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Book Au Revoir  Europe

Download or read book Au Revoir Europe written by David Charter and published by Biteback Publishing. This book was released on 2012-12-01 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forty years ago, Britain joined the club of European nations. The idea was to guarantee peace and prosperity on the continent through 'ever closer union' following centuries of terrible wars. But after four decades of membership, costing the UK more than ?200 billion, public disenchantment with the European Union has never been so great. In Au Revoir, Europe David Charter, Europe Correspondent for The Times, looks at what went wrong - and what happens next. It charts Britain's increasing detachment from the European project amid a barrage of bureaucracy, mindboggling expenditure and concern at sharing sovereignty for goals that were never truly embraced. From trade to transport, fishing to finance, investment to immigration, the decision that Britain takes on its future relationship with Brussels will touch many parts of everyday life. In presenting the unvarnished truth of what it would really mean for Britain to say goodbye, this book is a unique contribution to the European debate and essential reading for all.

Book Au Revoir to All That

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michael Steinberger
  • Publisher : Anchor Canada
  • Release : 2010-12-17
  • ISBN : 0385673264
  • Pages : 262 pages

Download or read book Au Revoir to All That written by Michael Steinberger and published by Anchor Canada. This book was released on 2010-12-17 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rich, lively book about the upheaval in French gastronomy, set against the backdrop of France’s diminished fortunes as a nation. France is in a rut, and so is French cuisine. Twenty-five years ago it was hard to have a bad meal there; today it’s difficult to find a good one. An unmistakable whiff of decline emanates from its kitchens, and many believe that London, Spain, and New York are more exciting places to eat. Parisian bistros and brasseries are disappearing at an alarming rate; large segments of France’s wine industry are in crisis; many artisanal products are threatened with extinction. But astonishingly, business is good for McDonald’s: France has become its second-most profitable market in the world. How this happened and what is being done to revive the gastronomic arts in France are the questions at the heart of this book. Steinberger meets top chefs, winemakers, farmers, bakers, and other artisans, interviews the head of McDonald’s Europe, marches down a Paris boulevard with "alter-globalization" activist José Bové, and breaks bread with the editorial director of the very powerful and secretive Michelin Guide. The result is a striking portrait of a cuisine and a country in transition.

Book Au Revoir  Tristesse

Download or read book Au Revoir Tristesse written by Viv Groskop and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Groskop skillfully juggles memoir, biography, philosophy, and literary criticism to create a delightful tour through some of French literature’s greats.” —Madeline Miller, New York Times–bestselling author Like many people the world over, Viv Groskop wishes she was a little more French. A writer, comedian, and journalist, Groskop studied the language obsessively starting at age 11, and spent every vacation in France, desperate to escape her Englishness and to have some French chic rub off on her. In Au Revoir, Tristesse, Groskop mixes literary history and memoir to explore how the classics of French literature can infuse our lives with joie de vivre and teach us how to say goodbye to sadness. From the frothy hedonism of Colette and the wit of Cyrano de Bergerac to the intoxicating universe of Marguerite Duras and the heady passions of Les Liaisons dangereuses, this is a love letter to great French writers. With chapters on Marcel Proust, Victor Hugo, Gustave Flaubert, Stendhal, Honoré de Balzac, Albert Camus, and of course Françoise Sagan, this is a delectable read for book lovers everywhere. “Ms. Groskop is a skilled raconteuse who brings people—and the page—to life. She writes with a self-deprecating appreciation of the Frenchman or -woman manqué(e) that lurks in us all. You don’t have to be a savant to enjoy this book . . . Au Revoir, Tristesse will make a witty, seductive companion.” —The Wall Street Journal “Groskop’s combination of her own memories, what the novels meant to her at different stages in her life, her description of the authors, along with her description of the novels, will have readers eagerly turning the book’s pages.” —Forbes

Book The Bonjour Effect

    Book Details:
  • Author : Julie Barlow
  • Publisher : St. Martin's Press
  • Release : 2016-04-19
  • ISBN : 1250102448
  • Pages : 288 pages

Download or read book The Bonjour Effect written by Julie Barlow and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow spent a decade traveling back and forth to Paris as well as living there. Yet one important lesson never seemed to sink in: how to communicate comfortably with the French, even when you speak their language. In The Bonjour Effect Jean-Benoît and Julie chronicle the lessons they learned after they returned to France to live, for a year, with their twin daughters. They offer up all the lessons they learned and explain, in a book as fizzy as a bottle of the finest French champagne, the most important aspect of all: the French don't communicate, they converse. To understand and speak French well, one must understand that French conversation runs on a set of rules that go to the heart of French culture. Why do the French like talking about "the decline of France"? Why does broaching a subject like money end all discussion? Why do the French become so aroused debating the merits and qualities of their own language? Through encounters with school principals, city hall civil servants, gas company employees, old friends and business acquaintances, Julie and Jean-Benoît explain why, culturally and historically, conversation with the French is not about communicating or being nice. It's about being interesting. After reading The Bonjour Effect, even readers with a modicum of French language ability will be able to hold their own the next time they step into a bistro on the Left Bank.

