Under the Tuscan Sun (book)
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 Hardcover edition | |
| Author | Frances Mayes |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Set in | Tuscany |
| Published | September 1, 1996 |
| Publisher | Chronicle Books |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 299 |
| Awards | The New York Times Notable Book of 1997 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7679-0038-6 |
| OCLC | 1101642227 |
Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy is a 1996 memoir by American author Frances Mayes. It was adapted by director Audrey Wells for the 2003 film Under the Tuscan Sun.[1] The book, published by Random House, was a New York Times bestseller for more than two and a half years, and was a New York Times Notable Book of 1997. It includes several chapters of recipes, and describes how she bought and restored an abandoned villa in the Tuscan countryside.[2] As of 2016, Under the Tuscan Sun had been translated into 54 languages.[3]
The story details the trials that recently divorced Frances and her new significant other, Ed, had to go through to renovate their Tuscan property, an abandoned villa named Bramasole ("longing for the sun") in rural Cortona in Tuscany.[4] As university professors, they did not have to work during the summer; instead of teaching, they spent their summers renovating. While going through an extensive amount of paperwork to begin construction, they meet and befriend many people, including a group of Polish men and a local man who fixes their stone wall.
They encounter many problems along the way; their Italian is poor and their contractors are lazy.
Throughout the story, Frances imagines the villa's previous owner, possibly a kind old nonna. She pictures how the nonna would react to the renovations that Frances was doing to her home.
The couple's main interest is to be able to return to their villa during Christmas break to celebrate the holidays. Unfortunately, for their first Christmas in Tuscany, they found their villa in shambles. This setback is resolved later in the book, when Frances and Ed finally get to spend their winter break in the villa.[5]