{"product_id":"9781742376790","title":"Sicily, It's Not Quite Tuscany","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePacked with history, culture, misadventure, and a little Mafioso action, the story of a newly married couple and the year they spent in Sicily\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eGill and I had dreamt of living in Italy for as long as we'd been together.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of an Aussie couple who sought a Mediterranean Sea change only to find themselves in the sprawling Sicilian city of Catania—the \"anti-Tuscany\" of Italy. There, any romantic visions they'd had of restoring a villa or stamping their entwined feet in vats of Chianti grapes disappeared faster than the chief witness in a Cosa Nostra trial. Shamus and Gill's tiny apartment in Catania was located in a grim neighborhood opposite a triple-X cinema and a shop selling coffins, nearby Mount Etna erupted soon after their arrival, a mystery ailment left Shamus in a neck brace, they crashed a Vespa, and they had regular dealings with at least one Mafioso. This, then, is an Italian sea change with grit. But it's also a story of optimism, endurance, and acceptance; an exploration of the minutiae of Sicilian culture, history, food, and religion; and an example of how to find beauty—and humor—in the most unexpected of places.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin Pty., Limited","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47052909838576,"sku":"9781742376790","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781742376790_p0.jpg?v=1763703328","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781742376790","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}