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Women in Sunlight

A Novel

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Women in Sunlight

Written by: Frances Mayes
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
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About this listen

The story of four American strangers who bond in Italy and change their lives over the course of an exceptional year, from the best-selling author of Under the Tuscan Sun. Don’t miss Frances Mayes in PBS’s Dream of Italy: Tuscan Sun Special!

She watches from her terrazza as the three American women carry their luggage into the stone villa down the hill. Who are they, and what brings them to this Tuscan village so far from home? An expat herself and with her own unfinished story, she can’t help but question: will they find what they came for?

Kit Raine, an American writer living in Tuscany, is working on a biography of her close friend, a complex woman who continues to cast a shadow on Kit’s own life. Her work is waylaid by the arrival of three women - Julia, Camille, and Susan - all of whom have launched a recent and spontaneous friendship that will uproot them completely and redirect their lives. Susan, the most adventurous of the three, has enticed them to subvert expectations of staid retirement by taking a lease on a big, beautiful house in Tuscany. Though novices in a foreign culture, their renewed sense of adventure imbues each of them with a bright sense of bravery, a gusto for life, and a fierce determination to thrive. But how? With Kit’s friendship and guidance, the three friends launch themselves into Italian life, pursuing passions long-forgotten - and with drastic and unforeseeable results.

©2018 Frances Mayes (P)2018 Random House Audio
Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature Italy
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What the critics say

“The pleasurable descriptions of colors and tastes and various Italian tourist destinations, plus the poetry written by the writer character, the gardens planted by the gardening character, and the handmade paper made by the paper-making character, etc., are enough to keep this party going all year long.” (Kirkus)

"Whether in the South or in Italy, Frances Mayes takes us home to a lush, vivid landscape where all senses are engaged. Women in Sunlight, her compelling new novel, transports us emotionally as well, as we watch a cast of memorable women maneuver their lives through many transitions. This novel is a great exploration of process: of writing, of cooking, and most importantly, of living." (Jill McCorkle, author of Life After Life)

"Frances Mayes’s novel about the feasts and friendships of four American women in the Tuscan countryside is a joy for the senses and an awakening for us all to the possibilities in our lives. Women in Sunlight is one of those novels you’ll want to linger in, to leave open on your bedside table, to read each page again and again." (Nancy Thayer, author of A Nantucket Wedding)

“The beloved Frances Mayes seems to own the Italian sun. Her first Italian-set novel is a lovely and intimate journey of friendship, loss, and hope set in the eternal beauty of Tuscan countryside. All of Ms. Mayes signature insights are here...there is healing and forgiveness that only a sojourn to Italy can provide. Che bella!” (Adriana Trigiani, best-selling author of Kiss Carlo)

“Fans will be delighted that Mayes again puts them Under the Tuscan Sun, where American writer Kit Raine is now living…. Sun and fun, food and friendship - you can’t go wrong.” (Library Journal)

What listeners say about Women in Sunlight

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Can’t Travel to Italy Just Now? Listen to this!

I was transported by the detailed descriptions of the town, the wines, the gardens, the food (oh, the food!), the villa....sigh.

Although I found the story a little hard to get into at first, once I relaxed into the languid story-telling style I found myself longing enviously to be either one of the three women or at least an ex-pat member of their growing circle of friends. Loved this and will listen again.

Perfect for vicarious Italian adventures and exploration.

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Have listened to this Twice

I feel I am walking the path they walked! Lattes they sipped, ate what Fabulous Chef Julia prepared with love

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Exhaustive detail is exhausting

This book could benefit from editing by 1/3. Knowing when enough is more than enough is not Ms. Mayes' gift.

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