The sequel to *A Thousand Days In Venice*, I actually bought this one first, not even knowing about the first one. Thanks to the generosity of aine-eireann, I read her copy of *Venice*, and now, I am sending this one to HER!

I have been trying hard to catch up lately with other bookcrossing books that have managed to procreate on Mt. TBR, and so it is unlikely that I will get to this book in the immediate future. I know it will find me again, though and when it does, I will delight in reading of the further adventures of Marlena and Fernando

Received this book in the mail today from jessibud. It's very generous of her to send it to me, as she hasn't read it as yet. It will be going back to her when I'm finished, for sure. I enjoyed "A Thousand Days in Venice" and look forward to De Blasi's further 'adventures' in Tuscany. Thanks so much, jessibud.

This is a magical sequel to "A Thousand Days in Venice." Although it could stand alone, knowing the story of the lovers in Venice adds to the continuing joy of their rich Italian odyssey. It's full of intense emotion and enjoyment of everyone and everything - of her husband, of the food, of the characters she lives amongst, of the language,of her surroundings and of her home.
Marlena writes with superlative poetic prose i.e. "Fernando pulls me close to him so my back nestles into his chest, and we sit like this on the packed May earth. Twilight is a woman. And she's a long time in leaving. Like the train of a wedding dress, she drags pink clouds across the darkening, never minding the hard blue night at her heels. Rain falls like a blessing, the mizzling of it polite, not disturbing the fire at all. A new moon sickles, polishing the stars, and I sit holding my face up to the rain, to the light. Letting a quiver of wind, like a faithless lover, kiss me on his way to someone else....I sit in the warmth of him, his heart beating through me and into mine. And I wonder why it is that, of all the thousands upon thousands of people who pass through one's life, most leave not a trace. Into abandon and oblivion they are consigned, as though they were never there. And more curious, why do those few, only those few, stay somewhere safe, dying, even, but never entirely so, engraving the heart, deep and smooth? The cut of the eyes, some voluptuous sting, one exquisite phrase, a voice like chocolate just before it melts, a laugh like thin silver spoons clinking across a marble floor. The way the sea crashes into crisp champagne pools behind him as he kisses you. A hand resting on a hip. One mesmeric glance, brown or black, green, topaz. Blueberry....The candles light up the raindrops that form crowns of tiny amber beads in our damp hair. Ripened, whole we are, and made of velvet, of vintage stuff - worn, still lustrous, faded like blowsy August roses gone to bronze."
Wow! One could drown in the richness of these words. A highly recommended read.
My apologies jessibud for taking so long to read and return. Many thanks!

Mailed to jessibud in Toronto today July 17/07

Home again! I hope to get to this before this summer is over. It seems like such a *summer vacation* book to read!

I am happy that you enjoyed it, aine-eireann and thanks, once again for giving me the opportunity to read the first one first!

In a blitz of culling, I have resigned to the fact that it doesn't seem likely that I will get to this book any time soon, and since it's been languishing on the shelf so long, I will take it to the meetup tomorrow and hopefully send it on its travels.

Picked this up at the bookcrossing meeting today. I haven't read the first one, so I will probably wait until it falls into my hands before reading this.

Left in the Little Free Library.