Now and Then in Tuscany Italian Journeys

Although it can be read in its own right, "Now and Then in Tuscany" is a sequel to "Tuscan Roots" and carries on the story of Anna and Francesco Starnucci with their family in Tuscany. It is a lovingly researched account of young Giuseppe Starnucci at the start of the twentieth century when he accompanies shepherds down to the coast from his village in the Tuscan Apennines. This "transumanza" lasted for five months every winter and encompassed many hardships, including the ever-present threat of malaria, bandits and long separations from family. Giuseppe's adventures are re-lived by his great grandson's family one hundred years later. The two stories are interwoven, each generation on a journey of self-awareness. Along the way, there are trials and dilemmas for both families to deal with in their own way. "Now and Then in Tuscany" is a story of hardship, secrets and passion which brings to light the customs and people of rural Tuscany. The author evokes the particular scents and sounds of a bygone mountain life and her writing has been praised as: "a great combination of a true account and fiction."