Fiction
Adult
Frances Mayes is the author of Under the Tuscan Sun, a nonfiction memoir of her move to an Italian villa brought to the big screen featuring Diane Lane and the inimitable Canadian Sandra Oh. It was a huge seller, capitalizing on the North American longing for days of wine, good food and roses, sunlight and Italian lovers. I bet the pull of Italia, la dolce vita, is stronger today than ever. This is a fictional take on the story, featuring three American women, from “the South,” who decide to leap before looking (check out the cover again) and surprise everyone they know by renting an Italian villa, sight unseen, for a year. The three met at an open house for a retirement village, a move none of them wants to make despite its being the most rational step at their age. Each of the three women is haunted, in a different way. At 69, Camille is the eldest; she is still reeling from the unexpected and sudden death of her beloved husband Charles just a year ago. Susan’s husband Aaron lost his memory before dying, and she is struggling to remember him as the handsome sexy hunk with whom she built a thriving real estate business. And Julia, at 59 the youngest of the three, is numb as she hides from the deeply painful reality of a drug-addicted daughter and now a cheating husband. Strangers at first, the three strike up a friendship that immediately sparkles, creating a bond that makes the idea of a year in Italy seem crazy, sure, but still appealing. So off they go, to the dismay of family who think the retirement home is the right move, the safe move. The villa, it turns out, is next-door to another American ex-pat, the well-known poet and author Kit Raine. Camille, Susan and Julia spend the year as the rest of us only dream of – shopping in local markets for fresh seafood and produce, participating in the olive harvest, joining locals at the sagre (festivals), restoring the gardens and limonaia (a glass house for citrus trees), learning to cook and speak Italian, and of course, finding love. It’s Italy, after all, though most of the men in this story aren’t actually Italian. Who wouldn’t love this alternative to a retirement “unit”? Also there is Kit’s own story, including her struggles with writing the biography of her good friend Margaret Merrill, another ghost, haunting Kit to finish the work, though we never fully understand why it’s such a struggle. The book is told in alternating voices – Kit narrates her view in first person, and each of the three newcomers’ stories unfolds in third person, the omniscient narrator, but because the women’s stories are recorded by Kit, she really is the narrator, writing about being a writer. A bit meta, it may seem confusing, but the device does help to sort out whose story is on the page. Having said that, I must admit to muddling all the men – Charles, Charlie, Chris, Colin, Aaron and Rowan, and who the heck is Wade again? I also wish for more from the Italians; our protagonists are busily immersing themselves in San Rocco but the book never really delves into the locals as characters. Still, there is no doubt they are in Italy – Mayes has liberally sprinkled – nay, strewn – Italian words and phrases throughout the narrative. I’m glad I was reading this on an electronic device and could quickly look up words in both English and Italian; Mayes does tug and push her reader into a bigger vocabulary! Who knew that a favonian wind is a favourable one, usually from the west? Taking time to look up a word or phrase allows the reader to linger over this book, savouring the changing seasons, the tasty dishes, and the pleasures of friendship, loved ones, and beautiful things, firmly rooted in a solid though ancient home, where lives have been lived just so for centuries. “There’s not a word in English or Italian for those in our lives who are between friends and family.” My thanks to Crown Publishing for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35742912.

Most of you already know Francis from her book Under the Tuscan Sun, on the NYT bestseller list for 142 weeks! And was a great movie, but she has written so many more, from Every Day in Tuscany, Bella Tuscany, In Tuscany, Bringing Tuscany Home, The Tuscan Sun cookbook, and others NOT dealing with Tuscany. Her books have been published in many languages and many of you remember the film version of Tuscan Sun starring Diane Lane back in 2003.

Women in Sunlight portrays the story of four woman, one an outside narrator of sorts, Kit Raines, who observes, then joins three women of a certain age, Julia, Camille and Susan, who consider buying homes in an over 55 community, Cornwallis Meadows.

Instead of giving in to this perfectly fine, but somewhat provincial manner in which to live out their golden years, the three instead venture to Tuscany and a ruin of a house which they restore and bring to live in so many ways. Their neighbor Kit, an author and poet, with a fine husband, also has a relationship with Margaret, no longer with us but certainly a presence in the novel.

As in many of Mayes work, food, gardening, wine and the wonder and delights of Tuscany abound.

I really wanted to like this book because it's just the kind of book I enjoy reading - travel, Italy, and women's fiction. However, there were a lot of characters to keep track of and I found the "book within the book" device" ultimately distracting to the overall plot.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I should love this book since I was married in Tuscany and I have lived in Italy. Unfortunately, the execution of it was not to my liking. After 4 months of trying to get through this book (and it's long!) I finally decided to let it go at the 54% point. It just did not move quick enough or really had any plot aside from three friends in their 60s who moved to Tuscany rather than go live in a senior home. I could have done without the alternating narrative from 1st person (Kit) to third person (the rest of the characters). In fact, I found Kit's perspective dull. I found the book confusing and often times jagged as I had to re-read many times to figure out who was speaking. There were too many characters and side stories. Honestly, my eyes blurred while trying to put two and two together. I did skip to the ending which I'm glad I did. Aside from the mystery of Katherine (or was it Margaret? I'm already forgetting) I honestly don't think I missed much because not much exciting happened.

