"The Enchanted April" by Elizabeth von Armin.
For a detailed synopsis and an image of the actual castle where the story was both set and written, follow the wikipedia link.
The story line(s) of four English women who rent an Italian castle for a month for a holiday; their interactions amongst themselves, some of their husbands, the castle owner, and the castle staff.
The book is a delightful read with many descriptions of views, of the flowers and shrubs and even an amusing anecdote relating to a bathtime accident.
The story arcs develop over the 4 week period but there is no terminal crescendo, no sex, no violence, no affairs, just a transport of the imagination to a delightful world during a damp and miserable English November.
The worst that was said is that the book lacked pace and depth, there was too much “navel gazing”.
Overall, a very enjoyable read for most people.
Doorly score: 4.3
PC. 15th December, 2024
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