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A wonderfully entertaining book that you wish went on forever! A quick and relaxing story of someone who grabs their dream and hangs on! Jennifer courageously shares all of her trials and successes with honesty and good natured humor. Highly recommend for anyone who has the desire to live abroad or even just wants to dream of it.
What a fun read!!! We were visiting Tuscany and met Jennifer. Had to buy
her book and I loved it!
I just finished this wonderful and delightful story. The author expresses her thoughts in such a light hearted way. I was able to visualise the beauty of Italy through her eyes. I loved it! As a reminder, never hang laundry out when it’s freezing!! Enjoy this great book!
This book was such fun to read. I love Italy. I love Tuscany and have been to different parts of Italy including Tuscany several times. Ms. Criswell wrote about one of my passions in a way that was humorous, informative and entertaining. It was delightful.
Excellent reading on how it’s not always an easy path to get to the point of "living the dream." Well written, with descriptions that "put you there", humor throughout and a great sense of how she felt and reacted to all the experiences of learning to live in Tuscany. My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting and talking at length with Jennifer Criswell at the Poliziano Winery near Montepulciano in Tuscany this spring. She is as warm, humorous and engaging as portrayed in her book and we are eagerly awaiting her sequel, hopefully due out soon.
As a fellow American of Italian heritage, I’ve often found myself wondering what it would be like to move to Italy (you know, in eight years when my daughter enters college). Through Jennifer Criswell’s intimate writing style, I no longer have to wonder what it’s like to experience life in Tuscany as an expat. Criswell’s glimpse into her struggles while trying to begin a new life in Montepulciano made me feel like I had made the trip with her. So evocative is the worlds she writes about, I feel as if I already know her fellow townspeople, felt the warm Tuscan sun bake my skin, and had my duvet freeze on the winter clothes-line. Having honeymooned in Rome, Florence and Venice, I’ve longed to return to Italy and this time experience Tuscany in all it’s glory. For my actual summer vacation this year I was in "exotic" Delaware, which is why I chose to take At Least You’re In Tuscany as my summer read. At least each night before bed, I was transported to Tuscany. Thank you Jennifer Criswell for my summer journey. Add this book to your cart now, you won’t be disappointed!
This book is about an adventurous and determined expat living in my favorite area of Italy. The author kept me interested as the main character shared all of her trials and tribulations of being accepted and respected in her new life in Montepulciano. I was fortunate enough to have visited this area just a few weeks ago and met an amazing group of expats! What a fantastic life they enjoy! At Least You’re in Tuscany took me right back to my favorite place to visit and keeps me dreaming of one day living in Tuscany. If you have ever visited this area or dream about visiting it, you will love this book!
Great book, excellent service by seller!
Just finished this book on the way home from a week in Tuscany and I wish I had read it before I went. The quirks and mannerisms of the Italians I met in the small villages would have made more sense and I would have known what "not to do." I loved this book! Like other reviewers, it made me laugh out loud a few times. Jenny is honest and likeable. She’s a good writer whose story reminds the reader that the road to living your dream may often be uphill and cobblestone. I commend her for having the courage and stamina to cling to her dream and remain…in Tuscany. Brava!
At Least You’re in Tuscany…..it is an enchanting story about following a dream! A friend recommended this book because I love Tuscany – I have often thought it would be so glamorous to pack up and move to Italy but never really had the courage or a plan. Jennifer had the courage and worked on a plan – she packed up her belongings and her dog, left her job as a lawyer and moved to a new country to be a writer – a modern day pioneer. Learning a new language, finding a place to live, meeting new friends, and just fitting into life in a small town – is no easy task. It is a light hearted story of the first year in Italy and trying to become a citizen so she can get a job. I had a hard time putting the book down and wanted to read it non-stop. The only thing that was disappointing about the book was it ended too soon! I had the opportunity to meet Jennifer on a recent trip to Italy and I was so delighted to find out that she is working on a second book !!!!! I hope she continues to write about all her adventures in Italy now that she is an Italian citizen and living in Montepulciano a lovely hilltop town in Tuscany! Rumor has it she might be getting a car soon – she could write an entire book on driving in Italy, the signs, the round-abouts, and narrow streets! Best wishes for a wonderful future in Tuscany!!!