I did not care for this book. I am the target age/sex/regional audience for these characters, so they should have been highly relatable, however they were all so over the top and unrealistic it was ridiculous. As a librarian I felt compelled to read the entire book in order to make a recommendation, but it became a chore to read this book and a relief to finish it.

3.5 sunlit stars to Women in Sunlight, a novel of Tuscany! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5

Frances Mayes is back with a new novel of Tuscany. This time, there are three American friends who have leased a mansion. An expat is living next door, and her quiet life is completely disrupted by the arrival of these women.

The backstory is that each of these friends were about to begin living in a retirement home (shoutout to Chapel Hill, NC!), but instead, decided together to spend a year in Tuscany, almost like a “last hoorah” (I still think they have many, many great years left, but I think they thought of it as their last hoorah prior to firmly retiring). Each of the ladies’ progress as characters shows that we are always learning about ourselves no matter what stage of life we are in.

Through their time in Tuscany, the friendship of the women grows, eventually with the expat neighbor, too. As with other Mayes’ novels, the Tuscan setting is rich with culture, food, and famous Italian locales. The book had an adventure-type feeling, almost like a travel memoir at times. I’ve traveled to Italy and enjoyed re-visiting some locations and memories through this book.

While there was an age difference between me and the characters, I could relate to them in thinking about my mom. She and I read and talk books regularly, and I often wonder how she feels reading about my age group (alllllll the time) instead of her own. Kudos to Frances May for being age-inclusive.

Overall, Women in Sunlight feels like an adventurous, fictional travel memoir with themes of female friendship and discovery of self.

Thank you to Frances Mayes, Crown Publishing, and Netgalley for the ARC. Women in Sunlight is now available!

Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes is a book that will appeal to those who enjoy travel and learning about other cultures. The story has some wonderful elements that describe life in Tuscany and the concept is quite interesting. Unfortunately, there are just too many characters to keep track of in the novel, which distracts the reader from the main plot.

This is my first Frances Mayes novel. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading her popular book, Under the Tuscan Sun, but have heard wonderful things. When I saw this book available for review, I was intrigued by the synopsis and the fact that Mayes’ novels are so-well loved. Women in Sunlight is a story that follows the lives of older women who decide that life is still worth living, so they pack up and move to Italy to explore. I have read one other book recently that discusses aging, and it is a topic that I am sure is going to become increasingly popular as our populations age.

I really enjoyed the Tuscan elements that are what really pull the book together. Aspects of the region’s food, travel, art, gardening, and much more are brought to life through the characters’ experiences. It is definitely reminiscent of Peter Mayle’s Provence series, as the main characters have moved to a European region and immersed themselves in the every day life of a small town. The friendship of the 60 year old women really takes root as well, as they encourage each other to hone in on their skills of cooking, art, and gardening.

While there is much to enjoy about the concept and the theme of friendship, the writing was not as wonderful as I had expected. There are far too many side characters in the novel. I actually lost track of quite a few and just got tired of trying to remember who some of them were. Also, there is a side story that was interesting, but really could have been a whole story on its own. The book just felt as though it was smashed together with lots of bits and pieces that were really unnecessary.

Women in Sunlight is a book that will offer it’s readers a virtual trip to Italy. The story really gives a sense of the culture and the people that make up a small Tuscan village. It’s exploration of friendship and living life to the fullest make the book an interesting read. However, the story does become tiresome to read as there is an abundance of characters to remember and a side story that distracts from the main plot.

Tuscany, Kit is working on a biography. She is distracted by the arrival by three American women who have leased a house there. Friendships develop and their lives intersect. Interesting new novel by Frances Mayes.

I know this book will be a literary and financial success. How could it not be? Frances Mayes has already mined the Tuscan countryside for about a dozen celebrations of Italian life. If you liked Under the Tuscan Sun and all her other tributes, you know what you will be getting. Add to that, the stars of our drama are a trio of over-the-hill Southern women being forced to reinvent themselves as an alternative to going into a retirement community, and you know Mayes has captured the attention of a vast horde of readers. If ever a book allowed its readers to live vicariously, this is that book. Each of our main characters has been handed some hard lumps, but fortunately, in the course of this story, each discovers she is wise, graceful, understanding, with special talents that complement the others in the group. And also fortunately, they seem to have enough money to buy all the prosecco and lawn statuary they could ever desire, and start amazing new careers, artistic endeavors and romances with hardly a second thought.
The plot doesn't really matter; it is just an excuse to wax eloquent about the Italian countryside, culture, food and people. If you are ready to return to Tuscany or are eager to visit for the first time, this book will serve you well. I did read and enjoy Under the Tuscan Sun, but that was enough for me. This Italian fairytale is a little too predictable for me.

What first attracted me to this book is the cover. I was really wanting to like this book but it fell short with me. I did not connect to any of these characters or the storyline itself.

