The Purple Room by Mauro Casiraghi

Sergio recounts first-person his mid-life crisis that is brought on by a near death experience.  We follow the man as he searches for the truth behind a haunting memory.  The journey brings Sergio face to face with his life to date, including his fault behind his failed marriage, his fault behind the distant relationship with his teenaged daughter, and his disconnect with the world around him.

This is a psychological novel about happiness, memory, character, and modern life.  Memories are key to the story, and Sergio is convinced, like his mother, that cataloging one's life will keep the memories alive, along with the feelings associated with them.  But in the end, the feelings are the only things that remain accurate, with memories being fleeting and often distorted by those same feelings.  Sergio discovers that:

Memories that I thought were sacrosanct and untouchable turned out to be as fragile as skin and bones.

Sergio's elderly mother is a rock for him, but he's not an ideal son, perhaps because he is much like her, both obsessive-compulsive personalities.

My mom.  At seventy-two, she's still the one who keeps my feet on the ground.  When I notice that I'm losing touch with the real world, I go have lunch with her, and by the end of the afternoon I feel sane again.

I'm not so sure his mother feels the same way about the visits!

My mom is in the kitchen breading chicken breasts.  Every time I see her, she seems smaller, like a T-shirt that shrinks every time you wash it.  But her flashing eyes are still the same as in pictures from her youth.

Through the course of the book Sergio improves some aspects of his life, and comes to terms with other aspects, but he remains who he is.  This is very realistic, since realizations about one's self rarely lead to great changes.  Acceptance and minor adjustments are more the norm.  I applaud the author for writing realistically about modern people living modern lives.

In the case of this story, the people are all Italian, and living their lives in modern Italy, mostly around Rome.  In this excellent translation of an award-winning Italian book, daily life is depicted, including the horrible traffic, the forced sociability of trendy clubs and restaurants, the responsibilities of children for elderly parents, and even the early sexual experiences of teenagers in a highly sexualized Italian culture.

The character of Sergio is a difficult one to like, mainly because he is very life-like.  His near death experience creates some sympathy for his state of confusion, depression and memory loss.  But he is a neurotic, passive, introverted, insecure man who lacks moral fiber, which causes suffering for those around him.  Add to that his often awkward social skills, lack of understanding of others' feelings, and his near total self-absorption, and you get a very realist human being.

He's warned by an old friend against too much introspection and reflection on the past.  The friend advocates moments of starting over in life, making a clean slate, and creating a clean break from the pain in the past.

"Sometimes all it takes is memories to keep you tied down.  Chained.  What's in your head is enough to trap you"  It can keep you "clinging to what you have lost".

If you are an amateur psychologist, you'll enjoy this book even more than the average reader!  The author has a keen eye for human nature in all its absurdity, contradictions, goodness and cruelty.  There is some swearing, and there are some sexual scenes.  This is a quality book for Italophiles who don't romanticize Italy or Italians, who are open to the reality of modern Italy and modern Italians.

From the book's description:

A woman stands silhouetted against a window in a purple room. It’s the only memory Sergio has of the week leading up to the accident that almost killed him when he was scuba diving off the Tuscan coast. He remembers nothing else about that woman, but the love he feels for her drives him to delve into the mystery surrounding those days that are missing from his memory.

Hoping to find out who she is, Sergio gives up the lonely life he has lived ever since his painful divorce. It’s the beginning of an adventure that will take him from the streets of Rome to the Tuscan countryside. Along the way, Sergio explores his relationship with his sixteen-year-old daughter, his ex-wife and his friends, some of whom understand him better than others, but none of whom can truly help him on his quest to find the woman he loves. To do that, he must dive deep into his past, all the way down to the edge where the meaning of his entire life is as precarious as a bubble of air in the bloodstream.

"The Purple Room" is a magnetic and gripping psychological drama, filled with those moments of bittersweet comedy, misunderstanding and heartbreak that all too often punctuate every search for a partner. A journey of self-discovery, in which a deep and uncompromising self-awareness goes hand in hand with the universal desire to find someone to love.

