Review: Convincing images of Rome
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
Four women in Rome are united by text messaging and use of English in an Italian world. Meanwhile their ages, from 50s to 20s, offer plenty of scope for misunderstanding, while surprisingly youthful dialog keeps them together. Each woman has problems with money, jobs, and men; they’re all easily misled into believing they know who they can trust; and their hearts are probably all in the right place as they help each other, babysit, hospital sit, and more.A cheating boyfriend could be a real friend, while a feckless spouse could be even worse than a foe. A roommate’s cat might compete with a disobedient child. And a tour of Rome’s streets will be beautiful whichever character leads the way. Authentic details of lifestyle, accommodation, culture, clothing and food form the backbone of the novel, while fast-paced humorous dialog drives it forward. A small boy  weaves in and out of the story with remarkable annoyance, very adult point of view, and no clear place in life. Meanwhile readers weave between disparate lives and loves, dreams are dashed, and hope prevails.Being English and happily married, I found it hard to relate to the characters of this novel. But I enjoyed the feeling of visiting Rome, eating in restaurants and cafes, driving in the countryside, and meeting the people. The story’s long and has a slice-of-life feel with ends left untied and breadcrumbs trailing the ground, but it’s blessed with a few really great scenes, a genuine feel for Rome, and some pleasing good humor.Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy by the author with a request for my honest review.