A collection of delightful tales, adding up to a book of great charm,written from the heart. It is a rich store of memories from the authors own life, set in and around Vicenza. Some of the stories are filled with humour, while others extreme sadness.From the little boy who had to wear his dead father's uniforms, cut down to make sailor suits, which he hated, to the sad tale of the authors mentor, whose little boy was out gathering mulberry leaves, to feed to silk worms, when he fell into a river and drowned. The book gives the reader a glimpse into a wonderful boyhood, described with warmth and affection. The book is in good condition, with a very slight browning of the pages, but hardly noticable. The jacket is soiled to the back, with a corner piece missing, two small tears to top of spine, and a 1/4 x 1/4 inch piece missing from back bottom of jacket.The back top corner is slightly worn. There is a 1/2 inch tear to the bottom front spine, but as the book is now covered in clear bookbinding wrap, these faults are not obvious. The cover has a wonderful piece of artwork by Gwyneth Cole, showing an open carriage and buildings overshadowed by the silhouette of a man - poss the author.

Vicenza. Venetian. Italy.