For some reason, despite having started the book several times, I was unable to find a way to link myself with the characters.
Mayes writes beautifully, her descriptions are excellent, but the characters seemed inaccessible.

I really wanted to like this book but it's too slow and boring for me. The characters are somewhat likable but I couldn't relate to fhsm. I had high hopes and wanted to call in love with this story.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing an e-galley of Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes in exchange for an honest review. Very rarely do I reach the end of a novel and wish it would go on for hundreds of pages. Frances Mayes, the author of Under the Tuscan Sun, captures the imagination of the reader through exquisite language and with obvious love to describe the landscape, the history, the food, the wines, the architecture and the people of Tuscany. This is the story of three American older single women, Camille, Julia and Susan. They are in the process of assessing retirement communities in the US when, on a whim, they lease a villa in Tuscany for a year and move in together. They become friends with Kit, also an American expat, who happens to be their neighbor. The four women, while getting acquainted and becoming good friends, encourage each other to make the best of what Tuscany can teach them. The year will prove to be life-changing for all of them. By the end of the book, you will be in love with Tuscany and see it through the eyes of Kit, Camille, Julia and Susan. What a joy this book is. Women in Sunlight is a treasure to be re-read more than once and savoured over and over again.

It took almost twice as long as normal to finish this novel because I had to stop and cook and eat so many extra times! This is one of those books that awake you to the extraordinary friends you need to touch base with, the pasta you haven't made lately, the clothes you don't have yet and the travel you need to erase from your bucket list and just order tickets. And if you paid attention you will know to leave the return trip date open.

Three middle aged, currently alone ladies meet at the open house and orientation of a Senior Living community in Chapel Hill, NC, and decide to touch base after the day's events. All are ready to down size, to spend a lot less time on cleaning and home maintenance and more time footloose and fancy free. They want to travel. They want to see the world. And Cornwallis Meadows would make that all possible. When the time comes they could move from the apartment to assisted living to skilled nursing care as needed. Or they can just pool their funds and go to Europe for a year while they make up their minds....

I don't know how many books by Frances Mayes you can read before you have to go to Tuscany. But I fear I'm in the ballpark....

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Frances Mayes, and Crown Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

From the author of "Under the Tuscan Sun" comes a new novel that will capture you with its beauty just as the former did. "Women in Sunlight" brings together the stories of three woman in Tuscany. It is beautifully written.

Frances Mayes brings us once again to the countryside of Tuscany. This book will carry you to Italy for a lovely vacation at a picturesque villa in wine country. Through this book, the three American women must learn to let go of the past and embrace a new culture, new relationships and friendships, in order to have a second chance at an exciting future. The settings are gorgeous, the characters are well drawn and relatable, and you will finish the book feeling as if you were right there throughout.

I loved the story and the characters. Well written. And FUN! Loved it

I have LOVED all of Francis' books, so no surprise I LOVED this one! This one was unique, as her main character, Kit, that we know and love, was actually a bit player in this book at first, taking a back story to the drama of the 4 OLDER women, arrived from America, to fulfill a trip on THEIR bucket lists! It was SO refreshing to read about older women who not only were making choices to totally CHANGE their lives, but to pick up dreams from when they were young and to RUN with them, and to find romance along the way! Pretty much a wish for all of us!

In fact, if this book doesn't have you planning a trip with your besties,I'd be shocked! From the lure of the Tuscan village, to the sun on the stone walls, to the food descriptions, once again Frances will leave you siging in pleasre. This isn't a book to speed through, but to luxurate with in the Spring sun, and wish Calgon, and your glass of wine, to take you far far away! LOL. Make sure this one IS on your Spring reading list too!

I love Italy and have traveled there once or twice a year for many years. I wanted to love this book, but it was too confusing. I don't mind different points of view in a book, but I do mind novels written in present tense, and I very much dislike a mix of 1st and 3rd person narratives.

The writing was fine but a bit choppy. I re-read so many sentences, because I simply could not make sense of them. I did not care for the poetry of the the 1st person narrator, and I could not understand why Margaret's story was even include.

The story was too sweet and perfect for me; it needed at least a small dose of realism.

By the author of Under the Tuscan Sun, this is another love poem to la dolce vita in italia. Three women, all suffering recent losses, meet when considering a move into a retirement community. These women are nowhere near ready for such living, form an instant bond, and take off for a year in a rental villa in Tuscany. There, they meet another American ex pat who is a writer and her companion as well as the local characters from their classic small Tuscan town and quickly fall into the pace of the area. Side trips to Venice, Capri, Florence, and Cinque Terre spread the love.

As with any tale of life in Italy the requisite wine and food are included…courses and courses of food. Mayes’ prose is literate and beautifully written. She presents a somewhat idealized view of life for these women, but for those readers who dream of such an adventure, why think about the tribulations when you can focus on the beauty and the romance? While the story may have been a bit too saccharine for me, I loved the descriptions of the
art, architecture, flora, and culinary delights of this beautiful country. The story seemed to shift points of view throughout. The narrator is the ex pat writer, although sometimes it seems the other women take over the narration. I thought some of these shifts to be a bit “clunky”.