Book Chanel s Riviera

    Book Details:
  • Author : Anne de Courcy
  • Publisher : Weidenfeld & Nicolson
  • Release : 2019-06-13
  • ISBN : 1474608221
  • Pages : 304 pages

Download or read book Chanel s Riviera written by Anne de Courcy and published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. This book was released on 2019-06-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Far from worrying about the onset of war, in the spring of 1938 the burning question on the French Riviera was whether one should curtsey to the Duchess of Windsor. Few of those who had settled there thought much about what was going on in the rest of Europe. It was a golden, glamorous life, far removed from politics or conflict. Featuring a sparkling cast of artists, writers and historical figures including Winston Churchill, Daisy Fellowes, Salvador Dalí, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Eileen Gray and Edith Wharton, with the enigmatic Coco Chanel at its heart, CHANEL'S RIVIERA is a captivating account of a period that saw some of the deepest extremes of luxury and terror in the whole of the twentieth century. From Chanel's first summer at her Roquebrune villa La Pausa (in the later years with her German lover) amid the glamour of the pre-war parties and casinos in Antibes, Nice and Cannes to the horrors of evacuation and the displacement of thousands of families during the Second World War, CHANEL'S RIVIERA explores the fascinating world of the Cote d'Azur elite in the 1930s and 1940s. Enriched with much original research, it is social history that brings the experiences of both rich and poor, protected and persecuted, to vivid life.

Book Arcadia

    Book Details:
  • Author : Lauren Groff
  • Publisher : Hachette Books
  • Release : 2012-03-13
  • ISBN : 1401342787
  • Pages : 260 pages

Download or read book Arcadia written by Lauren Groff and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2012-03-13 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A staggering portrait of a crumbling utopia, this "timeless and vast" novel filled with the "raw beauty" beautifully depicts an idyllic commune in New York State -- and charts its eventual yet inevitable downfall (Janet Maslin, The New York Times). NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Timeless and vast... The raw beauty of Ms. Groff's prose is one of the best things about Arcadia. But it is by no means this book's only kind of splendor."---Janet Maslin, The New York Times "Even the most incidental details vibrate with life Arcadia wends a harrowing path back to a fragile, lovely place you can believe in."---Ron Charles, The Washington Post In the fields of western New York State in the 1970s, a few dozen idealists set out to live off the land, founding a commune centered on the grounds of a decaying mansion called Arcadia House. Arcadia follows this romantic utopian dream from its hopeful start through its heyday. Arcadia's inhabitants include Handy, the charismatic leader; his wife, Astrid, a midwife; Abe, a master carpenter; Hannah, a baker and historian; and Abe and Hannah's only child, Bit. While Arcadia rises and falls, Bit, too, ages and changes. He falls in love with Helle, Handy's lovely, troubled daughter. And eventually he must face the world beyond Arcadia. In Arcadia, Groff displays her literary gifts to stunning effect. "Fascinating."---People (****) "It's not possible to write any better without showing off."---Richard Russo, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Empire Falls "Dazzling."---Vogue

Book The Populist Temptation

Download or read book The Populist Temptation written by Barry J. Eichengreen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Populism, a political movement with anti-elite, authoritarian and nativist tendencies, typically spearheaded by a charismatic leader, is an old phenomenon but also a very new and disturbing one at that. The Populist Temptation is an effort to understand the wellsprings of populist movements and why the threat they pose to mainstream political parties and pluralistic democracy has been more successfully contained in some cases than others"--

Book The New Parisienne

    Book Details:
  • Author : Lindsey Tramuta
  • Publisher : Abrams
  • Release : 2020-07-07
  • ISBN : 1683358783
  • Pages : 442 pages

