Author Frances Mayes continues love affair with Tuscany

The lure of Tuscany can be a powerful thing to many people. Those with a wild urge to experience the country side of Italian life never forget the beauty, the hospitality and the magic of the land of the Tuscan sun.

Author Frances Mayes is well-known for her book “Under the Tuscan Sun,” which detailed her adventures in buying and renovating a crumbling old villa in the Tuscan village of Cortona. A successful movie was made from the book, and Mayes has written several more about her Italian experiences.

In her latest, “Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life,” Mayes brings her readers a more personal, journallike book that is part cookbook, part diary and part travel guide to the beloved region of Italy that captured her heart 20 years ago.

Mayes writes what is in essence a series of short stories about the joys of the simple life that she and her husband, Ed, experience in the small village of Cortona. The friends that they have made over the years have adopted them as their own, and the celebrations that are an ongoing affair in the community are legendary for their fun and food — all made with deep and abiding love.

And oh, the food Mayes describes! From how she learned to make the perfect homemade, brick-oven baked pizzas to the rustic fruit tarts to the sumptuous Italian dishes, Mayes' magical descriptions will leave the reader famished. A warning not to read this book on an empty stomach should be attached to the cover.

Mayes also writes of her favorite local Renaissance painter, Luca Signorelli, and her quest to visit every single painting that the gifted artist rendered during his time. She includes details about his paintings, their locations, and the sights and activities in the towns where the paintings are located. Hers is a true love affair with a master of his time.

Friends and family are a constant feature at the house Mayes has dubbed Bramasole, as well as at the new cottage she and her husband renovated, christened Fonte delle Foglie (Font of Leaves). When faced with the decision of whether to go forward with new renovations, Mayes and her husband both decided in the end to leave well enough alone to maintain the mystique and magic of Bramasole that captured their hearts from the beginning.

“Every Day in Tuscany” is a love letter from Mayes to her adopted homeland, and it is a wonderful gift that she shares with the world through her words and descriptions. Just see if her work doesn't inspire you to pack a bag and book the next flight to Italy — or at least make a reservation at a local Italian restaurant.