#BookReview – It Happened in Tuscany: A Novel by Gail Mencini

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Book Details

Book Title: It Happened in Tuscany by Gail Mencini
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 408 pages
Genre:  Mainstream Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Capriole Group
Release date:  Feb 18 2020
Content Rating: PG-13. The novel includes violence in war scenes and non-explicit sex scenes, but not f-words, religious profanities, or crude terms 

Book Description

From the multiple-award-winning author of To Tuscany with Love comes a captivating story of the epic tug of war between honor and duty, the irrepressible power of love, and the concept of family.

In 1945, Will Mills and his fellow soldiers in the 10th Mountain Division scaled Italy’s treacherous Riva Ridge in the frigid night to break through the nearly impenetrable German line of defense. Severely wounded, Will was rescued by Italian partisans and one, a beautiful girl, tended his injuries until he had the strength to rejoin the U.S. troops.

Tormented and haunted by his decisions and actions during wartime, Will knows he has unfinished missions in Italy to complete. The passage of time and years of carrying this unfulfilled need have molded Will into a bitter, angry man.

Seventy-five years later, Will’s spunky thirty-two-year-old neighbor, Sophie Sparke, faces disaster in her life. Everything is going wrong—her job, her love life, even her dog. Part of the problem is that confident and fiercely independent Sophie lets her quick mouth get her into trouble.

Grouchy, mean-spirited Will finagles Sophie into traveling with him to Tuscany to find the partisan who saved his life. Will also secretly hopes to confront the demons his wartime actions created. Sophie and Will comb enchanting Tuscan hill towns on an improbable and unfolding mission with few clues to aid them. Will’s passionate tenacity drives their quest and in the process exposes their darkest secrets. The journey alters the course of their lives, and Will and Sophie find more than they had imagined in the hills of Tuscany.

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My Thoughts

To begin with I was completely drawn to the beautiful cover of It Happened in Tuscany. And it didn’t take too many pages to be whisked away to another country and another time.

I really appreciated that the book opens with three maps:

• Riva Ridge – Monte Belvedere (February 1945)
• Emilia – Romagna
• Province of Siena

Those maps offer lots of information to a person, this may or may be in reference to me, who knows very little geography. Thank you Gail Mencini for starting me out a little more educated. 

The story begins with several chapters from February 18, 1945. Seventeen year old Army Specialist Will Mills is part of the elite 86th Regiment – 10th Mountain Division from Colorado. These young men were faced with attacking who are faced with the Germans on Riva Ridge, on Italy’s Apennine Mountains. (Perfect time to refer to one of the maps.) Will’s experience is indelibly printed in his mind.

Fast forward 71 years, Will is now 91 year’s old and his wife has just passed away from Alzheimer’s. It is now time for him to revisit what’s been on his mind for years. And to do that he will need to go back to Italy. But at his age it would be so much better if he could have help. And that’s where his young neighbor Sophie enters. Sophie has recently lost a boyfriend and job, what better time for the two neighbors to get to know each other better?

The author masterfully interweaves the current story with a descriptive almost travel-log-like of the places they were visiting. The people and settings are beautifully constructed. If I hadn’t already desired to visit the Tuscany area, this book would have convinced me to quickly add that destination to my bucket list.

Though Will and Sophie are not well acquainted before the trip, this is a time when both need distractions and each other. It’s a touching tale that teaches along the way.

Concerns

Unfortunately, I do have a concern with Sophie’s relationship in Italy. It seems to grow extremely quickly, with no evidence other than he is nice looking, thoughtful, and easy to talk to. That quickly escalates to sex, which didn’t add anything to the story. And without much more connection they are trying to plan a life-time together. I didn’t feel it. I think it needed more time and examples to show growth.

My Conclusion

All in all this is a lovely story that ties two events together in a way that teaches without feeling like the facts overwhelm the story. At the back of the book are recipes to help this Italian book vacation linger on. A wonderful addition.

