Back to Italy with Frances Mayes

I can't believe that it's been more than twenty years since Frances Mayes http://www.francesmayesbooks.com/ first enticed readers to Italy with her lusty, luscious story of Bramasole, the run down Tuscan farmhouse that stole her heart and ours. As Peter Mayle brought Provence to life in his hilarious "A Year in Provence," so Mayes' name has become synonymous with Cortona since the 1997 publication of "Under the Tuscan Sun." I wonder how many of us readers have strolled the streets and alleyways of this delightful village, savoring the local foods and sunning in the piazza with a gelato in hand?

Mayes' love affair with Italy has never diminished and she still spends half of each year in Tuscany where her latest novel, "Women in Sunlight," is set. You might think that the plot, women of a "certain age" beginning again in a new country, might be overworked. I kind of did. But...they are such lovely women, so bright, brave, and talented that you just can't help but fall for them and the whole romp.

Their story begins in North Carolina where each of them, on their own at the end of lifelong relationships, meet at a tour of Cornwallis Meadows, a life care facility that, as described by Mayes, was eerily reminiscent of one I visited myself a couple of months ago. I had to laugh out loud at the unctuous tour guide gamely trying to sell a lifestyle that includes, pottery, visiting lecturers, yoga, and even your own gardening space, all for the price of your first born child and then some.

Camille, Susan, and Julia go for drinks after the presentation and discover that they are kindred souls. After months of dinners and weekends away to test their compatibility, they take a leap of faith, renting a villa in Italy for a year. And who do you suppose is their neighbor in the fictional village of San Rocco? Seeming to be a younger version of Frances Mayes, Kit is a poet and biographer who, with her partner Colin, become mentors to the three Americans in whom they see women open to all the pleasures and joys inherent in a new language and culture.

Mayes is a gloriously visual writer. One can easily picture a film evolving from this novel. Her knowledge of food, growing and preparing it, as well as her familiarity with local flora and fauna, art and architecture is extensive, enhancing our reading experience without ever feeling pedantic.

Over the course of the year each woman faces personal problems yet keeps these in perspective, not allowing their pasts to interfere with their growth and optimism about their futures. Their willingness to learn and adapt results in their being adopted into the community full stop. It's such a pleasure to spend time with all the denizens of San Rocco. If you don't find it on a map you can bet it looks a lot like Cortona. This is the perfect antidote for readers who may believe that their best years are behind them. Not if Frances Mayes can help it!