Marcus of Umbria by Justine van der Leun
Marcus of Umbria: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl About Love by Justine van der Leun is about a young American woman who moves to a small, rural village in Italy on a whim and ends up falling in love with a dog.
Does it surprise you that I really, really enjoyed this book?
After becoming smitten with a local Italian ragazzo on vacation, the author packs up her New York City life and transplants herself to Collelungo in Umbria, the Green Heart of Italy. She immediately becomes part of the family, and she is expected to contribute as such. I think it’s safe to say this is her first of many culture shocks detailed throughout the book.
As we learn more about Justine’s new surroundings and the people playing prominent roles in her daily life, we also get to know the author through how she handles new, challenging situations. The picture isn’t always pretty, but it certainly seems honest. Being able to trust the author of a memoir is always a huge plus.
Justine’s time in the village wasn’t full of leisurely days sipping wine under the Umbrian sun and raucous family gatherings by night, and she pulls no punches on this anti-Under the Tuscan Sun lifestyle she adopts. Her fidanzato isn’t the most attentive (although he seems like a good enough guy), his brother has a cruel streak to say the least, and common methods of keeping and training animals are heart-wrenching to animal lovers.
Justine manages to present these tidbits and others in a very matter-of-fact way though, without judgment. It is what it is, if you will, and in many instances, it’s been that way for centuries in Collelungo (and other small towns throughout Italy). I can’t speak for what the people of Collelungo might think about Justine’s perceptions as related in the book, but from my perspective in what seems to be a similar village, they rang fairly accurate.
But through all the ups and downs of life in Collelungo, Justine’s growing love for Marcus, an English pointer she rescues, keeps her grounded — in fact, literally, as she is reluctant to leave town even after her love affair has soured, not knowing what will happen to her beloved pooch. Indeed, the only issue I had with the book is that I would have liked more Marcus!
Witty, descriptive, well-crafted, and just plain entertaining, this book gets four and a half espresso cups out of five; more Marcus would’ve had my cup runneth-ing over. Marcus of Umbria is more about Justine’s year living in rural Italy than simply a girl meets dog tale, but what it does, it does well — so I highly recommend it.
P.S. You can also “like” Marcus of Umbria on Facebook and follow Justine @justinevdl on Twitter.
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36 Beans of Wisdom to “Marcus of Umbria by Justine van der Leun”
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At first I thought that this was you! That is until I read about love souring.
If I could chuck it all and choose someplace to go; It would have to be the mountains of Colorado. I love the solitary majesty of the mountains and the cool breezes that sweep over the landscape. It would be wonderful to be there all the time no matter what time of year.
I had to smile, how ideal … moving to a small Italian village and falling for a dog. Most people probably dream of the beautiful man but a dog companion in that country I’ve come to love would be so much simpler.
I don’t have an American address, so I can’t go into the draw, but I would move to Genova, Italy. I love the coastline there, a coastline with an beautiful non-touristy ancient city. Yes … for quality of life, I would move there in a heartbeat … and if I found a dog to wander with me, well, my wee cup would runneth over.
You know that the only thing I love more than books is Italian themed books!
For me, running away to Rome would be my ultimate dream. I’d live in a tiny apartment with my awesome family, I’d write supernatural fiction novels, and I’d eat brutti ma buoni until I couldn’t move.
Sounds like a good one. I’d run away to Paris, I think. Consider this my entry! 🙂
This sounds like a fun book to read! I am in love with my dog (also happen to love my husband) – I always say that she brings me so much peace and joy.
My runaway place would be Italy of course! All my vacation time over the last 8 summer’s has been spent in Bella Italia! I love the culture, the people, the slow life and of course the food!
Oh boy, it’s hard to say where I’d run to. The Cotswolds? (I was just there two weeks ago and loved it!) Or a little village in the Swiss Alps, Adelboden, that I visited a couple of years ago. I haven’t been to Italy yet, but I’m sure some small village in Tuscany would work too. At any rate, it would involve a village somewhere.
