Dear Frances,
I didn't realize that your movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" was a memoir of yours. I hadn't known the back story and thought it was fictional. I had already fell in love with the movie, then I went to Italy before picking up my newly adopted Ethiopian daughter (Aug. 2008), but I have not been able to get Italy out of my head...truly it is all consuming. I was very happy to know that you wrote it as a memoir (I write as an outlet and have written since I was 9 with my diaries) as the little spare time I have, I choose to read non-fiction. (That may change once I read Swan though.) I agree, the reason for the success of the book and movie is absolutely because many of us out there would like to do just that ... take a risk of this nature. I've taken many and they have all paid great dividends.
So finding out that your writings were memoirs, the library became my new companion where I checked out your books and devoured them yesterday. At the moment, I honestly do not know what to do with the conflicting of my emotions. I live in Denver, Colorado, but my heart is in Tuscany. I would like to blink my eyes and cross my arms across my chest a'la "I Dream of Jeanie" whilst creating a place where my two worlds converge into one. All I can do is attempt to create what I love so much about Italy into my existing life. I have 2 teen boys, one 3 yr old and 22 years of marriage to the love of my life. I couldn't ask for more ... but I want to!
I am traveling to Italy in June for a month doing home exchanges with half a dozen Italians who are kind enough to allow me to stay in their homes and they in mine. From the Amalfi Coast through Tuscany to Venice, I will enjoy every step I walk and every minute I am there. My husband understands who I am and that we need to take care of our souls in order to be full and present in our ever busy lives that we all live. Thank you for your gift of writing and sharing it with us. Especially those of us who drink it in like mama's homemade limoncello on a warm Summer night under the Tuscan Moon ... like I did in July of 2008 at Francesco's Villa in Siena!
God bless us ... who dream!
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