In 1967 Eric and Wanda Newby fulfilled
a long-cherished dream when they bought
a run-down farmhouse in northern Tuscany,
in the foothills of the Italian Alps.
They were the first foreigners to live
in the region. A Small Place in Italy describes
how the house was restored with the help
of their neighbors, a colorful cast of
characters who quickly befriended the
Newbys.
With wry humor and a sharp eye for
the quirks of human nature, Newby paints
an unforgettable picture of rural Italy
and its people. The rhythms and rituals
of country life - harvesting grapes,
making wine, hunting for wild mushrooms
- are lovingly evoked, along with the
storybook landscapes and changing seasons.
At the center of his memoir is the farmhouse
itself, which from unpromising beginnings
- tileless roof, long-abandoned septic
tank and mice the size of small cats
- was gradually restored.
E-mail: