enjoyed the story.
2543322
Beautiful Ruins is a beautiful story partly set in a place I love: Italy! The cover caught my eye, and the book lived up to expectation. These are characters who will stay with you long after you read the last page. The writing is gorgeous, and there were many moments when I caught myself chuckling over the dialogue between Italian characters and English-speaking characters when they thought they understood what the other was saying! Highly recommend!
298774
Great fun!  You will love Italy even more after reading this
Book,  Peter Moore captures the prevalent joie de vie of Tuscany!
1381227
I purchased this book for friends who will be visiting Italy later this year. I have been to Italy on a couple of occasions and always had a wonderful time, in large part because I do understand many of the unwritten elements of Italian culture and social mores and interaction. I read parts of the book and have discussed it with my friends and all agree that The Italians provides a great foundation for anyone visiting or doing business in Italy. Italy is a magnificent country, with just enough quirks to make Hooper's book a must-read.
4722557
I've read numerous WWII stories and never once have I read one set in Italy. I enjoyed seeing this perspective, but to learn of this amazing true story, as well as go along for the adventure...it all amounts to a great read. Well worth picking up.