Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes || Book Review

Oh, I absolutely went for this book because of its cover!

Freedom, fun in the sun – how isn’t that not something to be attracted to?

It also helped that this book matched two reading prompts for this year which I was struggling to find books to match, but it all worked out in the end.

DISCLAIMER: This review could contain possible spoilers based on my opinions. All opinions and views are my own.

Book review: Women in Sunlight by Frances Mayes #bookreview #francesmayes #contemporarybooks #italy #booktwt #bookaddict #booktwitter
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Challenge prompt: A book set in Italy and characters on vacation.
Originally published: 2018

Pages: 592
Format: Paperback

Plot from GoodReads:

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.

Thoughts:

All this comes down to: female bonds, food, wine and famous cities in Italy.

The realistic descriptions of the towns and cuisines was very well researched and I enjoyed reading about them more than the characters. So many beautifully worded parts that allowed you to see in colour and taste the ideas of the food in your mouth.

Some parts of the book are read as memoirs and I had to remind myself that this is a work of fiction.

All these women just had everything going for them, money-wise that is. There were no mishaps or worries about it and that seemed a little low of some drama that could’ve been added.

At the same time, you can admire their leaps of faith to venture into the unknown, to prove that old doesn’t mean you’re boring and that spontaneity is well alive in all of us, should we choose to be so. Bravery comes in all forms, whether big or small.

I was a little bothered about one character that isn’t present in the story but there is so much said about her. Why? If she was that important, why not add her to the modern time story? All this information slowed down an already slow pace in the book.

Overview:

The theme of new places inspiring the rediscovery of old and new passions in life is strong, and worked well into the story. The idea of ‘think it, do it’ is recurring in the book.

The book is all about new adventures and self-discovery. The message of ‘the best is yet to come‘ lingers around these characters.