I loved this book! I just spend two months in Tuscany and this book felt like a gift, capturing some of what I experienced there and offering a fun and honest portrayal of Criswell’s Tuscan experiences. Criswell is a sharp, humorous, descriptive writer and I loved her approach to sharing her joys and sorrows of adjusting to life in Tuscany. She doesn’t sugarcoat her experiences, instead she offers a nuanced narrative of the people, food, weather, and wine of Tuscany. You will laugh out loud and cheer Criswell on as she makes Tuscany her new home, and you will want to buy a ticket and go drink a glass of wine with her.
A simplistic story line.
I highly recommend this easy and insightful read from a very talented author. I found myself unable to put the book down as I truly enjoyed reading about all of Jennifer’s escapades as she navigated her new life in Italy. Cannot wait for book 2 to find out what happens next…..Bravo Jennifer!
I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would initially. I await Jennifer’s next installment!
I loved Montepulciano, so the book’s setting evokes memories. It’s refreshing to hear the difficulties of settling into Italian life, struggling with the language, and easing into friendships. All the other expat stories I’ve read have been about people with too much money (that’s relative, clearly) restoring a ruin and their difficulties with workers, governmental red tape/inefficiencies. The occasional incorporation of unfamiliar Italian words and phrases helps expand my limited use of la lingua italiana.
Awesome book for anyone who has ever wanted to chuck it all and follow their heart to Italy-and take the dog with them! I love Jennifer’s writing style and her take on the Italian way of living. This book only makes my dream get stronger. I highly recommend this book and author. I sincerely hope she writes a sequel!
Amazing story of commitment and perserverence to fulfill a dream in a different culture. Having experienced something similar in my own pursuits, this book resonated with the realities of making the adjustments to life in Tuscany. It is a honest portrayal of the buracracy, people, food, and culture of a small town. I felt emotionally connected to all of the author’s trials and tribulations. Even if you have never traveled to Tuscany, this book takes you off the tour bus and immerses in real life Italy.
Loved this book. It was a fun, easy read. I have traveled to Italy twice and reading a book like this takes me back there for a little while.
I really loved this book. It shows you that when being in Italy on holiday is easy, living there and finding a job is far from easy…
Many books have been written about moving to Italy in general, and Tuscany in particular, and as someone planning my own move, I have read most of them. While they all bring a smile to my face, most of them don’t quite speak to me, as I have neither the money nor energy for renovating my own Tuscan villa and since I am not yet ready to retire, I will need to work upon arrival. So what a delight it was to come across Jennifer Criswell’s \\”At Least You’re in Tuscany\\”! I sat down and read it from cover to cover in one day. Finally a book by a single woman taking off to follow her Italian heart with limited funds and unlimited dreams. With wit, insight, and charm, Jennifer shares the trials and tribulations of establishing her new life in Montepulciano, sharing as many ups and downs as the magnificent Tuscan hills she can see from her balcony. I am happy to say that I have already acquired that holy grail for ex-pats – dual citizenship with Italy – but I laughed and cried at the all too familiar labyrinth process of acquiring it which she described. Both entertaining and realistic, Jennifer offers us a useful reflection about uprooting one’s life, moving to a different country (even if it is one’s ancestral home), learning a new language and culture, making new friends, and carving out a new life. But yes, yes, yes, at least you’re in Tuscany! Ci vediamo presto!
funny book, can’t wait to read a sequel
Loved this book. It was so captivating and realistic.
This was such an enjoyable book and easy to read. I felt like I was sitting with a girlfriend chatting over a bottle of Pinot Grigio and hearing about her recent move to Italy.
