Book Blurb
At Least You’re in Tuscany: A Somewhat Diastrous Quest for the Sweet Life is Jennifer Criswell’s memoir about her first year in Montepulciano during which her dream of expat life meets the reality of everyday challenges and results in sometimes funny, often frustrating, always lesson-filled situations.
Jennifer Criswell’s move from New York City to Tuscany was not supposed to go like this. She had envisioned lazy mornings sipping espresso while penning a best-selling novel and jovial Sunday group dinners, just like in the movies and books about expatriate life in Italy. But then she met the reality: no work, constant struggles with Italian bureaucracy to claim citizenship through her ancestors, and, perhaps worst of all, becoming the talk of the town after her torrid affair with a local fruit vendor.
At Least You’re in Tuscany is the intimate, honest, and often hilarious tale of Jennifer’s first year in Montepulciano. During that time, her internal optimist was forced to work overtime, reminding her that if she were going to be homeless, lonely, and broke, at least she would be all those things—in Tuscany. Jennifer’s mantra, along with a healthy dose of enthusiasm, her willingness to embrace Italian culture, and lessons gleaned from small-town bumblings, help her not only build a new, rewarding life in Italy but also find herself along the way.
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Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala
Criswell recounts her tales of fulfilling her dream of moving to the Tuscan hills. She explains to the reader quite quickly how her idea of what life would be of sipping espresso on an Italian balcony while writing best selling novels and what reality actually was. She had no clue that you may well have to wait forever to get citizenship. As a result no one will hire you and you will be required to ration food from a tin can. The fact that doing laundry in Europe can sometimes be a dangerous past time and when everyone in town is talking about you, the quaintness wears off very quickly.
Criswell tells her tales with humor and honesty that has the reader laughing out loud. I found her to be hilarious as she expressed her feelings and adventures. She tried to look on the bright side every time she encountered a demoralizing event. You cheer for her the whole way as she defiantly faced unpleasant experiences with an upbeat 'well, at least you're in Tuscany'. It was a great read and a hilarious look at one woman’s journey to fulfill her dream. I give it a 4 out of 5.
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