Reviewer: Rhonda
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The girls had read all about living in Rome. The way it worked in all those pink, glossy novels was: woman comes to Rome. Woman buys farmhouse in Tuscany. Woman’s toilet overflows. Woman has a good cry. Woman achieves self-realization.
Living in Italy was no vacation, as Lilian would say. As a fifty-something academic living in Rome, she didn’t feel any closer to self-realization, and she had bigger problems than plumbing. Her professor ex-husband had just started dating her boss (the Chair of the department), and if that weren’t enough she’s just found herself in an Italian Emergency Room, where the people around her seem “to be speaking some dialect of squirrel”. Language problems won’t hold her back, as she’s got her friends Brennan (an athlete constantly risking deportation), and Suzanne (a newly divorced, single mother) to translate.
This story follows these three unlikely friends in different stages of life over the course of a year: broken bones, dates in the Catacombs, multiple boyfriends named Massimo, spelunking into cavernous Roman ruins, killing one’s own turkey in a country that doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, explaining to a nun how adorable one’s own child is after he is expelled, learning how to get some sleep when you’ve rented a room in a church directly under the church bells.
As things get ever more messy these women will discover if they can get it all sorted, with or without all the “ciao bellas”.
Rome for Beginners is skosh heavier than an average Chick Lit book, yet a smidgen lighter than normal Women’s Fiction. Readers who love quirky reading or summer fare, who like satire, who like a biting sense of humor, and who are curious about Italian life should love this book. Lovers of Rome should also love the book, as the city is a character unto itself.
Review:
I found Rome for Beginners to be an adventure inside an adventure. There were many characters but it was not difficult to follow as each new friend entered the story.
The women certainly had interesting lives with diverse backgrounds. They caused or had the unfortunate luck to get tangled up in many laughable situations. They were always there for each other and they certainly stuck together.
I loved the quirks of Rome and the adventures on the metro bus. The idea of the free condensed reading material designed for a certain number of stops made me chuckle.
Brennan’s antics at Lillian’s speech was priceless.
There was a lot of dialogue and at times I felt the book was a bit wordy, but it a was fun read.
I recommend Rome for Beginners to anyone who enjoys reading about different cultures and likes quirky characters that will make you shake your head, roll your eyes or laugh out loud.
Great review! I will be adding this to my to read list.