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

Coins in the Fountain by Judith Works

It is difficult to review a book that is like several books in one, and that is the case with this book.  The memoirs was inspired by the author's time living in Rome, Italy, while she worked for two United Nations organizations.  The stay allowed the shopping and travel addict to indulge her dual addictions liberally.

We read about her work, her travels, her purchases, and also about her past and present life.  All is sprinkled liberally with quotes, Italian words, humor, history and Italian food.  Her travels in Italy left her a lifelong Italophile.

...my heart remains in Italy with its abiding connection to the past.

Despite all her travels and reading, she admits:

...it is impossible to know all of Italy with its overabundance of everything.

This book offers an abundance of anecdotes.  I had to put it down often because I came to feel it was an overabundance of stories, but that just means the reader will get their money's worth with this memoirs that is about much more than Rome and Italy.

Ever wonder what it would be like to work for one of the UN's charitable organizations?  You'll discover that in the book since the author worked for two such organizations, both based in Rome.  The pampered existence for the ex-pats who too often revert to their worst when not surrounded by the social pressures of their home country to behave, is not as attractive as it might seem.

Ever wonder what it would be like to live in Rome?  You'll discover that in the book, in minute detail.  It might not be what you expect, because Italian cities are pretty horrible.  Only the history and art make them livable.  The pollution, expense, inefficiencies, crime, filth and lack of amenities that many of us take for granted, would put off most people.  The nearness to the Italian countryside is the biggest appeal of the city.

Ever wonder what it would be like to work in a personnel department?  You'll discover that too, in the book, since that is where the author spent her working career.  You'll see how one comes to view employees rather cynically from that perspective.

Ever wonder what sights are within easy drives, or overnight stays, from Rome?  You'll discover many of those, in much detail, in this book, because the author and her very supportive husband were rarely still, exploring central and southern Italy, even neglected regions like Basilicata.  Longer trips in Italy to Sicily and other popular locations are included too.

There are more stories than those, about trips to African countries and Cambodia and Spain, Italian food, parties, colleagues, the U.S. Forest Service (her employer in the States), shopping, more shopping, an ex-husband (who should have been spared inclusion in the book, in my humble opinion), markets, apartments, clothing, tourists, Gypsies (Roma), sailboat trips by her husband, and ex-pat life in-country and after returning home.

To spend that much time with one person, via their memoirs, you need to be able to relate to them on some level.  If you share some of her pre-Italy U.S. American life experiences, that would help.  She doesn't always behave honorably, and shows some superficial values, but that is mostly forgiven because of her erudition and intellectual curiosity.  Everything is filtered through a U.S. lens.

The author admits to having lived a sheltered U.S. American life of affluence and ignorance before moving to Italy.  Actually, I was very surprised she got the job in Rome; she seemed an unlikely candidate for a foreign post, lacking language, life and work experience.  She became a person one could consider very greedy for new experiences.

If you enjoy history along with your travel stories, peppered with thoughtful literary quotes, you should enjoy this book.  I think it might hold most appeal for armchair travelers, readers who like living vicariously through others, or those who are planning to go on an extended tour of central and southern Italy.

From the book's description:

Innocents Abroad collide with La Dolce Vita when the author and her husband arrive in the ancient city of Rome fresh from the depths of Oregon.  While the author endeavored to learn the folkways of the United Nations, her husband tangled with unfamiliar vegetables in a valiant effort to learn to cook Italian-style.

In between, they attended weddings, enjoyed a close-up with the pope, tried their hands at grape harvesting, and savored country weekends where the ancient Etruscans still seemed to be lurking.  Along the way they made many unforgettable friends including the countess with a butt-reducing machine and a count who served as a model for naked statues of horsemen in his youth.

But not everything was wine and wonders.  Dogs in the doctor’s exam room, neighbors in the apartment in the middle of the night, an auto accident with the military police, a dangerous fall in the subway, too many interactions with an excitable landlord, snakes and unexploded bombs on a golf course, and a sinking sailboat, all added more seasoning to the spaghetti sauce of their life.

