Marlena de Blasi- Tuscan Secrets (2004)Tuscan Secrets is the sequel to de Blasi’s first Italian adventure, A Thousand Days in Venice. After selling their Venetian home and her husband Fernando resigning from his banking job, he and Marlena head south in search of a home in San Casciano, a small Tuscan town.They settle into the rural lifestyle with unlikely companions Barlozzo and Floriana who are town locals and teach them to appreciate the small things in life. Marlena is a chef and food critic and very much in line with her first memoir, Tuscan Secrets explores the depths of taste and how food can bring people together.Although it is not a tale of excitement or drama, it does have a nice flow and if you are a food lover and a travel nomad then you will enjoy how the Tuscan culture and their love of food is entwined throughout the story line. Plus there’s the added bonus of Marlena’s mouth-watering recipes and plenty of Italian vocab learning opportunities. I have finally learnt how to properly pronounce bruschetta!I really enjoy Marlena’s Italian memoir series which combines my favourite things in life- travel, culture and good food.