Download or read book The New Parisienne written by Lindsey Tramuta and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2020-07-07 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Tramuta sweeps away the tired clichés of the Parisian woman with her vivid profiles of the dynamic and creative ‘femmes’ now powering the French capital.” —Eleanor Beardsley, NPR Paris correspondent The New Parisienne focuses on one of the city’s most prominent features, its women. Lifting the veil on the mythologized Parisian woman—white, lithe, ever fashionable—Lindsey Tramuta demystifies this oversimplified archetype and recasts the women of Paris as they truly are, in all their complexity. Featuring 50 activists, creators, educators, visionaries, and disruptors—like Leïla Slimani, Lauren Bastide, and Mayor Anne Hidalgo—the book reveals Paris as a blossoming cultural center of feminine power. Both the featured women and Tramuta herself offer up favorite destinations and women-owned businesses, including beloved shops, artistic venues, bistros, and more. The New Parisienne showcases “Parisianness” in all its multiplicity, highlighting those who are bucking tradition, making names for themselves, and transforming the city. “With stunning photographs and inspiring profiles, Lindsey Tramuta tramples the myths and takes us into the lives of real Parisiennes. Bravo!”—Pamela Druckerman, New York Times–bestselling author of Bringing Up Bébé “Like the subjects of her book, Lindsey Tramuta is a force. The New Parisienne is the go-to chronicle of the joyful, progressive, pioneering women of a city that Tramuta understands with deep intelligence.” —Lauren Collins, New York Times–bestselling author of When in French “Tramuta’s new book posits that Parisian women have been ahead of these radically changing times. But rather than being trendsetters in the stylish sense, they qualify as visionaries and agents of change across spheres of diversity, tech, culture, politics, and more.” —Vogue

Book The Perfectionist

    Book Details:
  • Author : Rudolph Chelminski
  • Publisher : Penguin
  • Release : 2005-05-19
  • ISBN : 1101216689
  • Pages : 428 pages

Download or read book The Perfectionist written by Rudolph Chelminski and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2005-05-19 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An unforgettable portrait of France’s legendary chef, and the sophisticated, unforgiving world of French gastronomy Bernard Loiseau was one of only twenty-five French chefs to hold Europe’s highest culinary award, three stars in the Michelin Red Guide, and only the second chef to be personally awarded the Legion of Honor by a head of state. Despite such triumphs, he shocked the culinary world by taking his own life in February 2003. TheGaultMillau guidebook had recently dropped its ratings of Loiseau’s restaurant, and rumors swirled that he was on the verge of losing a Michelin star (a prediction that proved to be inaccurate). Journalist Rudolph Chelminski, who befriended Loiseau three decades ago and followed his rise to the pinnacle of French restaurateurs, now gives us a rare tour of this hallowed culinary realm. The Perfectionist is the story of a daydreaming teenager who worked his way up from complete obscurity to owning three famous restaurants in Paris and rebuilding La Côte d’Or, transforming a century-old inn and restaurant that had lost all of its Michelin stars into a luxurious destination restaurant and hotel. He started a line of culinary products with his name on them, appeared regularly on television and in the press, and had a beautiful, intelligent wife and three young children he adored—Bernard Loiseau seemed to have it all. An unvarnished glimpse inside an echelon filled with competition, culture wars, and impossibly high standards, The Perfectionist vividly depicts a man whose energy and enthusiasm won the hearts of staff and clientele, while self-doubt and cut-throat critics took their toll.

Book Brexit For Dummies

Download or read book Brexit For Dummies written by Nicholas Wallwork and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-07-11 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your practical and fearless guide to surviving the world’s biggest break-up Whether you’re a staunch Remainer, a buccaneering Brexiteer, or are wavering between the two camps, you’ll want to be fully au fait with all the issues surrounding Britain’s exit from the EU—wherever in the world you and your business are based. This book, by leading businessman and entrepreneur Nicholas Wallwork, will arm you with everything you need to negotiate the post-Brexit landscape and end up just where you need to be. Kicking off with the history behind the tightly fought June 23 referendum, Brexit for Dummies covers the origins of British Euroscepticism right up to the most recent legal and policy changes in place following the vote. As well as looking at the influence Brexit has already had—both domestically and internationally—the book takes a glimpse at what lies ahead, giving you vital insights into how to protect your business right now and to capitalize on new opportunities in the future. Changing customs: how to negotiate the new import-export rules Think global: how is Brexit influencing the international economy? Get moving: what do immigration policy changes mean for my business? Buy or sell?: make the smartest foreign investment decisions both inside and outside Britain Love it or loathe it, Brexit has profound implications for your business, and this guide will help you stop worrying and prove that au revoir doesn’t mean goodbye for good.

