Okay, readers... can you help me with this book search?

I usually don't have trouble figuring out how to research things, but I'm stumped.

I'm trying to find books similar to "A Year in Provence" but about Italy (pretty much anywhere) or London. They don't have to be really good or really well-known -- just give a feeling for living in those places, even just for a few months.

I've Googled endlessly, been to the library AND searched on Amazon.com and so far, I can't even find the category of book I want. I see that "Year in Provence" is treated more or less as a literary travel book or travelogue, but when I search those categories they're all, well... travel books, or stuff like the memoirs of Marco Polo. I need contemporary books, non-fiction or barely fiction, about an American living abroad in London or Italy.

Even if you can't suggest a book, can you tell me what the heck I'm doing wrong in my searches?

Comments

[Timy]

Hi Christie,

Have you tried Frances Mayes autobiographical books about living in Tuscany? One of them has even been turned into a movie a couple of years ago with Diane Lane in the lead. It was called "Under the Tuscan Sun" and it describes her experience of moving to Tuscany, buying an old villa there and renovating it. She wrote several other books about living in Tuscany, which you can all find on Amazon.

I'm pretty sure if you start from that link, you can find several others in related categories.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your search.

Timy

[Christie]

I remember that book! I think I edited a review of it years ago, when I was editor of CoastViews Magazine! Thank you!

[Nancy C.]

Italian Neighbors by Tim Parks. :-)

[kabbage]

How about searching for "travel memoir books Italy" (or London)? Also, in "Eat, Pray, Love", Elizabeth Gilbert spends the "eat" part of the book in Italy -- roughly 4 months.

[Alison]

I was also going to suggest Under the Tuscan Sun. Another one about England that I remember liking is called My Love Affair with England: A Traveler's Memoir
By Susan Allen Toth.

Bill Bryson also does that kind of extended travelogue / living in a foreign country thing, but in a rather insanely humorous way. I read a couple about Australia but he has also written a couple about England. One is called Notes Grom a Small Island.

Neither of those are just about London but they're sort of in the ballpark.

[Suzie]

Googling exactly what you asked about:

"A Year in Provence" Italy

yielded several of the suggestions above and others.

[Christopher]

The others beat me to Under the Tuscan Sun. If you want more, I suggest the search term "expatriot."

And as long as we're on escapist fantasy movies, I strongly recommend "Pane e Tulipani." It's a devastatingly charming movie about a woman who puts her life on pause to find herself in Venice, and despite being in Italian (parlo), it's terse enough to enjoy the subtitles.

[Sharyn]

There are also the books by Marlena de Blasi: A THOUSAND DAYS IN VENICE, THE LADY IN THE PALAZZO: AT HOME IN UMBRIA, and THAT SUMMER IN SICILY: A LOVE STORY.

[Leanne]

I know a few but they're written by Aussies and a Brit, not Americans. Let me know if you want the titles.

The section on the back of them is Travel/Humour, so maybe that will help your searches?

[Cheryl]

everyone else beat me to the punch on suggestions. I loved the Peter Mayle books but like you had a hard time finding what I wanted. I tripped over the first one and couldn't find the others unless I knew their titles.

If you want to read a book that will make you laugh so hard you pee your pants - try alibris or abe books for 'Our Hearts Were Young and Gay'. It is about two young women who (in the 20's) decide to be adventurous and go off to Europe. They stay a short while in London and then go on to France.

[Eliza]

An Italian affair /
by Fraser, Laura.

Passion on the vine : a memoir of food, wine and family in the heart of Italy / Sergio Esposito ; with Justine van der Leun. Show details
by Esposito, Sergio.

View Item Details

Italy, a love story : women write about the Italian experience / [edited] by Camille Cusumano.

The vinegar of Spilamberto : and other Italian adventures with food, places and people / Doris Muscatine.

Look in your Library catalog under
Italy-description and travel. More than Frommer's.

Or look under biography and Italy, a much broader search but worth browing.

23.
View Item Details

A vineyard in Tuscany : a wine lover's dream / Ferenc Máté.

Have fun
Eliza

[KathyF]

Looks like I need to write the book "Year in London".

[Christie]

You must write it immediately!!!