I have been looking for novels to get me ready for an upcoming trip to Italy (as if I'm not already ready) and Siracusa popped up. The reviews weren't great, mostly talked about unlikeable characters. But several reviews talked about how Ephron really gave a sense of place. Sense of place was exactly what I was looking for so figured I'd read the book.
Lizzie and Finn had a summer romance, remained friendly for years after. They bumped into each other with their spouses on a trip to London and decided that they'd plan to go away together the following summer. Lizzie and Michael met Finn and Taylor and their daughter, Snow. The four adults couldn't be more dissimilar. And the entire novel you kind of wondered what was wrong with Snow.
The story is told by each one of the four adult characters. Snow, who is central to the entire story, is the one character we never hear directly from. As most of the reviews stated, the characters were not particularly likeable. I didn't feel sorry for the troubles that any of the characters brought upon themselves.
I did get a good sense of place from Ephron's descriptions. My favorite line, which I've already recited to my husband twice, is "That's right, there's no dirt in Siracusa. It's wall-to-wall stone."
Would I recommend this novel? Nope. Not unless you want to get a good sense of what Siracusa might be like. It was also a good reminder about why I prefer to travel alone with just my husband and not with another couple.
Does anyone have recommendations for any more novels I might want to read before my trip?
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