Book Cry  Mother Spain

    Book Details:
  • Author : Lydie Salvayre
  • Publisher : MacLehose Press
  • Release : 2016-06-16
  • ISBN : 0857054511
  • Pages : 157 pages

Download or read book Cry Mother Spain written by Lydie Salvayre and published by MacLehose Press. This book was released on 2016-06-16 with total page 157 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aged fifteen, as Franco's forces begin their murderous purges and cities across Spain rise up against the old order, Montse has never heard the word fascista before. In any case, the villagers say facha (the ch is a real Spanish ch, by the way, with a real spit). Montse lives in a small village, high in the hills, where few people can read or write and fewer still ever leave. If everything goes according to her mother's plan, Montse will never leave either. She will become a good, humble maid for the local landowners, muchísimas gracias, with every Sunday off to dance the jota in the church square. But Montse's world is changing. Her brother José has just returned from Lérida with a red and black scarf and a new, dangerous vocabulary and his words are beginning to open up new realms to his little sister. She might not understand half of what he says, but how can anyone become a maid in the Burgos family when their head is ringing with shouts of Revolución, Comunidad and Libertad? The war, it seems, has arrived in the nick of time.

Book The Cinema of Louis Malle

Download or read book The Cinema of Louis Malle written by Philippe Met and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arguably a pioneer of the French New Wave (with Ascenseur pour l’échafaud, 1957) Louis Malle went on to enjoy an acclaimed yet provocative and versatile transatlantic career. This collection of original essays proposes to reassess his richly eclectic and boldly subversive oeuvre and redress the surprising critical neglect it has suffered over the years. It does so through a combination of transversal and monographic analyses that use a variety of critical lenses and theoretical tools in order to examine Malle’s documentaries as well as his fiction features (and, more importantly, the constant shuttling and uniquely persistent cross-pollination between those two cinematic approaches), illuminate the profound, lasting dialogue his films entertained with literature and theater, bring to the fore their sustained, albeit often oblique autobiographical thrust along with their scathing sociopolitical critique, and scrutinize the alternating use of stars and non-professional actors. In addition, the volume features an exclusive interview with the acclaimed playwright John Guare (a close friend and collaborator of Louis Malle’s who scripted Atlantic City) and is bookended by a foreword by Volker Schlöndorff and an afterword by Wes Anderson, two renowned filmmakers who articulate their admiration for, and the seminal influence of, their predecessor.

Book Au Revoir Liverpool

    Book Details:
  • Author : Maureen Lee
  • Publisher : Orion
  • Release : 2011-02-17
  • ISBN : 1409124711
  • Pages : 260 pages

Download or read book Au Revoir Liverpool written by Maureen Lee and published by Orion. This book was released on 2011-02-17 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A gripping Second World War novel, from the bestselling author of NOTHING LASTS FOREVER and THE LEAVING OF LIVERPOOL. Liverpool, 1937. Jessica is married to Bertie, a mean, patronising man who she has stayed with purely for the sake of her two young children. To make up for the love and passion that is missing from her life, she spends the occasional afternoon at the local cinema, lost in romantic films. But when an unexpected glass of champagne is offered to her in a Liverpool hotel, the consequences turn out to be shattering. When Bertie discovers his wife's deceit, he is ruthless in his revenge. He sells their house and disappears with her beloved children, leaving Jessica devastated and alone. Then she is asked to visit Paris and help an old friend and her small daughters return to Liverpool before the onset of the war. But Jessica finds herself stranded in Paris under German occupation. With new friends and a small family to care for, she must find the courage that she never knew she possessed...

Book Lonely Planet Europe on a shoestring

Download or read book Lonely Planet Europe on a shoestring written by Lonely Planet and published by Lonely Planet. This book was released on 2018-10-01 with total page 1376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring is your passport to having big experiences on a small budget, offering the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, what hidden discoveries await you, and how to optimise your budget for an extended continental trip. Hit the streets and free museums of one of the world's greatest capital cities, London; soak up history and art by day and party by night in Berlin; pick your Greek island for fresh food and golden beaches. All with your trusted travel companion. Inside Lonely Planet's Europe on a Shoestring: Budget-oriented recommendations with honest reviews - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Extensive planning tools and budget calculators Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Cultural insights provide a richer, more rewarding travel experience - covering history, art, literature, cinema, landscapes Colour maps and images throughout Covers Great Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia, Russia, the Baltic Coast, Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Belgium, Austria, and more Useful features: First Time Europe; Big Adventures, Small Budgets; Off the Beaten Track; Border Crossing; Splurge; and Responsible Travel The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Europe on a shoestring is perfect for budget- and value-conscious travellers taking a big trip, and is packed with amazing sights and experiences, savvy tips and recommendations. Looking for suggestions from a wider range of prices for a shorter, multi-country trip? Check out Lonely Planet's Europe for a comprehensive look at all the continent has to offer. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia) eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

