Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Italy
Beautiful Ruins
by Jess Walter
A romantic story of fate, secrets, and destiny, spanning from Italy in the 1960s to present day.
"The best novel of the year." — Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air A #1 New York Times bestseller, this “absolute masterpiece” (Richard Russo) is the story of an almost-love affair that begins on the ... (Goodreads)
Blood from a Stone
by Donna Leon
Commissario Brunetti investigates the murder of a wealthy Venetian and uncovers corruption and greed in the art world.
A pitch-perfect mystery, an alluring portrait of contemporary Venice, and an elucidating eye into the attitudes of a timeless place in the grip of change. Donna Leon's international best-selling and ... (Goodreads)
Wilful Behaviour
by Donna Leon
A Venetian police commissioner investigates the murder of a wealthy elderly woman. The case leads him to the world of art forgery and corruption.
From the acclaimed author of, The Waters of Eternal Youth, Commissario Guido Brunetti dredges up dark secrets from Italy's anti-Semitic past in his captivating eleventh case. Mystery lovers ... (Goodreads)
The Story of a New Name
by Elena Ferrante
Two young women's search for identity and independence in a patriarchal society.
In 2012, Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend introduced readers to the unforgettable Elena and Lila, whose lifelong friendship provides the backbone for the Neapolitan Novels. The Story of a New ... (Goodreads)
A Thread of Grace
by Mary Doria Russell
A young girl's story of resilience through the chaos of WWII Italy.
Set in Italy during the dramatic finale of World War II, this new novel is the first in seven years by the bestselling author of The Sparrow and Children of God . It is September 8, 1943, and ... (Goodreads)
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
by Mark T. Sullivan
True story of a young Italian man's courage and heroism during WWII.
Based on the true story of a forgotten hero,, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours., Pino ... (Goodreads)
In the Company of the Courtesan
by Sarah Dunant
A story of a courtesan's journey in Renaissance Italy, and the powerful men she encounters.
My lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color into her lips when the unthinkable happened and the Holy Roman Emperor's army blew a hole in the wall of God's eternal city, ... (Goodreads)
Dressed for Death
by Donna Leon
A Venetian detective investigates a murder with a complicated web of suspects and motives.
Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti’s hopes of escaping the sweltering heat of Venice in August for a refreshing family holiday in the mountains are dashed when a gruesome discovery is made in a ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Shoemaker's Wife
by Adriana Trigiani
Two Italian immigrants forge a love story amongst the struggles of making a life in America.
The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in ... (Goodreads)
Under the Tuscan Sun
by Frances Mayes
A woman's journey of self-discovery and renewal through a move to Tuscany.
The story details the trials that Frances and her husband Ed had to go through to renovate their Tuscan property, an abandoned villa ( Bramasole ) in rural Cortona in Tuscany . As university ... (Wikipedia)
Very Valentine
by Adriana Trigiani
Valentine Roncalli navigates life and love while trying to save her family's shoe business. Set in New York City and Italy.
The Angelini Shoe Company, one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village, has been making exquisite wedding shoes since 1903 but now teeters on the brink of financial collapse. To save ... (Barnes & Noble)
Pronto
by Elmore Leonard
A crime drama following a Miami mobster as he gets caught up in a dangerous web of schemes and lies.
Harry Arno, an over-the-hill Miami bookmaker , quietly lives the good life with his girlfriend, Joyce Patton. He has skimmed for years from his corpulent mob boss, Jimmy "Cap" Capotorto, and managed ... (Wikipedia)
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante
A story of two friends' lives, exploring the intricacies of female friendship and life in a Neapolitan neighbourhood.
A modern masterpiece from one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante's inimitable style lends ... (Goodreads)
All the Stars in the Heavens
by Adriana Trigiani
A fictionalized account of the real-life relationship between actress Loretta Young and Clark Gable during the filming of "The Call of the Wild" in 1935.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, People,'s Book of the Week Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Nominee for Fiction Adriana Trigiani, the, New York Times, bestselling author of the blockbuster epic, ... (Barnes & Noble)
Acqua Alta
by Donna Leon
A Venetian mystery novel where Commissario Brunetti investigates a murder during the city's high water season.
Donna Leon's growing American fan base is hungry for more of the books from her internationally bestselling series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Now in what many consider one of the finest in ... (Goodreads)
The Agony and the Ecstasy
by Irving Stone
An epic tale of Michelangelo's life and art, the struggles and triumphs of his creative genius.