If I could chuck it all, I would run away to Orvieto, Italy. I was just there in July and also visited 2 years ago in May. I absolutely love everything about the town: the people, the pace of life, the architecture – I adore it all. It’s very hard where I live to find that kind of lifestyle, it would be an absolute dream to live in Orvieto.
P.S. when I was in Italy 2 years ago, I stayed in Todi Castle which was very near the village of Collelungo. I would love to hear the author’s perspective on life in this particular part of Umbria!
Since I have been unemployed for over 2 1/2 years I have given numerous hours of thought to this very question. I am torn between Ireland and Italy. I have visited both and felt an instant connection with each country and its people. Ireland would be easier because of the language issue. But I have always wanted to master Italian. That is why your blog has always been of particular interest to me. John Nicodem turned me on to you but I have happily lived vicariously through your stories for years now.
Well I did chuck it all and moved to Rome (crazy, I know).
I don’t have an American address but this book sounds great. I’ll keep a eye out for it at one of the international bookstores here.
This is absolute serendipity. I just received an e-mail from a friend (obsessed with all things Italian) noting that I must read this book. And so I shall – winner or not!
And to answer the question: I did chuck it all (New York City) and ran to the midwest for breathinsgspace. Best thing I ever did (although I still crave my NYC hometown). Lately, I am all things Bologna. The University, the history, the food and neighboring towns. I will never be rural but this blends my embrace of the past with the discoveries of the present.
It would have to be Tomahawk Wisconsin. I just came back from a week there and it is sooooo nice. Since I am originally from Chicago, Tomahawk is a totally different world. I would like to open a little Italian restaurant over looking the water and make my fathers’ recipes.
If I could afford it, I would move to Nantucket. I went back there to trace my roots and did not want to leave.
We talk about moving to Pizzo. It’s a tiny picturesque town, not too far from a major airport, train services and family.
I would give it all up to sail around the world. How can I choose just one place? This does limit me “getting to know” the ins & outs of one culture. But think of all the crazy & wonderful people I’d meet on the docks.
I too do not have an american address – but would a canadian one do? I have a friend in Canada that would post it to me in Australia 🙂
In any case I don’t dream of running away to a rural life anywhere. I am not sure I like the idea of being in a small village where a friend who did runaway said: “you sneeze, and the whole village knows you have a cold”. I am not sure about it because I have never lived in a small village, but I can imagine that it could be good. When I think of my life in a fairly large city, it is the neighbourhood that I think about – some neighbours who have become close friends. These days it is just as easy to live in a satellite town if you want to go to the cinema, theatre etc. If I had my “i’d rathers” I would live part-time in Tropea – I would have to have a view. I would spend the other part of the part-time in Santa Cristina (where I was born) and ask the parish priest if I could go through the records to put them in some sort of order to help people doing genealogical research. And … talking about Italians and dogs, my mother always said she didn’t like our dog Dino – but that didn’t explain how he seemed to understand italian and he always knew who would cave in and give him special treats!
I will keep an eye out for the book
Jo
The Greek Islands – any of them 🙂
I would go to England. I love the people and the countryside is beautiful.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Thanks for your recent visits and comments over at News From Italy. With all our visitors now departed I am catching up on my Blog reading.
Not entering for the prize draw(not eligible anyway) Michelle as I have a copy sitting here waiting for review which I have then promised to set travelling via Bookcrossing. Having read this review, it sounds like I am going to enjoy this, a few titles ahead of it. I must find more time for reading somehow.
Meanwhile if any of my Bookcrossing buddies (eg iwanttobeinital) read this and are unable to enter this give away but would like to read this via Bookcrossing, just let me know 🙂
Hi Michelle, I reviewed this book on my blog last month, so don’t enter me in this giveaway. I’ll be looking forward to the others. Btw, I really enjoyed the book and gave it a thumbs up!
Oh, about running away from it all…I think I already did. That’s how I got here. How many times does one get to do that in one lifetime? 😉
I’d have to have unlimited money to go with it, but I’d say Tahiti. Sounds so nice! Thanks for the giveaway.
We talk about moving to Italy but usually Andrea says he wouldn’t do it because then he wouldn’t be different anymore. He likes the USA, and he likes being different! If we had unlimited funds, we would pick a penthouse apartment in Centro Roma, another in Nice, and a beach house somewhere in the warm Caribbean.