Book The Populist Temptation

Download or read book The Populist Temptation written by Barry Eichengreen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-05-03 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Populism of the right and left has spread like wildfire throughout the world. The impulse reached its apogee in the United States with the election of Trump, but it was a force in Europe ever since the Great Recession sent the European economy into a prolonged tailspin. In the simplest terms, populism is a political ideology that vilifies economic and political elites and instead lionizes 'the people.' The people, populists of all stripes contend, need to retake power from the unaccountable elites who have left them powerless. And typically, populists' distrust of elites shades into a catchall distrust of trained experts because of their perceived distance from and contempt for 'the people.' Another signature element of populist movements is faith in a savior who can not only speak directly to the people, but also serve as a vessel for the plain people's hopes and dreams. Going back to the 1890s, a series of such saviors have come and gone in the US alone, from William Jennings Bryan to Huey Long to--finally--Donald Trump. In The Populist Temptation, the eminent economic historian Barry Eichengreen focuses on the global resurgence of populism today and places it in a deep context. Alternating between the present and earlier populist waves from modern history, he argues that populists tend to thrive most in the wake of economic downturns, when it is easy to convince the masses of elite malfeasance. Yet while there is more than a grain of truth that bankers, financiers, and 'bought' politicians are responsible for the mess, populists' own solutions tend to be simplistic and economically counterproductive. Moreover, by arguing that the ordinary people are at the mercy of extra-national forces beyond their control--international capital, immigrants, cosmopolitan globalists--populists often degenerate into demagoguery and xenophobia. There is no one solution to addressing the concerns that populists raise, but Eichengreen argues that there is an obvious place to start: shoring up and improving the welfare state so that it is better able to act as a buffer for those who suffer most during economic slumps. For example, America's patchwork welfare state was not well equipped to deal with the economic fallout that attended globalization and the decline of manufacturing in America, and that played no small part in Trump's victory. Lucidly explaining both the appeals and dangers of populism across history, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand not just the populist phenomenon, but more generally the lasting political fallout that follows in the wake of major economic crises.

Book Monsieur Roscoe on Holiday

    Book Details:
  • Author : Jim Field
  • Publisher : Hodder Children's Books
  • Release : 2021-06-24
  • ISBN : 9781444932683
  • Pages : 32 pages

Download or read book Monsieur Roscoe on Holiday written by Jim Field and published by Hodder Children's Books. This book was released on 2021-06-24 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Monsieur Roscoe and his goldfish, Fry, are off on the holiday of a lifetime - and you're invited too! From the multi-award-winning, bestselling illustrator of Oi Frog! and The Lion Inside. Monsieur Roscoe is going on holiday! Join him and his goldfish, Fry, as they camp, ski and sail their way through the journey of a lifetime, making friends and learning lots of new French words along the way. A fun and colourful picture book from the bestselling illustrator of Oi Frog! and The Lion Inside, Monsieur Roscoe will make learning French exciting for the youngest children.

Book Il Bel Centro

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michelle Damiani
  • Publisher : Rialto Press
  • Release : 2020-08-09
  • ISBN : 8835880866
  • Pages : 514 pages

Download or read book Il Bel Centro written by Michelle Damiani and published by Rialto Press. This book was released on 2020-08-09 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A witty and warm-hearted memoir of abandoning fast-paced American days in favor of discovering the Italian secrets of food, community, and life. Moving across the globe meant Michelle Damiani soon found herself untangling Italian customs, delighting in glorious regional cuisine (recipes included), and creating lasting friendships. From grandmothers eager to teach the ancient art of pasta making, to bakers tossing bread into fiery ovens with a song, to butchers extolling the benefits of pork fat, Il Bel Centro is rich with captivating characters and cultural insights. Throw in clinking glasses of Umbrian red with the local communists and a village all-nighter decorating the cobblestone streets with flower petals; as well as embarrassing language minefields and a serious summons to the mayor’s office, and you have all the ingredients for a spellbinding travel tale. Exquisitely observed, Il Bel Centro is an intimate celebration of small town Italy, as well as a thoughtful look at raising a family in a new culture and a fascinating story of finding a home. Ultimately though, this is a story about how travel can change you when you’re ready to let it. With laugh-out-loud situations and wanderlust-inspiring storytelling, Il Bel Centro is a joyous and life-affirming read that will have readers rushing to renew their passports. “This is one of the most beautiful book I’ve ever read.” “I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book.” “This book made me want to pack my bags.” “I loved, loved this book. Fabulously written, engaging, and entertaining.” “A magical read.”