Paying It Forward in Tuscany

To all outward appearances, Ivanka's life as a middle-aged ex-pat in Tuscany seems delightful. (Middle-aged is a rather comforting, if delusive term, since few live to 102.) She lives with her charming husband in a gorgeous villa in the rolling hills outside of Florence. The views are stunning, the neighbors are delightfully quirky, and perfect pizza is a short drive away. Yet despite the beauty surrounding her, and notwithstanding the passing of time, Ivanka still...
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To all outward appearances, Ivanka's life as a middle-aged ex-pat in Tuscany seems delightful. (Middle-aged is a rather comforting, if delusive term, since few live to 102.) She lives with her charming husband in a gorgeous villa in the rolling hills outside of Florence. The views are stunning, the neighbors are delightfully quirky, and perfect pizza is a short drive away.

Yet despite the beauty surrounding her, and notwithstanding the passing of time, Ivanka still struggles with grief over her father's death. A decade of living in Italy has taught her that above everything else, it's family that matters. Italy's life lessons make her yearn to turn the clock back and be there for the last few years of her father's life. She knows that's not possible, so she does the next best thing. She decides to "pay it forward" and learns that although we cannot change the past, we can change the future.

Enter Giuseppe, a crotchety widower who has given up on life. Giuseppe has a heart full of regrets and a mouth full of suggestions for making the world a better place, according to the way he sees things. Joining them is Marvelous, an African migrant whom David and Ivanka have adopted in their hearts and who is struggling to cling to his hope for a better life ahead.

What do an aging ex-pat, an elderly Italian, and a youthful African migrant have in common? Both more and less than you'd think. In a world so bitterly divided, this unlikely entourage and their adventures together prove that friendship can surpass race, color, and age, when the people involved want it to--and sometimes even when they don't.

This book can be read as a stand-alone or feel free to tag along for more laugh out loud adventures in Italy by reading the complete Fa' l'italiano Series: A Zany Slice of Italy, A Zany Slice of Tuscany, Zany Renovations in Tuscany, Paying It Forward in Tuscany, Fa' l'italiano! Zany No More, and the prequel, My Zany Life.

For music lovers, learn what it means to be Italian when you sing along with my new song and video, You Want to Fa' l'italiano. You can find it on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Tunes, and more. Follow us on Instagram: zanyitaly