The Reluctant Tuscan

The Reluctant Tuscan by Phil Doran is a true story about an American screenwriter past his hay-day whose wife drags to Tuscany to live a more tranquil life. Little did she know that life in Tuscany for a stranieri can be quite difficult—at first. The couple struggled against the very odd and archaic legal processes for getting approval to restore a piccolo rustico, which did not have a road leading to it nor an address when they began. They also had to struggle with their neighbors, the Pingatores, who sold them il rustico but then decided they wanted it back. The couple found life in Italy to be a struggle, but at the same time a complete breeze, because, if nothing else, the Italians know how to enjoy life. Aside from the hilarious story of this American couple trying to settle down and find their “inner Tuscan,” Doran described the people of the town, the beautiful landscapes, amazing food and rich culture to such an extent that I thought I was actually there. Since it was the perspective of an American writer, I felt as though I could relate to the differences that he explored between Americans and life in the US versus Italians and life in Italy. I feel as though Doran was speaking directly to me giving me secret tips and cultural traits of Italians, for example, how close all Italian men are to their mammas and how Italians are loud, enthusiastic, very expressive speakers. I felt as though I was taking a little trip to Italy as I was reading this book because Doran describes his surroundings with such clarity and detail. For example, he said this of his amazing lunch one afternoon in Montepulciano “the pici all’agion…was hearty and superb, the sweetness of the garlic elegantly melding with the natural tartness of the tomatoes…” Needless to say, after reading this book, I am most excited to eat true Italian food.  Overall, I loved Doran’s story of how he found his “inner Italian” and it made me want to go to Italy and find mine.