Californian English Professor buys Tuscan farmhouse with husband, refurbs it, falls in love with Tuscany, its food, traditions, lifestyle, and all things old. (Mayes gets the word "Etruscan" in as often as possible.) Mayes has a good command of English, and is clearly in love with her subject, but her love is not infectious, and this book is not compelling. A few factual errors contribute to spoiling the soup. So it's nowhere near as good as Mayle's A Year in Provence, but there are also many recipes added, several of which I want to try out.