Their story begins with a month trying to sleep on a cold marble floor wondering why they came to Rome.  It ends with a hopeful toss of coins in the Trevi Fountain to ensure their return to the Eternal City for visits.  Ten years of pasta, vino, and the sweet life weren’t enough.

Part memoir, part travelogue, Coins in the Fountain will amuse and intrigue you with the stories of food, friends, and the adventures of a couple who ran away to join the circus (the Circus Maximus, that is).

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

Please visit the author's website and via Facebook.  She is the author of a Women's Contemporary Fiction novel set in Rome, City of Illusions, inspired by her experiences, that I reviewon this site.

When in Rome by Amabile Giusti

If you enjoyed the Bridget Jones books and the TV series Sex and the City, you may enjoy this book.  It's a translation of a chick-lit book from Italy, set in Rome, with all Italian characters.

The couple in this book, Carlotta and Luca, do so many unforgivably hurtful things to each other, that when they finally came together as a couple (that's not a spoiler since all these books end that way) I grimaced rather than grinned.

By the way, Luca is the guy, not a woman, despite the "a" ending.  It was an unfortunate Italian male name choice for non-Italian speaking readers.

I have to confess that this is not my favorite genre.  When I read this line a few pages into the book:

"Maybe I would be better off if I threw him out."

I yelled aloud:  "Yes!  You would be!!  Do it now!!!"

So you can imagine, I was not really rooting for these two ding-dongs.  They then went on to explore dangerous sexual games, various forms of self-destructive behavior, and other ridiculous and unhealthy things.

I do wonder why the publisher thought the expense, time and effort needed to translate the book was necessary.   While it may have been unique in Italy, there are many, many of these books written in English:  first-person, present-tense narratives about emotionally immature, slothful, self-absorbed, neurotic, thirty-something women who want a hot guy, a great job, and respect from their friends and family.

Perhaps the translation removed much of the Italian flavor, because there is very little, or perhaps it was never there to begin with.  The author emulated an English-language genre, including the rather generic settings and characters.

Just two last notes:  there are vulgarities and sexual situations, and the title in English has nothing to do with the story.  The book is set mainly, nominally, in Rome, but the expression "When in Rome, do as the Romans" does not apply to this story.

But again, if you enjoyed the Bridget Jones books and the TV series Sex and the City, you may enjoy this book.  It is for real chick-lit fans.

From the book's description:

As her thirtieth birthday approaches, spirited and unconventional Carlotta is a little nervous.  She’s just been fired because of her irrepressible frankness, her family is a mess, and her love life is nonexistent.  Plus, living in Rome isn’t cheap, so she’s forced to rent out a room in her apartment to make ends meet.

Her new roommate, Luca, a gorgeous writer who can match her wicked sense of humor, has a lot of cons:  he’s sloppy, he smokes too much, and he has a nasty habit of bringing home a different woman every night.

Carlotta doesn’t want to admit it, but she’s beginning to fall for the charming novelist whose bedroom seems to have a revolving door.  After they share an unexpected kiss, she’ll do anything to suppress her passion and protect her heart.

With her crazy relatives and a new job to deal with, can she muster the courage to confess her true feelings?  And will Carlotta find happiness in this rented romance?

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

If you'd like to read the book in Italian, here is the cover and a link to Trent'anni...e li domostro (She's Thirty... and It Shows) at Amazon.

The 45th Nail by Michael Lahey and Ian Lahey

This original noir novel draws the reader in with a light, humorous first-person narration, by Bob, an American in Italy looking for a long lost relative.  A stay in Rome, followed by a road-trip around Italy with an Etruscan fanatic for tour guide makes up much of the action in the book. 

But like the dark comedy film "Shallow Grave", the progression under the skin of the protagonist is the biggest journey in the story.  We start with a flawed protagonist, Bob, someone we know is deceitful, unloving and mercenary, and through his unusual events and encounters in the story, his flawed character develops to a higher level of awfulness. 