Anyone who visits Italy probably has at the very least a fleeting thought of packing up and moving there. This is a story of someone who did just that-packed up and set down roots in a foreign country. But instead of the oh so overdone fairy tale of a young woman who moves to Italy, renovates a Tuscan villa, falls in love and lives happily ever after, this book is a realistic account of what it takes to pack up and move to somewhere where you don’t know anyone or even speak the language. How do you learn the language? What do you do for work when your funds get crucially low? How do you navigate the long and convoluted process of gaining citizenship? We don’t think about the day to day when we’re daydreaming! This book, however, finds complete entertainment in the minutiae of daily life.
I found this book to be very well written and not overdone in any way. It was peppered with just enough italian words, the stories didn’t seem over embellished, and character development was well done. I enjoyed it very much and I’m looking forward to the sequal…or at least another book by this adventurous author.
Enjoyable read, and you’ll fall in love with Cinder, her lovable dog.
Outstanding book about overcoming the odds and chasing a dream. Jennifer should be commended for her honesty regarding moving to a different country and all of the ups and downs a person will experience. I laughed and cried along with her. Well written. I couldn’t put it down. Well done Jennifer!
Really fun story so far. Lots of good advice on moving to a small Italian city and really funny descriptions of her (the author’s) experiences. I spent 6 months in Florence so I can relate.
I absolutely enjoyed Criswell’s book, as it painted so vividly the picture of life as an ex-pat in Italy. It is light and funny– an easy read. Her experiences take you through a young woman’s journey in a foreign country, with foreign friends and attempts to work and make a life for herself in Tuscany. I have also moved to a foreign country for many years, so it brought back lots of memories. I just wanted her to be successful and during my reading of her book, caught myself cheering her on.
I loved it! Bravo!!
Many moons ago I left Tuscany to land on the shore of a small island on the Pacific Northwest. In At Least You’re in Tuscany I read of Jennifer’s struggles to fit in my old country from the opposite end of the spectrum and loved every word. I recognized every character, every cobblestone, every recipe and every impossible bureaucratic tantrum. From the very first page to the very last words my present life paused and a parenthesis opened, a window into an old past, old but not forgotten. I was allowed to remember it all and admired Jennifer’s courage to make it, to dig and plant roots. Cara mia hai passato la prova! Sei un Italiana in tutti i sensi! Complimenti! More than a vine you remind me of the olive trees. Resilient, fruitful and generous.
This is definately NOT the usual romantic story about ralizing ones dream of renovating a Villa in sunny Tuscany!
J. Criswell experiences Tuscany by the grass roots and not by the pool side…..
Her best survival kit is optimism and great sense of humor!
First off, let me say that I just got yet another copy and my own review is waaay overdue as a year has passed but it remains very much relevant. I have gotten Jennifer’s book for many friends and family as it makes a perfect present for those who enjoy reading, like to travel and are adventurous. This is candid tale about a foreigner’s life and pursuit of happiness in a small Italian town and anyone who has ever hoped to simply pick up and leave to find that idyllic place, wherever that may be, should read this. As fellow strangers to this lovely town of Montepulciano, I can only thank my kids for making our transition easier. I admit we used them quite often as a first line for random conversation and interactions because Italians would just melt when our toddlers would approach them saluting them with a cheerful: "Bon Jovi!". 😉 Heck who wouldn’t? But I digress…..So I can not even imagine going thru it solo and it sure does take palle (I guess you just will have to buy and read the book, huh?) to understand, both, literally. Soon you will see hers is a story of perseverance, growing thick skin and inevitably so… the process of slowly shedding off the American ways to adjust to the patience testing but ultimately….. oh so lovely life we all come to find in Tuscany.
This book, "At Least You’re In Tuscany" is wonderful, hysterically funny and very "relatable", even if you’ve never BEEN to Tuscany! I haven’t laughed out loud so many times reading a book in a very long time. This is a feel-good, honest adventure story that really explains the Italian people of Tuscany, their daily lives, their ways, and how a determined American with "every woman" flaws, makes the small town of Montepulciano her home. Brava!
