Whether it's a groundhog climbing out of a hole to look for shadows or a bit of crocus green slipping through snow, this is the interminable time of winter when any sign of spring sparks a hopeful imagination. As we hunker down for the long stretch between holiday frenzy and the budding of dormant nature, it's extremely pleasant to while away gray, cold hours in reverie of sunnier climes bursting with color, fragrance, and character. If you're like us, reality demands that these sublime reveries remain dreams. However, work responsibilities and an inflexible pocketbook can't truly keep us homebound because we have as many books as we have moods to move us through the streets, fields, and marketplaces of Italy.
Atmosphere is found in the most unlikely of places.
Venice comes to life in the Aurelio Zen murder mystery series by Michael Dibdin and under the pen of the sexually adventurous author Erica Jong, while even vampire queen Anne Rice has immersed herself in Italian lore. A New Life in an Old Land by Ferenc Mate. All of these selections highlight a different side of Italy. All rights reserved.