The first hint that he is truly twisted down below is when he drops a joke about rape.  His lack of moral compass becomes more and more apparent as the story progresses, so that his actions at the end come as not much of a surprise.

This is a book for people who do not need to like the protagonist of the stories they read.  It is a well-written book, full of original touches, and much Italian lore, landscape and language.  WWII is the backdrop of the story, and it comes more to the fore as the story progresses.

For those who believe a person can inherit character weaknesses via DNA, this story will hold especial interest, as the similarities between Bob's flaws and the flaws of his long lost relative emerge in the course of the story. 

That was when I thought not of "Shallow Grave" but of Robert Duvall and John Savage as relatives in the 1987 noir drama "Hotel Colonial", in which a brother discovers how evil his elder brother is, and then finds that he too is capable of great violence when he judges it necessary.

The 45th Nail is a fascinating book for a discerning reader, but probably not to everyone's taste. 

From the book's description:

A Christmas card from Italy arrived on Robert Svenson’s desk. There was no return address, but when Bob opened the card, it was signed by his uncle, James Savorski. Nice, except for the fact that Uncle Jim was declared MIA back in ’44. Forty years later he’s sending solid gold Etruscan amulets for Christmas presents? Bob resolved to travel to Italy to see if he could find his long lost uncle.

How does one find a dead man in Italy without knowing the language or having an address? All Bob knew was that losing his luggage and his money the first night in Rome didn’t help. Then he found himself picking his way through a minefield of old scars and memories of war.
Along the way he journeys through Italy’s art and its incredible archaeological treasures, its history and people. A tale of war and mines and other things buried underground and even deeper—in the hearts of those who lived those years.

Here is the book's trailer:

 

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

Please visit the book's official website.  This is the author's Facebook page.

Roma, Underground by Gabriel Valjan

Roma, Underground is a police procedural novel wrapped up in a continuing mystery story of a secret government agency.  The series is up to four novels (see below) and set to continue.  The female protagonist of this series, wonderfully named Alabaster when she isn't incognito as Bianca, works off and on for the secret government agency.  She teams up with law enforcement in Roma, Underground to help them trap some criminals red-handed.

The book is an interesting cross between TV's Alias and Camilleri's Montalbano books.  Each book in the series gives the reader a police case from law enforcement's perspective with all the teamwork needed to bring down the bad guys, plus there is the secret conspiracy stuff that draws our heroine into places she doesn't want to be, including dangerous situations. 

While the police case proceeds to a positive ending with Bianca's help, Alabaster has to deal with some spooky things and scary people having to do with her on again off again employer.  This is a very entertaining construction, and sure to please fans of both sorts of stories.

There is lots of local Roman flavor in the details of the story, with locations in Rome used well, and providing moments for the author to wax lyrical about such varied things as modern garbage collection and Emperor Nero's place, in consecutive paragraphs!  As the slow-to-develop romantic interest in the novel, Dante, says:

This is Rome.  The living, the dead, the past and the present - it's all the same here in Rome.

The world under Rome's streets, referenced in the book's title, plays a part in the story, too, so we get some very interesting visits to underground Rome, in the company of Dante, who is part of a group that maps the underground city.

Roma Underground is a group of speleologists.  We have specialized training in the basics of archaeology, climbing, and SCUBA, and our objective is to explore and map the underground city of Rome.

Alabaster/Bianca is a psychologically complex character who makes a wonderful anchor for the series.  She is a professional in the very nerdy profession of forensic accounting.  That doesn't mean men don't find her intriguing enough to attempt a romantic relationship with her. 

Those men should be forewarned, however, and perhaps demand a user's manual first, because Alabaster/Bianca is one difficult woman to love!  She is repressed, conflicted, morally ambiguous, adventurous, a number nerd, blunt, vain, insecure, and emotionally distant behind her tendency to intellectualize situations.  Dante reflects at one point:

...she was the hyper-rational one, almost without a need for emotion.