My thanks to iRead Book Tours and the author for a copy of this book and the ability to post a review without stipulations.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Meet the Author and GUEST POST

Guest Post

Tools and Applications for Writers

Thank you for allowing me to write a guest post for you, Debbie!

Many aspiring writers ask me what equipment and applications I use to write a manuscript. It seems a simple question, but it’s not. What I use is not what will necessarily work for someone else. It’s a matter of preference and what makes it easy and brings you joy in the process of writing.

A few writers use traditional methods of turning their mental words into a manuscript—pen or pencil on a notepad, a manual or electric typewriter, or dictating their stories into a machine for transcription by someone else. I prefer software or apps and a computer to quickly turn my tales into a digital manuscript that can be backed-up, edited, proofed, and formatted.

There are no “right” or “wrong” applications for a writer. My recommendation to aspiring writers is to use the tools that help you spend less time on the clerical function and more time creating books. A list of the apps and tools I use follows. I am a MAC OS person and write on a laptop to allow use in multiple rooms in my house, at a library, or outside on the patio if I wish. The applications below are MAC OS compatible.

1. Microsoft Word for MAC – I created my debut novel and earlier manuscripts and articles exclusively on Word, with no other writing tools other than a hardbound Dictionary and Thesaurus. I used the built-in grammar, style, and spelling tools in Word. Currently, I always have at least one Word file open to cut and paste scenes I delete from my Scrivener manuscript (see below.) I’m never sure until the end whether I will want to reincorporate some or all of the deleted scenes.
2. Scrivener – My youngest son got me started using Scrivener when he began writing thesis papers in college and extolled the application’s virtues for its ease of rearranging chapters and accumulating research notes and website links. I start a Binder in Scrivener with the Fiction Template. The app also provides templates for Non-Fiction, Scriptwriting, Poetry & Lyrics, and a Miscellaneous Template and a blank one. I have sections for an outline, character sketches, research, and my draft manuscript. Scrivener will export to my MAC version of Word or compile and export in other formats. It is an extremely robust program but does require start-up time in becoming familiar with it.
3. Microsoft Excel for MAC – I keep a running log of words per chapter on an Excel spreadsheet to track my daily and overall progress. This may not be useful for you, but as a former practicing CPA, I like to keep track of my progress. Excel is an easy way to do it as I already had this application on my computer.
4. Grammarly – Grammarly comes into play after my first revision to aid in grammar, phrasing, and spelling. Grammarly is easy to use and very good. I use the paid version. (See ProWritingAid below for an alternative.)
5. MasterWriter: This is my present-day Thesaurus and Dictionary combined (see ProWritingAid below.)
6. I have experimented with two editing applications: AutoCrit and ProWritingAid.
   1. AutoCrit, while offering many useful editing tools, works best with under 10,000 words. This word count limit is a nuisance for a novel, as it requires multiple passes of copying your text to the online platform. 
   2. ProWritingAid integrates with Scrivener and exports to Word, which means no copying and pasting. I like ProWritingAid better than Autocrit. Will it replace my use of Grammarly and MasterWriter? Probably. One con of ProWritingAid is that it is more intrusive than Grammarly. My characters may have their own sense of grammar unique to their locale or education, and I may choose to write deliberately in that manner. When I disagree with ProWritingAid’s suggestions, I ignore them.

Does a fiction writer need apps to assist their writing and editing? No. For me, select use of a carefully chosen application or two may clean up my manuscript before sending it on its way for editing, which I think is desirable. My editors work hard enough!

Perhaps you’re one of those who thrill to the clack of typewriter keys or the scratching of a fountain pen across a notepad. These applications are not for you, and I admire you for your choice!

One last note:  When I write in my journal, I use a fountain or rollerball pen and a leather-bound journal. I love holding a good writing instrument in my hand and the sound of the scritches as the pen flies across the paper.

Thank you for letting me guest post on your blog!

You can learn more about “It Happened in Tuscany,” and “To Tuscany with Love,” at www.gailmencini.com.

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