An Italian Journey
A Harvest of Revelations in the Olive Groves of Tuscany: A Pretty Girl, Seven Tuscan Farmers, and a Roberto Rossellini Film: Bella Scoperta
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Narrated by:
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James Ernest Shaw
About this listen
An adventure of the heart in the mold of literature's classic spiritual journeys.
It began with a girl. Then it was Italian food. After that it was books and discovering that even Mark Twain had fallen for Italy. E. M. Forster was smitten too: :Love and understand the Italians, for the people are more marvelous than the land."
What is it about Italy and Italians?
Italian movies immortalize the mystique. Fellini called it La Dolce Vita. Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso took James Shaw back to the sweet memories of his childhood and the Italian family who operated the hometown theater. And just like in the movie, young James had an Alfredo who, by example, taught him about serving people.
James learned that Italians don't feel they're special. Luigi Barzini, author of The Italians, repeatedly asked, "Why are we the way we are?" and found no conclusive answer.
But James was convinced there was a reason why the Renaissance was born in Tuscany and Italy has given the world Saint Francis, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Galileo, and now Benigni, whose film, Life Is Beautiful, showed the world that the Italian zest for living can even make a heaven of a hell.
And so, after a lifetime of thinking about Italy, James became convinced that the way to find out why Italians are the way they are would be to eat with them at their kitchen tables. Day after day he picked their olives, and the Italians began treating him like family. And James began seeing their unique human quality that attracts people to Italy and keeps pulling them back again and again.
But the story doesn't end in the olive groves of Tuscany. To discover the heart of Italian life, James had to travel back to World War II Italy.
An Italian Journey will inspire you to follow your passions, your enthusiasms, to your own beautiful discoveries.
Bella Scoperta!
©2012 James Ernest Shaw (P)2015 James Ernest ShawListeners also enjoyed...
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Peter Berkrot Again?
- By Abstraction on 07-10-11
By: Peter Hessler
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Dreaming of Jupiter
- By: Ted Simon
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 16 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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When Ted Simon rode 64,000 miles round the world on his 500c Triumph Tiger, he inspired thousands of motorcyclists to begin their own adventures, including Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who chronicled their travels in Long Way Round. Nearly 30 years later, Ted Simon took to the road again to retrace the epic journey he made in his 40s. He meets up with old friends and acquaintances, revisits old landmarks and locations, and rediscovers himself, as well as the world, along the way.
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Amazing book, Amazing Man
- By Roxanna on 08-16-18
By: Ted Simon
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The Zahir
- By: Paulo Coelho
- Narrated by: Derek Jacobi, Emilia Fox
- Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
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It begins with a glimpse or a passing thought. It ends in obsession. One day a renowned author discovers that his wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared leaving no trace. Though time brings more success and new love, he remains mystified - and increasingly fascinated - by her absence. Was she kidnapped, blackmailed, or simply bored with their marriage? The unrest she causes is as strong as the attraction she exerts.
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Beautiful and deep read!
- By Top 1% Buyer on 09-13-15
By: Paulo Coelho
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The Red-Haired Woman
- A Novel
- By: Orhan Pamuk
- Narrated by: John Lee, Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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On the outskirts of a town 30 miles from Istanbul, a master well digger and his young apprentice are hired to find water on a barren plain. As they struggle in the summer heat, excavating without luck meter by meter, the two will develop a filial bond neither has known before - not the poor middle-aged bachelor nor the middle-class boy whose father disappeared after being arrested for politically subversive activities. The pair will come to depend on each other and exchange stories reflecting disparate views of the world.
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Drags On
- By T. Conrad on 10-25-17
By: Orhan Pamuk
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Vatican Waltz
- A Novel
- By: Roland Merullo
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Cynthia Piantedosi lives a quiet, unassuming life with her elderly father just outside of Boston. When she loses her beloved grandmother as a child, her faith takes a turn for the devout, and she begins experiencing what she describes as "spells" - moments of such intense prayer that she loses herself. Uninterested in boys and a social life, she develops a deep friendship with the parish priest, whose ideas are often seen as too provocative by his congregation but who encourages her to explore her spells.