I love these types of books: the ones where someone moves to a different country and the ones where someone tries something new for a year or longer.
I find these types of book very interesting and inspiring. I always learn something new, and am inspired to try new things for myself.
This book doesn’t disappoint. There’s no sugar coating. Jennifer had the dream of moving to Tuscany and with some stars in her eyes she takes the leap. Well…turns out life isn’t always a fairy tale and she has her share of difficulties along the way.
However, she sticks it out and creates a new life for herself.
congratulations, Jennifer. I wish you and Cinder all the best.
Purchased after I spent a week in Tuscany and met Ms. Chriswell during a wine tasting tour. She has such a vivacious, friendly personality and told us briefly of her experience…that I just had to purchase. It was an absolutely wonderful book full of personal hardships and triumphs, all flavored with light humor. One of THE most enjoyable books I have read in YEARS!! If you have visited Italy, have a love of Italy or just enjoy and honest, entertaining account of one womans battles and transitions…read it. You won’t be disappointed!!
Jennifer Criswell renounces her life in New York and seeks work and citizenship in Montepulciano. She captures small Tuscan living and that makes the book enjoyable enough. And the opening where Jennifer compares herself to Lucy Ricardo in the famous grape stomping episode of I Love Lucy is very cute. (I had just seen that episode on television again the previous week!). But we are never really sure why she wants this life change so badly and some of her trials and tribulations just become tiresome after awhile. Beyond a certain point in the book, we don’t really care about her friends or if she gets a job .
If you really want to be charmed and laugh out loud, Heart over Heel by Chris Harrison is a much more delightful and well written book by an Australian trying to make it in Italy.
This book was so good I finished it in two days! Her descriptions made it easy visualize each situation unfolding.
A great and interesting real life story about a talented lady who actually had the nerve and ambition to live the dream and move to Italy. I loved it – hmmm, I wonder if I can follow in her footsteps!
I highly recommend “At Least you’re in Tuscany”. Jennifer describes her ups and downs of making a new life in Tuscany with humor, honesty, and candor. She doesn’t sugar coat her experiences, she tells it like it is. I lived in Italy for the past year and can relate to the many challenges she encountered. I love this book; I have read it twice and I am looking forward to Jennifer’s next one.
Having met Jenny in Tuscany, I had to buy the book. I’m very happy I did, it’s funny, inciteful and really makes one yearn for Tuscany
I met Jennifer at the Winery she now works at. She was very endearing and when she said she wrote a book about her move from New York to Tuscany, I downloaded it right away on to my Kindle. This is a great read. I loved reading all of her experiences-especially those that involved her sweet dog Cinder.
As others have said, this is a "real" book about a real person trying to make it on her own in a Foreign country.
Kudos to you Jennifer, so glad you hung in there! It looks like you’re definitely enjoying your new life in Tuscany.
And thanks for the great book. I really enjoyed it.
Would you quit your job, pack your bags, and move alone to a country where you hardly speak the language, understand even less, and where a job is not necessarily waiting for you? Well, you might. I certainly wouldn’t. But that’s exactly what Jennifer Criswell did.
In her book \\”At least you’re in Tuscani\\”, Criswell tells of her first year in the small town of Montepulciano in Tuscany. She gave up her job as a lawyer in New York and moved to Italy to write, having visited and fallen in love with the place many years ago. What she did not expect were the difficulties she would face, for example, in communicating with the local people and getting a job so that she could eat more than just cans of tuna. She also made some poor choices that led to gossip and unwanted attention.
Criswell tells her story with humour even though some of the situations she faced must not have been funny at the time. Her descriptive and at times picturesque writing helps you to see the people and place in your mind’s eye. If I am ever in Italy again, I hope I can visit the little town!
