Italy in Mind : An Anthology

by Alice Leccese Powers

Release Date: 29 April, 1997

Edition: Paperback

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Great writing, a wonderful read

There is a new-found wealth of books about Italy available today. "Italy in Mind" is a bit different: Alice Leccese Powers has mined three centuries of great writing to portray the character of Italy from many different vantage points in time and geography. But regardless of the era and the events of the day, the beauty of the land and character of the Italian people always shine through. This is the perfect book to read outdoors, on a warm summer afternoon, with a nice glass of Chianti by your side. I enjoyed the book so much, I just purchased her follow-up works, "Ireland in Mind" and the just-released "France in Mind."

English teacher obsessed with Italy finds kindred spirits

Since visiting Italy this year, I haven't been able to get enough of it. I have read first-hand accounts of Americans living in Italia ("Under the Tuscan Sun" and "The Hills of Tuscany"). Both offered refreshing insider looks at the culture of the country, but "Italy in Mind" is a different breed altogether.

As I myself strolled along the shore of Lago Maggiore, wound my way through the narrow streets of Venice, and dodged the whizzing vespas in Florence, I wondered what classic authors and great thinkers had penned as they experienced similar things. In this volume, I have found, at long last, the answer. Filled with poems, letters, essays, and excerpts from well-known classical works (e.g., "A Farewell to Arms" and "A Bell for Adano"), "Italy in Mind" offers a wide scope of authors' experiences and thoughts during their stays in my favorite European country. Helpful also is the table of contents which provides information on which city or region is described in each piece.

"Italy in Mind" is a manageable but somewhat scholarly approach to a mild obsession with Italy. It would be a great read for anyone who has visited Italy, dreams of visiting Italy, or is interested in finding out more about it. I know I will be looking up some of the complete works which are excerpted in this volume or are mentioned in the informative author biographies.