Andrew Sean Greer is upfront about why he authored this novel. He says we need more stories that are fun – kind, even. He felt the need to write a novel in which you can escape the grind of present-day life. Appropriately, therefore, he set this novel in Tuscany and Venice, Italy. (Greer himself splits his time between Venice and San Francisco.) Narrated by a young, naïve American man, the story follows his secondment to Villa Coco, owned by an eccentric and delightful older woman, the Baroness, where he is tasked with cataloguing her household possessions. The Villa itself is filled with objects, exotica, family members, staff, and friends. The Baroness can spin stories that are wonderfully fantastical and might even be true – and our narrator can barely speak Italian (although he does learn). There are meals that make your mouth water; there is mad driving on twisting roads; olive picking; scenic hills; art to marvel at; and, of course, there is a parallel love story.

Has Greer written a novel that offers a respite from everyday responsibilities, today’s wars, and a tense political climate? Yes and no. I could easily picture myself at the table with these characters, yet I also watched the two leads come to understand hubris and friendship. Their regrets and sorrows run through the story; after all, no worthy novel can avoid reflecting on the human condition. Once you start thinking about that, the present day inevitably intrudes on the pleasures of olive groves, crumbling stone fences, and meals in tiny villages. Still, I enjoyed this Italian romp, and I think you will too. It is the perfect book to slip into your holiday bag – even if you are not heading to Tuscany.