The author's writing style is literate with light humor and lovely turns of phase, making some of his prose read like prose poetry.  The style lightens for the purely police procedural sections, moving the crime story along nicely.  There is a skillful weaving together of past and present to tell the story and to build suspense.  There are some vulgarities but it is not excessive.  The narrative style is third-person limited usually from Alabaster/Bianca's point of view if she is in the scene, and from the point of view of other characters when she is not in the scene.

What about the mysterious government agency, Rendition?  Well, when they recruited Alabaster/Bianca they told her that they acted against destructive greed that threatened the U.S. economy, which set them against industrialists who try to cheat they capitalist system to the detriment of the country.  There turns out to be plenty of leeway in that description to create threatening situations for industrialists and for the forensic accountants who work for the agency.  That story continues throughout the series.

Book 1 - Roma, Underground

Savvy forensic accountant Alabaster Black is hiding in Rome from her former employer, covert U.S. organization “Rendition.” While there under an assumed name she meets Dante, an investigator, erstwhile explorer and member of the Roma Underground, a band of amateur archaeologists who map the city beneath Rome. With Italian artifacts disappearing at an alarming rate, Alabaster and Dante search for answers and create a trap for the thieves. Through a mysterious online contact Alabaster learns she is being followed, and with her safety at risk she is forced to rethink her chosen alliances and discover hidden truths about herself.

Pinterest board for the first book. https://www.pinterest.com/gvaljan/roma/

Book 2 - Wasp's Nest

In the highly anticipated sequel to Roma, Underground, Bianca returns to the U.S. for her former employer, the covert organization Rendition, to investigate Cyril Sargent and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. Although ambivalent about the assignment and uneasy about her online "friend," Loki, she is enticed into researching what Sargent is doing with insect genetics that might upset the world of cancer research and treatment. Old friends Farrugia and Gennaro uncover a twisted conspiracy from their past and join Bianca in Boston where they will experience conflicted loyalties, question allies, and confront uncertain enemies, as they're drawn into the wasp's nest.

Pinterest board for the second book. https://www.pinterest.com/gvaljan/wasp-s-nest/

Book 3 - Threading the Needle

Milan. Bianca’s curiosity gets a young university student murdered, but not before he gives her a file that details a secret weapon under development with defense contractor Adastra. Guilt may drive her to find justice for the slain Charlie Brooks, but she is warned by the mysterious Loki to stay away from this case that runs deep with conspiracy. Bianca must find a way to uncover government secrets and corporate alliances without returning Italy to one of its darkest hours, the decades of daily terrorism known as the “Years of Lead.”

Pinterest board for the third book.  https://www.pinterest.com/gvaljan/threading-the-needle/

Book 4 - Turning to Stone

Forensic accountant Alabaster Black has always been steps ahead of her former employer, Rendition, a clandestine and apparently lethal organization. Once the star investigator of financial crimes, she fled from the United States to Italy, under a new name: Bianca Nerini. She carries on her work with a group of trusted friends, although a mysterious contact by the name of Loki reaches out to her on occasion. In this fourth installment, Bianca is in Naples against the Camorra, a crime syndicate unlike the American or Sicilian mafia.

Pinterest board for the fourth book.  https://www.pinterest.com/gvaljan/turning-to-stone/

Here is a direct link to the first book in the series at Amazon.com:

Visit the author's website, or his Amazon Author's Page, or his blog.  You can also follow him on Facebook  and Twitter @GValjan.

The Lost Catacomb by Shifra Hochberg

The author of The Lost Catacomb embraces her genre of historical-conspiracy thriller with gusto.  The modern melodramatic style of the genre requires much research to plant the story within plausible ground, much plotting to create the evil plan that the antagonist has in motion, and academic characters to move the plot forward while informing the reader of what is being uncovered and its significance.

It is not an easy genre to write, and some readers find it cumbersome to read.  I like to just dive in and enjoy the fun, while excusing away any awkwardness inherent to the genre.     

