Anonymous

Like sitting on the porch visiting with a friend

Reviewed: 12-04-15

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I loved the print book and recommended it to lots of my friends. Shaw's heart for Italy and his immersion in the lives of her small farmers reveals what common 'tourism' cannot. If you've not been to Italy, this book will make you want to go. And if you have been to Italy, you will want to go back and travel the country farm roads.

What did you like best about this story?

Shaw decided (in middle age, not a young man!) to travel Italy by bicycle, stopping to help family farms with their olive harvests. His only 'agenda' was to live with small farmers and work their groves, learning Italian and sitting at their tables. Every rise in the road and every person encountered added color to the portrait of Italian people he was painting.

Which scene was your favorite?

While working on one of the farms, he agreed to 'help' rebuild an ancient stone wall. He ended up doing the job by himself, but found that he really felt the connection to the land, to its history, and to the Etruscan stonemasons of long ago who erected such a sturdy and substantial wall. His physical labor became a meditation for him.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book is not one of action and high drama. There were no cliff-hangers or tear-jerkers. But Shaw's thankful and willing heart throughout the memoir shine through and give the reader the opportunity to view the world and its people with a similar attitude of gratitude. Shaw's Christian beliefs and worldview permeate his experiences, but he is never judgmental or preachy.

Any additional comments?

The only downside to an audio book is that the reader (hearer?) doesn't have the delightful drawings that open each chapter of the print version. But Shaw's descriptions of the landscape and his feelings about what he tells paint scenery in your mind.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!