Todo in Tuscany by Louise Badger
Todo in Tuscany: The Dog at the Villa by Louise Badger and Lawrence Kershaw is Under the Tuscan Sun meets Marley & Me, and if you love Italy, dogs, or both, this book is a must-read.
While house-searching in Italy, Badger and Kershaw first came across a villa in Lucca that otherwise wouldn’t have sparked their fancy but for the charming little pooch who wouldn’t leave their side as they toured the grounds. Todo’s mistress, an American named Carol, had passed away two years previously, but Todo wasn’t going anywhere.
And, as it turned out, neither were Badger and Kershaw, so completely charmed by Todo that they put in a bid immediately. As the couple started bridging their busy lives between England and Italy, they quickly discovered the challenges of refurbishing of a Tuscan villa from getting Internet service to fighting the glue that had been holding wallpaper snug for decades.
But it’s the relationship between the house’s new owners and a darling dog, uncannily aware of his surroundings and the emotions of those around him at all times, that makes this book truly special and not to be missed.
I give Todo in Tuscany four and a half espresso cups out of five:
and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys heartwarming tales, especially those set in Italy.
And P.S. to Badger and Kershaw, just in case you are looking for another project: I would love a book from the perspective of Poggiolino (the villa), telling stories of Carol and her husband Jim, who seemed to have lived immensely interesting lives, of Todo as a pup and then an aging doggie, and the transition to the new owners.
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PURCHASE INFORMATION
Todo in Tuscany won’t be released in the United States until October 2012, but you can pre-order as well as follow Todo in Tuscany on Facebook and @todointuscany on Twitter. Readers in the UK/Europe can find Todo in Tuscany on Amazon.co.uk.
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** NOTE: I received a review copy of this book from the author; the opinions expressed are my own. The link in the post above is an affiliate link, which means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.
16 Beans of Wisdom to “Todo in Tuscany by Louise Badger”
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[...] in Tuscany? Michelle over at Bleeding Espresso has one copy to give away to a lucky winner. Just click ... ciaoamalfi.com/2012/07/book-review-todo-in-tuscany
Recipes
I am a citizen of Badolato parts of the year and of course I am following Bleeding Espresso on Facebook!
michelle Reply:
August 1st, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Ciao Elisabeth! Have we met? 🙂
kindle?
michelle Reply:
July 24th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Not yet available (as far as I know), Joanna 🙁
michelle Reply:
July 26th, 2012 at 6:34 pm
Joanna, turns out it IS on Kindle but only in the Amazon UK store right now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Todo-Tuscany-The-Villa-ebook/dp/B007XULFWM 🙂
Librarian, dog-lover, and ex-pat wanna-be! How could I NOT want this book?!
Looks good Michelle. I love your description – ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ meets ‘Marley and Me’!
I would love a copy of this book. Will certainly get it when it is available on Kindle, but would welcome the opportunity to read it now! Already a FB fan, and just signed up on Feedburner. I wouldn’t know what to do with a “tweet” if I fell over it, so I’ll skip the Twitter option!
Cheers-
Laura
I love any book that has anything to do with Italy! I’m hopeless 🙁 Of course I follow you on FB!
Cant wait to read this…
Every book you review has been exciting!
Thanks Michele <3
Oh this sounds like a charming and delightful read. You’re already on my rss feed and I’m a Twitter and FB follower too.
I’m a Bleeding Espresson and Ciao Amalfi follower already, and I HOPE I have just subscribed to the book review site.
I’d love to write more (and hope that I win the book) but the zanzare are attacking in my part of Lazio…
… and am sharing on FB just to be sure that Todo finds me 🙂
Expat who misses her big furry beast of a collie dog, who passed away not long ago. Can’t wait to read this! Love teh blog, Michelle, and your Twitter comments.
Ciao from Roma!
love your recommendations. Thanks.