The historical-conspiracy novel has enjoyed a boom since the success of Dan Brown's novels, foremost of which is The DaVinci Code, and their adaptations to films starring Tom Hanks.  If you'd like a comparison between this historical-conspiracy novel and those of Dan Brown, I'd point out that The Lost Catacomb's protagonist is a woman, and the book is written by a woman.

The strong female protagonist, Nicola, is an academic who can think for and take care of herself.  Her male sidekick, Bruno, is handsome, helpful, and eventually a love interest.  The role reversal may be most enjoyable for female readers.

 

As expected, the protagonist learns much about herself in the course of unwinding the evil plans of the antagonist.  One thing she learns is how strong she really is:

I never thought I'd have the strength, the courage, to do what I've done tonight.

The young professor has to face down pure evil, and come through it in one piece.  She comes away from it all slightly hardened, and full of purpose, and anger.

...anger at a world in which people conspired to kill others imply because they worshipped differently or had different ethnic origins.

That brings me to another Dan Brown comparison, or more accurately a contrast.  The protagonist uncovers not just a vast historical conspiracy, she also learns about herself, her family's history, and much more about her Italian roots.  She is a hyphenated Italian whose Italian grandmother never shared much of her culture with her American family.  So, being in Rome, Italy, working with Italians, falling in love with an Italian, awakens Nicola's interest in her roots.

I could make two other comparisons to Dan Brown's novels.  The author presents the necessary convoluted plot very well, just like Dan Brown.  She also has the sometimes unnatural sounding dialog as in the Dan Brown books.  That's a result, in both authors' books, of the genre requiring much explanation, exposition in book terms.  The most interesting way of presenting that information is through dialog, but all that information coming from people, even if they are university professors, can make for some awkward reading at times.  It is a hazard of the genre.

There are five parts to The Lost Catacomb, as the era of events changes.  Each part is entertaining in its own right, as if it were a short story.

1. The Present
2. 253 A.D.
3. The Present
4. 1943-44
5. The Present - Endings

Most of The Lost Catacomb is set Rome, Italy, and the Vatican.  It has Neo-Nazis, an international conspiracy of evil, some ancient Roman scenes, and some scenes set in WWII Rome that portray what some of Rome's Jewish citizens suffered then.  Rome's Jewish community is the oldest continually existent Jewish community in the world, dating to many centuries B.C.  The survival of that community during the war was no small event. 

I hope by now that readers of historical-conspiracy novels know that the history cited in the books is not fact, but fiction, created for the convenience of the plot.  In The Lost Catacomb that is the case with more than one date and fact.  If you are curious about the history mentioned in the book, and the historical figures mentioned, I suggest a trip to Wikipedia.com, where you can read up on the events and people.  That is just part of the fun of historical thrillers and novels, in my humble opinion, the sparking of interest in learning new things.

The book is well-edited and very attractively presented.  There is one short titillating sex scene, one short explicit sex scene, and a strong vulgarity here or there.  The narrative style is third-person limited, putting us in Nicola's mind whenever she is in the scene.  When she isn't in the scene, we are put into the mind of one of the other characters.

I enjoyed most of all the parts of the book set underground in Rome, in the catacombs, since they put the reader into another realm completely.  The reader can feel like a tomb raider at times, and memories of Indiana Jones III may come to mind.  The author has her academics use the correct terms underground, bringing great realism to their discussions.

This is one for fans of historical-conspiracy thrillers, and for readers who like female protagonists.  A suspension of disbelief is necessary, of course, and to take the history presented as not written in stone.

From the book's description (spoilers):

An intoxicating blend of Vatican thriller and heart-rending love story, THE LOST CATACOMB is a stunning debut novel set against the backdrop of the Holocaust in Italy. 

At its heart is Nicola Page, a beautiful young art historian who flies to Rome to assess a newly discovered catacomb of enigmatic provenance. Its magnificent frescoes hold the clues to a centuries-old murder and the existence of a fabled treasure from the ancient Temple in Jerusalem. 

Assisted by a handsome Italian archaeologist, Nicola is quickly drawn into a tangled web of intrigue and peril, masterminded by a powerful priest who is determined to destroy those who would reveal the dark secrets of the past. 

