From the back cover: "Popular poet and author Frances Mayes transports you to the sundrenched heart of Italy with this lyrical best-seller. Packed with the tastes and pleasures of Italian life, her extraordinary memoirs celebrate the fascinating lifestyle she discovered in the spectacular Tuscany countryside. When she first sees the abandoned villa on the hillside, Frances Mayes knows she must make it her own. Each day with her Italian property brings fresh challenges and delightful surprises. When layers of paint are removed in her dining room, an ancient, faded fresco appears--only to be marred with a workman's note to himself in black marker. Struggling to clear dense weeds, she uncovers both a long lost vineyard and a crumbling Etruscan stone wall. A feast for the senses, Under the Tuscan Sun explores the fascinating people, landscape, and history of Italy--all liberally seasoned with hearty recipes. As Barbara Caruso dramatically narrates, centuries-old hill towns and salt-of-the-earth characters burst colorfully from the pages." From the NYT Book Review: "...an intense celebration of what she [Frances Mayes] calls 'the voluptuousness of Italian life.'"