Celebrating the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s David, New American Library releases a special edition of Irving Stone’s classic biographical novel—in which both the artist and the man are ... (Goodreads)
A Noble Radiance
by Donna Leon
Commissario Brunetti investigates the murder of a wealthy Venetian lawyer, uncovering corruption and greed in the city's elite.
Donna Leon has topped European bestseller lists for more than a decade with a series of mysteries featuring clever Commissario Guido Brunetti. Always ready to bend the rules to uncover the threads of ... (Goodreads)
Love & Gelato
by Jenna Evans Welch
A young girl's summer journey to Italy, where she discovers treasured family secrets and a newfound appreciation for life.
A summer in Italy turns into a road trip across Tuscany in this sweeping, New York Times, bestseller filled with romance, mystery, and adventure. Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Shape of Water
by Andrea Camilleri
A Sicilian detective investigates a mysterious murder, revealing secrets of the past.
The Shape of Water, is the first in Andrea Camilleri's wry, brilliantly compelling Sicilian crime series, featuring Inspector Montalbano. The goats of Vigàta once grazed on the trash-strewn site ... (Goodreads)
The Golden Egg
by Donna Leon
A young man's body is found in a canal, and Commissario Brunetti investigates the case, uncovering corruption and secrets in Venice's art world.
"In The Golden Egg, as the first leaves of autumn begin to fall, Vice Questore Patta asks Brunetti to look into a minor shop-keeping violation committed by the mayor's future daughter-in-law. ... (Goodreads)
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
by Anthony Doerr
Reflections on a year spent in Rome, exploring the city's culture and people.
From the author of the acclaimed Pulitzer Prize-winning #1 New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See , a "dazzling" (Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran ) memoir about art and ... (Barnes & Noble)
Death at La Fenice
by Donna Leon
A Venetian detective investigates a murder at the La Fenice opera house.
A world-famous German opera conductor has died at La Fenice , and Commissario (Detective) Guido Brunetti pursues what appears to be a murder investigation without leads. Leon, who completed a ... (Wikipedia)
Friends in High Places
by Donna Leon
Commissario Brunetti investigates the death of a wealthy Venetian count, uncovering corruption and secrets in high society.
“By far the best” in the, New York Times,–bestselling, Macallan Silver Dagger–winning series featuring Venetian detective Commissario Brunetti (,Evening Standard,). In this vivid and atmospheric ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Waters of Eternal Youth
by Donna Leon
Commissario Brunetti investigates a case of a woman who lost her memory in a traumatic event 30 years ago.
In the twenty-fifth novel in Donna Leon’s celebrated and bestselling series, Venetian Commissario Guido Brunetti finds himself caught up in a tragedy that befell a girl fifteen years earlier. In ... (Barnes & Noble)
Excursion to Tindari
by Andrea Camilleri
Inspector Montalbano investigates a murder in Tindari, Sicily, while dealing with personal and professional challenges.
The story takes place between Vigàta and picturesque site of Tindari , a promontory of historical and archaeological beauty. Montalbano is investigating the mysterious bond that unites three ... (Wikipedia)
Cuore: Heart : an Italian Schoolboy's Journal, a Book for Boys
by Edmondo de Amicis
A touching story about a young Italian boy's experience of school and childhood.
Heart, ( Italian : Cuore ,[ˈkwɔːre], ) is a children's novel by the Italian author Edmondo De Amicis who was a novelist, journalist, short story writer, and poet. The novel is his best known work to ... (Wikipedia)
The Light in the Ruins
by Chris Bohjalian
A haunting tale of a family's struggle to survive during WWII and the aftermath of a murder investigation in post-war Italy.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Sandcastle Girls comes a spellbinding novel of love, despair, and revenge—set in war-ravaged Tuscany. 1943: Tucked away in the idyllic ... (Goodreads)
Death in a Strange Country
by Donna Leon
Commissario Brunetti investigates the murder of a young American soldier in Venice, uncovering corruption and secrets in the process.
Early one morning Brunetti is confronted with the body of a young American serviceman fished out of a fetid Venetian canal. All clues point to a mugging, but robbery seems too convenient a motive. ... (Wikipedia)
The Midwife of Venice
by Roberta Rich
A Jewish midwife in 16th century Venice risks everything to save a Christian baby. A tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of motherhood.
An opulent, riveting, and suspenseful continuation of the thrilling historical novel The Midwife of Venice set in medieval Constantinople. AN OPULENT, CAPTIVATING, AND SUSPENSEFUL HISTORICAL NOVEL ... (Barnes & Noble)
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