Villa Coco

This book was a fun, wild romp through the Italian countryside, featuring an unsuspecting, lost American graduate hired to catalog the contents of an eccentric, fascinating older woman's crumbling estate. A "that boy Thursday" to Coco, an eccentric, flamboyant baroness, he thinks he's there to catalog her crumbling mansion. Still, instead, he's chasing off a marten, some varmint of an Italian variety, harvesting wine, entertaining an endless array of guests, bohemian painters, elderly princesses, and unnervingly handsome nephews, and even swiping an urn at a funeral. All the while, he's trying not to sabotage Coco's grand plan, which I will not spoil. As the Tuscan seasons shift, the secrets of Villa Coco unfold, and we're swept into a story of unexpected friendships and the enduring power they hold. This book has one of the best endings I have ever encountered!

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