Laura Wood

Set in England and Italy during the 30s. Bea is the 17 year old daughter of the aristocratic Langtons. The family has fallen on hard times, holding on to their grand manor house and hoping their only child, Beatrice, will make a good marriage to a wealthy aristocrat. Bea, however, has her own ideas. She wants to go to university and study science. She is passionately and (inappropriately, to her parents) interested in the natural world. When she causes a minor scandal at her parents party, meant to introduce her to an inbred neighbor, her parents pack her off to Italy to learn some manners, and let things cool down.

Exactly the opposite of their wishes happens, however. Uncle Leo, a charming but weak-willed man, is having a bohemian phase, living with a painter, Filomena, who has filled the villa with her painter friends.

Bea meets Ben, a young painter of whom her parents would definitely not approve, and sparks fly as Ben is challenged to romance the unromantic Bea.

Reality intrudes, in the form of Fascism and Mussolini, and the weak-willed uncle Leo is swayed. What will happen then? How will this summer conclude for Bea and Ben.

Except for Mussolini, this was pretty light fare, though I enjoyed it a lot. If you can get teens to read historical fiction, this one should be popular.… (altro)

Although it moves along slowly, this tale of love and adventure set in Cornwall in 1929 is swoon worthy, especially the luscious ending, which I did not expect.

Lou is a 17 year old girl from a big, loving, rambunctious farm family on the Cornwall coast. On a little island across a causeway sits a grand but abandoned mansion. Lou has finished school, her older sister Alice is marrying the love of her life, a local boy, and Lou is feeling a bit lost, but longing for adventure, and a life different from that her sister has chosen. One day she slips across the causeway and begins to explore the island, and the deserted mansion. She becomes at home there, lighting a fire in the library, reading from the immense library, and one day, the owners return...

Lou ends up meeting the Cardews, Caitlin and Robert, brother and sister who keep up a lavish roaring 20s lifestyle. For the summer, she is pulled into their lives, developing a close friendship with Caitlin, and a teasing, bickering one with Robert. She meets all of their "friends," mostly young people who come to party at the mansion.

Meanwhile, she is living sometimes at home, with her big family, and wondering what will happen to her after the summer. She doesn't have a boyfriend to marry, as her sister does, and anyway, she dreams of becoming a writer, and does, in fact, have some writing ongoing.

Ultimately, this is a sweet coming-of-age story, with a bit of romance to boot. I was most taken with her interesting family: the Mom they called by her first name, Midge, the younger dramatic sister Freya, brother Tom, triplets!!!, and a baby! Her parents are so open and accepting, so willing to let her make her mistakes. I love these people. I'd like to know more about them.

I think my only criticism of the book is that the language feels a little too modern. Maybe that is because it is written for young people. It is definitely PG-13, and would be suitable for tweens and teens. The cover art is nice too, especially as it is continued throughout the book in each new chapter heading.… (altro)

It's no secret that I love Much Ado About Nothing, Italy, and books with artsy people. This had all three of those (plus an absolutely stunning cover) and I really enjoyed this overall.

First off: Bea and Ben is one of my OTPs and I loved this take on their relationship - any form of fake dating can get it. I also liked that this addressed some of what happened in 1933, but I think it remained too simplistic while trying to portray various points of view - same as with Bea not adhering to the traditional image of femininity.

This wasn't perfect, but it didn't need to be that for me to really dig this.… (altro)