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I enjoyed it until the last page.
- By Pam on 08-15-16
By: Roland Merullo
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Walking to Listen
- 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story at a Time
- By: Andrew Forsthoefel
- Narrated by: Andrew Forsthoefel
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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At 23, Andrew Forsthoefel headed out the back door of his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, with a backpack, an audio recorder, his copies of Whitman and Rilke, and a sign that read "Walking to Listen". He had just graduated from Middlebury College and was ready to begin his adult life, but he didn't know how. So he decided to take a cross-country quest for guidance, one where everyone he met would be his guide. In the year that followed, he faced an Appalachian winter and a Mojave summer. He met beasts inside: fear, loneliness, doubt.
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Transcends the typical trekking story
- By barefoot rabbit on 08-07-18
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China Road
- A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power
- By: Rob Gifford
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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National Public Radio's Beijing correspondent Rob Gifford recounts his travels along Route 312, the Chinese Mother Road, the longest route in the world's most populous nation. Based on his successful NPR radio series, China Road draws on Gifford's 20 years of observing first-hand this rapidly transforming country, as he travels east to west, from Shanghai to China's border with Kazakhstan. As he takes listeners on this journey, he also takes them through China's past and present while he tries to make sense of this complex nation's potential future.
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An Outstanding Book on China
- By Sarda on 08-13-07
By: Rob Gifford
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The Broken Road
- By: Richard Paul Evans
- Narrated by: Richard Paul Evans
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Celebrity Charles James can't shake the nightmare that wakes him each night. He sees himself walking down a long, broken highway, the sides of which are lit in flames. Where is he going? Why is he walking? What is the wailing he hears around him? By day he wonders why he's so haunted and unhappy when he has all he ever wanted - fame, fans, and fortune and the lavish lifestyle it affords him. Coming from a childhood of poverty and pain, this is what he's dreamed of. But now, at the pinnacle of his career, he's started to wonder if he's wanted the wrong things.
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Unresolved.
- By Ann Owen on 05-14-17
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The Lost Carousel of Provence
- By: Juliet Blackwell
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Long, lonely years have passed for the crumbling Château Clement, nestled well beyond the rolling lavender fields and popular tourist attractions of Provence. Once a bustling and dignified ancestral estate, now all that remains is the château's gruff, elderly owner and the softly whispered secrets of generations buried and forgotten. But time has a way of exposing history's dark stains, and when American photographer Cady Drake finds herself drawn to the château and its antique carousel, she longs to explore the relic's shadowy origins.
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Loved It!
- By T Heskett on 09-23-18
By: Juliet Blackwell
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No Greater Love
- By: Levi Benkert, Candy Chand
- Narrated by: Kelly Ryan Dolan
- Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Levi Benkert was playing with his children in the park when he received an urgent phone call from a friend asking him to drop everything and fly to Ethiopia to help organize a rescue orphanage for children destined to be murdered as part of a tribal superstition known as "mingi". In tribal culture, children and infants with even the slightest defect are considered "cursed" and are killed by their own parents, who fear allowing the children to live will cause bad luck to descend on the village. Moved by his friend's story, Levi packed his bags and left.
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Amazing!
- By Amazon Customer on 01-22-18
By: Levi Benkert, and others
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Wide-Open World
- How Volunteering Around the Globe Changed One Family's Lives Forever
- By: John Marshall
- Narrated by: John Marshall
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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John Marshall had read about the growth of voluntourism, and frankly, it was the only kind of extended trip he could afford. He'd heard that some peoples' lives were changed by a week of overseas service - what might half a year accomplish for his family? His wife, Traca, was all in favor of it; his kids, especially his 14-year-old daughter, were strongly opposed. Wide-Open World is the totally engaging, bluntly honest story of the Marshall family's life-changing adventure.
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I enjoyed every minute
- By Chris on 05-15-15
By: John Marshall
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Country Driving
- A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory
- By: Peter Hessler
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 2001, Peter Hessler, the longtime Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, acquired his Chinese driver's license. For the next seven years, he traveled the country, tracking how the automobile and improved roads were transforming China.