Where would I run away to…probably Greece.
Love the photo!
If my husband and I could chuck it all and run away, we would get a little house not far from town in Point Reyes Station in CA (where Prince Charles visited a few years ago to show off his interest in organic food). I would run a little body care shop and spa in town and go to yoga every morning before opening the store. He would take long bike rides in the morning on coastal country roads, then go home to write novels with our dog by his feet. We would hike on the weekends, and take care of our chickens and small vegetable garden… and probably still dream of chucking all that for Umbria, where we went on our first anniversary and stayed in a cottage at the edge of an olive farm.
So…what I would really love to do is go somewhere, anywhere, that cypresses grow. OK, so Italy fits the bill! I can just see myself walking along the winding paths or roads bordered by my favorite tree. But I have one more condition: in addition to these wonderful cypresses it must be somewhere with an excellent public library!
Thanks for the contest…it’s a great chance to dream.
If I could chuck it all and run away somewhere it would have to be Paris. During my one and only trip to Europe, Paris was hands-down the highlight for me. Seeing the museums, the architecture and the Eiffel Tower is one thing, but nothing beats sitting on the steps in front of the Sacre-Coeur, people-watching and looking out over the Paris skyline. Paradise!
If I could chuck it all (and oh we do plan to…it’s in our 15 year plan!) I would run away to Paris. My husband would teach physics at The Sorbonne. Each morning would be spent with one of us running to get a baguette and perhaps a croissant to share. Hot cafe au lait drank on a terrace while the city came to life and the sun rose above the horizon, filling the city with a tinge of pink. While the husband was at work I would shop for that day’s lunch and dinner. I would roast a side of salmon to make a nicoise salad for lunch. We’d enjoy the slower life, the 2 hour lunch, the walking. We’d have to live near the market, so he could get me fresh flowers whenever the last bunch wilted. Our evenings would be spent having friends over for dinner and wine shared while the windows were open to our terrace (for the smokers). Our petite chien would run around our feet hoping for a drip of wine (she seems to take after her maman). Not everything or everyday in Paris would be perfection, but it is ripe for the possibility. We really want to open up a small cafe where I bake treats and we have regulars who share their lives with us. I could do it anywhere, but Paris would be ideal!
Ireland, please! On one of those craggy coasts with an excellent pub…
If I could throw it all out-first of all I would have to be able to take my kitties. It would be a farm house in France, somewhere with lots of land, where I could grow my own food and spend my days cooking. Of course it would have to overlook a body of water so I could also spend my time reading. My kitties would be alongside me. This is my ultimate dream that when I save my pennies I think I am one step closer to reaching.
Imagine never wearing a suit again in your life.
Italia, for a while if not forever. Why? The people, the language, the life . . .
In my dreams, I live in Italy. I would be happy to wake up and find it so.
I would most like run away to Calabria that is where my father came from. I would love to see it.
I’m so excited to read the book, I think I heard a review of it on “Eye on Italy”? I love travel literature, especially set in Italy, and I love my dog, so I can totally identify.
Where to run away to? If I’m being sensible and somewhat realistic (as in this potentially could happen some day), I’d say Shaw Island, in the San Juans in the Puget Sound in Washington. It’s a teeny, beautiful island, with a population of less than 300, and only a mini grocery store and post office. I’d have a little house with a big garden and spend my days reading, gardening, kayaking, and playing with my dog.
If I’m being more imaginative, I’d say either Italy or Spain. I’ve been to Spain before and love it, and I’ll be heading to Italy for the first time in about 5 weeks for my honeymoon.
Ran away to Italy once and ended up staying for a little over 3 years. Loved it. Moved back to Chicago and love it too. And since the fiance is here and also loves Chicago, I imagine it will be some time before we run off together. But when we daydream together it is a tough call between Paris (we love it there despite not speaking the language; my italian only gets us so far…) and, while he hasn’t been, i think southern puglia would be phenomenal. Some of the most beautiful water, amazing food, and hospitable people.