This book spans several decades that cover the end of WWII and forward. The focus is on snapshots of the daily lives and experiences of several thoughtful and optimistic characters who reside variably in England and Florence, Italy. It's a heartwarming, life-affirming novel about enduring the hardships that come for us all. Serendipity, the value and influence of art, friendship in its various forms, and the arc of life are believably highlighted in this lovely book. A sweet tonic and contextual reminder for our unsettling times.Publisher's description:
Tuscany, 1944: As Allied troops advance and bombs fall around deserted villages, a young English soldier, Ulysses Temper, finds himself in the wine cellar of a deserted villa. There, he has a chance encounter with Evelyn Skinner, a middle-aged art historian who has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the ruins and recall long-forgotten memories of her own youth. In each other, Ulysses and Evelyn find a kindred spirit amidst the rubble of war-torn Italy, and set off on a course of events that will shape Ulysses's life for the next four decades. As Ulysses returns home to London, re-immersing himself in his crew at The Stoat and Parot--a motley mix of pub crawlers and eccentrics--he carries his time in Italy with him. And when an unexpected inheritance brings him back to where it all began, Ulysses knows better than to tempt fate, and returns to the Tuscan hills