And as Nicola uncovers layer after layer of this deadly past, she is brought face to face with shocking facts about her own family history—facts that will forever change the course of her life.

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com : 

Please visit the author's website.

Mission Rome Scavenger Hunt Adventure by Catherine Aragon

This very clever book of roughly 60 pages is a perfect gift to give a child traveling to Rome, Italy.  It will keep them happily occupied as they visit Rome's most famous sites, and they'll come home knowing a lot about what they've seen.  Accompanying adults are the "case officers" for the "intelligence operative" child.

The child earns points for locating things shown in the book (lots of photos) which are also explained succinctly.  I liked that the child did not compete against the other "intelligence operatives" but instead competed against him/herself, to qualify with enough points to get "hired" for the job after the "test" was over.

There are also Special Missions too, which are designed to encourage the child to try new foods, to learn to speak some Italian, and to understand the money and culture and history better.  All in all, I could see the teacher behind it all, and I heartily approve!

While it is sold as an e-book, I think the paperback is the best option, since the child is supposed to fill in information along the way, and it can make a nice souvenir later in life to recall their trip.

From the book's description:

Planning to travel to Rome with kids? Want to ensure your young explorers get the most out of their travel experience in the Eternal City ? Then, you've come to the right place! 

Mission Rome guides your young travelers through the famous sights of the Eternal City, engaging them in an exciting scavenger hunt as you explore Rome's landmarks together as a family.

Say "arrivederci" to a trip filled with the stress of keeping everyone entertained. Instead, say "buongiorno" to a memorable family vacation - and to your children excited to discover the wonders of Rome with you, with this book as their guide.

Imagine, not only will your kids want to sightsee; but together you'll uncover the intriguing histories of sights like the Pantheon, Roman Forum, Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, and many more.

Not your typical travel guide, Mission Rome ensures a fun vacation for everyone with a captivating, spy-theme scavenger hunt packed with fun activities and the fascinating stories behind the city's landmarks.

Mission Rome is a must-have book for kids visiting Rome, Italy!

Here is a direct link to the book at Amazon.com:

I suggest a visit to the publisher's website where they offer extras and after "mission" support, like a certificate for the child.  They also offer bulk discounts on orders of the paperback books. I've reviewed their Mission Florence book too.

This review is by Candida Martinelli, of Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site, the author of the crime-romance novel THE HAGUE, a traditional murder mystery novel AN EXTRA VIRGIN PRESSING MURDER, and the young-adult/adult mystery novel series THE VIOLET STRANGE MYSTERIES the first book of which is VIOLET'S PROBLEM.

City of Illusions by Judith Works

In City of Illusions, the author gives the reader an Innocents Abroad story about a U.S. American couple who discover what the life of the expatriate worker in Rome, Italy, is really like, while offering the reader a glimpse at Rome's many attractions, distractions, and faults.

The Americans are a thirty-something married couple from Seattle, Washington, whose marriage has serious cracks, and whose characters have even more cracks.  The book could be seen as the study of a crumbling marriage, set in Rome, Italy.

The story of Europe's decadence corrupting naive Americans, Innocents Abroad, has been a favorite of authors for generations.  The freedom of being way from family, religious and social pressure proves to be too much for puritanical, law-abiding Americans again and again.

...safe Seattle where life had always seemed under control and people were normal.

At times the story was like watching a train wreck, as the husband and wife made one poor decision after another, with equally poor justifications for doing so.  Their limited, safe lives before they went to Rome, leave them ill-prepared for what they encounter, and for what they learn about themselves.

I found two points addressed in the book to be very interesting:  blogs and romanticized Italy.  Being a modern book about plugged in people, the author mentions the seemingly overwhelming need some people feel to keep a blog about their life, for all the world to read.

The truth about too many blogs, however, is shown to be that they are too often merely a new version of autobiographical-fiction that people use to boost their self-esteem, and to make others envious.  The protagonist muses at one point that:

Reading about other people's delightful lives, however, only brought an unwelcome comparison...

