Botticelli Blue Skies

November 25, 2002
There's a subgroup in the memoir category in which Americans open themselves to the thrills and minor discomforts of unfamiliar countries, and sometimes pen insightful riffs on what it means to travel. Gerber, a creative writing professor at the California Institute of Technology, here adds her experiences to this genre, but doesn't find new ground on which to tread. She does stand out in one way: she's a reluctant traveler, following her professor husband, who's taken on an assignment in Florence. After a long discussion of how she hates to leave her home's comforts, Gerber finally arrives in Italy. She details her activities, including eating at a Chinese restaurant, buying milk in boxes and getting her geographic bearings. Although one can imagine how difficult this must be and therefore gain some sympathy for her at every wrong turn and misjudged grocery purchase, Gerber's "poor me" attitude wears thin. She doesn't learn any Italian before the trip, and in fact barely prepares herself for the journey. Prosaic happenings, such as a student accused of taking a hotel towel, are common and lead to other, similar moments that, when added together, seem like a neighbor's long vacation slide show. Gerber's lightness does lend itself well to funnier moments, and her memoir will comfort those who find themselves having to live in Europe briefly. However, the lack of emotional depth and unwillingness to fully examine a foreign locale prevent the book from rising in the expatriate canon. Photos.

September 15, 2002
Gerber (creative writing, California Inst. of Technology), an author of seven novels and four volumes of short stories, was not pleased when her husband was invited to teach in Florence, Italy, for three months. She feared leaving behind her family, friends, and home. Filled with humor and honest emotion, this lively tale describes Gerber's initial reluctance to move to a country whose language she did not speak, her eventual acceptance of her fear of travel, and her varied adventures in Florence, which ranged from losing her underwear over the balcony to the surprises of her first grocery shopping trip. Gerber, no traditional traveler, does not shy away from describing her exhaustion during sightseeing trips and her boredom with tour guides. She often seeks out the familiar, purchasing American peanut butter and celebrating the Jewish New Year with an Italian family. The American students studying with her husband also add color to the narrative, with convoluted romantic involvements and relationship angst. An absorbing account of life in another country; recommended for larger public libraries.-Alison Hopkins, Brantford P.L., Ont.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2002
Novelist and short story writer Gerber presents an absolutely delightful travel memoir. Reluctantly accompanying her professor husband and a group of college students for a semester of study in Florence, the author joins the burgeoning ranks of Americans chronicling their experiences abroad. Though she initially struggles with language and cultural issues, she soon surrenders to the irresistible beauty and sweetness of the Italian way of life. Refusing to adopt a tourist mind-set, she travels off the beaten path, approaching each new day and each new discovery as an adventure of the soul. With a writer's eye for detail and a keen sense of appreciation for unexpected gifts and pleasures, she records her daily impressions with grace, wit, and humor. This charming travelogue will draw readers into the leisurely rhythms of daily life in Florence.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)