Summer in Tuscany

Summer in Tuscany is exactly the book the cover promises: three generations of an American family inheriting a half-ruined Italian villa, a discovered family secret, a Tuscan town that mostly serves as backdrop, and a few cleanly handled romance subplots. Elizabeth Adler has spent a long career making this exact kind of book, and the form is what it is.

Adler's strengths are the small physical details: a particular way of preparing tomatoes, a particular afternoon light, a particular argument over how to restore a fresco. The grandmother in this book is the most interesting character, and Adler gives her appropriate weight. The romance plots resolve where you expect them to.

Three stars. A pleasant beach read. Not essential. Will absolutely satisfy fans of the form.