An Italian Journey: A Harvest of Revelations in the Olive Groves of Tuscany

by James Ernest Shaw

http://amazon.com/dp/0984658513

Luigi Barzini, author of The Italians, repeatedly asked, “Why are we the way we are?”—and found no conclusive answer. James Ernest Shaw was convinced there was a reason why the Renaissance was born in Tuscany–and Italy has given the world Saint Francis, Michelangelo, da Vinci, Galileo and now Benigni, whose film “Life Is Beautiful” shows us that the Italian zest for living can even make a heaven of a hell. And so, after a lifetime of thinking about Italy, James became convinced that the way to find out why Italians are the way they are would be to eat with them at their kitchen tables. Day after day he picked their olives and the Italians began treating him like family. And James began seeing their unique human quality that attracts people to Italy and keeps pulling them back again and again. But the story doesn’t end in the olive groves of Tuscany. To discover the heart of Italian life, James had to travel back to World War II Italy. An Italian Journey will inspire you to follow your passions, your enthusiasms,
to your own Beautiful Discoveries.