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Pass the white rice please
- By Nick on 02-18-10
By: Peter Hessler
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Amish Peace
- Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World
- By: Suzanne Woods Fisher
- Narrated by: Christian Taylor
- Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Of all the gifts that Jesus left us, his peace is most elusive. We long for it in our homes, in our relationships, in our life situations. One place we can look and see "living peace" is in the lives of the Amish. But you don't have to become Amish to bring these simple, practical ways of living into your own life--and make personal peace a reality. Organized around five central themes in Amish life, each section will include real-life stories, callouts of Amish proverbs, and interesting facts about Amish communities.
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I Learned So Much About A Culture & Tradition
- By James on 05-08-10
What listeners say about An Italian Journey
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Nancy Hoyme
- 05-10-16
Awesome
I enjoyed this book immensely, thank you Mr. Shaw for sharing your experiences. I now want to be a woofer and meet Aurora. I especially enjoyed your post accident perspective and the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, this book will be reread many times and will influence my perspective on life.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-18-23
Great story about Italy, cycling, and God’s grace
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about James’ experiences traveling around Italy on a bicycle and interacting with the various people. I also appreciated the underlying story of his Christian faith journey and recognition of and reliance on God’s grace.
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- lisa a. devos
- 05-19-21
La Dolce Vita!
I found this book to be very interesting and insightful! Being almost 100% Italian and having gone to my smother Country several times...I enjoyed every word!! James’ conclusion came to me out of nowhere snd I am very touched by it! Ciao!
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- mary
- 10-22-17
Loved it!
For not being Italian, the author has a beautiful grasp on the Italian heritage. As a Italian U recommend this book to all people who want a glimpse of Italian life.
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- Diane L. Lybbert
- 12-04-15
Like sitting on the porch visiting with a friend
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.
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- Candice Swanson
- 10-10-23
Loved his descriptions
I truly enjoyed this book. Loved his attitude in enjoying life in the certain/uncertain goals of riding his bike through Italy. Very descriptive journey. Might just read it again.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-18-15
AN ITALIAN JOURNEY ~ MY CONSTANT COMPANION!
If you could sum up An Italian Journey in three words, what would they be?
Inspiring! Fascinating! Personal!
What was one of the most memorable moments of An Italian Journey?
Listening to James Ernest Shaw, through audio, was as though he was sitting with me in my living room, sharing his experiences with me, capturing my attention to every word, waiting for his next story.
Which scene was your favorite?
Each chapter, with the inspirational quotes as the lead-in, has given me so much pleasure and insight into Italy - the life, culture, and characteristics of the people and their relationship to their heritage and land with a spiritual connection to life and stewardship of all we are given in life.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
An Italian Journey - My awakening to the heart of Italy!
Any additional comments?
I can't say enough about James Ernest Shaw and his revelations of his experiences in Italy! The book is my constant companion. As a reader who loves to hold copy in hand, turning every page, I must say I enjoyed the audio version immensely, as it was a "personal" experience with the author, likened to a friend relating their experience to me in friendly conversation. Well read, easily followed, pleasant voice that the listener could be drawn into the experience and feel it was their own! I would love to sit down at "table" and enjoy conversation with Mr. Shaw! I'm sure he has much more he can reveal!
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2 people found this helpful
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- SP
- 02-07-18
Audio version is so difficult to listen to!
I’m not quite sure who encouraged this author to read aloud for the audio version of his novel. It was so difficult to listen to due to the fact he sounded like he needed to clear his throat the entire time. It was also hard to hear the end of his sentences....he would be understandable at the beginning but then run out of breath or something that made him fade away to nothing at the end. So bummed to have spent my money on something I can’t use...ugh!
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- Traci J
- 08-01-16
This book was inspiring
I loved hearing James tales of his experiences with the Italian people in his own words. He shares stories as well as his faith and I was very inspired by his journey and views. I even listened to some parts twice!!
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- adriana pizzia
- 06-10-20
wonderful, insightful, inspiring 👏
I loved it,can relate to it as I am from Italy myself but left at age of 8 years old and just traveled to those areas in 2015 to reconnect with my culture. The author did a great job ...
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