Most interesting is the portrayal of people who've dreamed of a romanticized Italy, egged on my too many romanticized and sanitized blogs, and those people's reactions when they encounter the real deal. 

Rome is not the Rome from the film Roman Holiday.  Rome is a big, congested, dirty, chaotic, noisy, expensive city that is flooded with tourists, and with beggars and thieves, at times seemingly in equal number.

The view of Rome as something other than what people expect is nothing new.  The Early Renaissance artist Giotto provides the quote about Rome that gave the author the title of this book:

Rome is the city of echoes, the city of illusions, and the city of yearning.

One of the expatriates the couple meet in Rome explains:

...living in Rome is either a one or a two, or a nine or ten.  Not much in between.  And some days it's both.

The story is believable for the most part, although the ending convinced me less than the rest of the book.  The writing is fluid and confident, with the narrative style of third-person limited used throughout, varying the point of view from the wife to the husband, but beginning and ending with the wife's point of view. 

The biggest difference from the classic Innocents Abroad sagas is the ending.  In the 19th and 20th century versions, the protagonists usually ends up seriously wounded or dead (think Daisy Miller).  In this modern incarnation, the protagonists are given relatively happy endings.  The classic tragedy has morphed into a contemporary saga of self-realization.

City of Illusions is an Innocents Abroad saga about two immature, self-centered, naive, insecure, morally-challenged, passive-aggressive, thirty-something U.S. Americans who are forced to grow up, at least a bit, during a one year stay in Rome, Italy.

I leave you with a quote from the author including some excellent book recommendations:

It seems that there are very few novels about actually living as an expat in contemporary Rome (which I can attest veers regularly from sublime to very annoying).  I have several favorite books about Rome and all are quite old now: Carlo Levi's Fleeting Rome, A Time in Rome by Elizabeth Bowen, and Rome and a Villa by Eleanor Clark.  All express the changing yet unchanging nature of the city.  This being said, we were in Rome in May and the city is facing very difficult times.

From the book's description:

Laura's 30th birthday is looming.  Dissatisfied with her life and marriage she impulsively applies for a job in Rome.  When the offer arrives she can't wait to leave gray Seattle and make her dreams of adventure and a rejuvenated marriage come true.

But she and Jake soon learn la dolce vita is far more complicated than expected as they are catapulted into a world full of intrigue, deceit, and infidelity lurking behind the seductive food and wine, sunny piazzas, and crumbling ruins.  Instead of using his time to begin painting again as he promised, Jake becomes involved in Rome's underground corruption.

Now Laura must make a choice as her life spins out of control.  Should she preserve her marriage at all costs or search elsewhere for the key to the happiness she desires?

In this woman's fiction set in the romantic city of Rome, author Judith Works shows there is more to the City of Illusions than meets the eye. 

The author has this memoirs about her time living and working in Rome, Italy.

From the book's description:

Do you want to know what it is really like to live the expatriate life in Rome?  How to cope with a sinking sailboat, an auto accident with the military police, your Italian neighbors entering your apartment in the middle of the night?  Do you know the inspiration for Pasta alla Puttanesca (hint: the prostitutes outside my office)?  Attend Italian weddings?  Would you like to meet the countess with her butt-reductng machine and the count who served as a model for statues of naked horsemen?  An assault during a wine club outing? How about country weekends in Umbria where the Etruscans still seem to be lurking about?

It's all here in Coins in the Fountain, the story of a couple who said "NO!" to middle age and made a dash from Oregon to Rome where the author had the glorious experience of living in Italy while working for the United Nations - twice.  Part memoir, part travelogue to off-beat sites in Rome and elsewhere, you will be amused and intrigued with the stories of food, friends and adventures.  You, too, will want to run away to join the Circus (the Circus Maximus, that is).  And, before you depart Rome, you will never forget to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure a return to beautiful Rome and enchanting Italy.

Here is a link to the book City of Illusions at Amazon.com, and to the author's memoirs Coins in the Fountain.

You can visit with the author via Facebook or her website.