All in all, I enjoyed the book. People who are planning on moving to small towns in Italy would do well to read it as well!
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Absolutely delightful, but not a fluffy read. Well written, thoughtful, and funny, I found I missed Jennifer’s voice when the book ended. She gets outside of the typical clichés of \\”American girl moves to Tuscany\\”, and gives the reader a wonderful story.
You don’t need to be contemplating a move to Italy to enjoy this book. Anyone that has followed a dream, has a sense of humor, and lived outside the box a bit will cheer Jennifer’s adventure! I hope she makes millions on the book, buys a winery and lives out her days in Tuscany!
When we toured the Poliziano Winery, our guide was Jenny. She was so knowledgeable about the grapes, the wine, the countryside, and so optimistic and sunny, we had to ask questions about her life, and found out that she had written a book. As soon as we returned from our 2 weeks in Tuscany, we ordered it. In addition to reading a very well-written story about the tribulations of making a dream come true, we had the joy of returning to Montepulciano and retracing our own steps: down past the grocery store to the village market, or up that looong hill, where you turn right and go slowly up an even steeper hill. And then we felt the need to return to find the places that we missed! But all that aside, I am a fan of very good writing, the kind that paints a picture with words. Jenny does that. Read it! Whether your joy is travel or just enjoying a good story, well told, you will be glad you did. (Norma Fox)
I met Jenny in Italy at the Poliziano Winery and immediately loved her direct, no-nonsense style (and after 2 weeks touring Italy, I was so thankful at this point that she spoke English). I was intrigued about her story, so I purchased the book when I got home and just finished it at 5:00 am this morning. It was totally delightful to read! Her dogged determination to live out her dream, and her humor at all the setbacks along the way, make it a story that everyone can relate to. Forget all preconceived notions about life in Italy from watching Under The Tuscan Sun – Jenny’s book is the real deal!
I am enjoying this book right now – makes me want to go to Tuscany although not quite to renovate. I love to travel through books. It may not be as good as a trip, but a whole lot cheaper – especially as you get older. Makes dreaming easy.
Having met Jennifer in Montipulciano, last September, I had to read this book and finally did so this past week! Now, I felt like I just went back! Heartwarming, heartfelt,warm, fuzzy, humorous and beautifully written! If you’ve traveled to Tuscany, it’s a must read….if you haven’t…you will certainly feel compelled to go and meet this author! The kind of book that leaves you wanting more….Both for the author and yourself!
Haivng met Jennifer on my trip to Tuscany last summer, I was anxious to read her book, and I was not disappointed. Her voice shines in this book as she describes the ups and downs of life in a new country. Her book is an inspiration to all of us who have ever dreamed of moving abroad. I found her honesty refreshing and her stories enlightening. Her experiences demonstrated the joys and pitfalls of life in a new country. Her courage to stick it out when most others would have thrown in the towel is remarkable. Her book is grounded in reality while maintaing the ability to charm the reader. I look forward to more books by Jennifer.
The author tells her story of moving to Montepulciano from New York City. A story close to my heart because I too have fallen in love with Montepulicano (and have been there over 15 times now!). I was visiting friends there in June and one mentioned they heard there is an American in town who moved there in wrote a book. I was excited to find it on amazon. Having often dreamed of moving there myself (although I see myself out in the countryside rather than in the town itself) but having decided life as an immigrant would be too much for me and unrealistic at this point, it was fun to read about someone who did make the move. Brave woman indeed. She writes in a way that made me feel I was in the town sharing her experience and it was so fun because so many things she described are so accurate! It’s an easy read. The writing flows. Give it a try. It will probably make you want to visit Montepulciano again and again…but maybe not move there! 😉
This book is absolutely perfect for anyone who has ever wanted to drop everything, move out of the city, and start a brand new life in a dream-like location. Jenny has described perfectly the ups and downs of making this dream a reality. While reading her book, I was faced with many emotions: at times I was so envious of her courage and her new lifestyle…going to the local bar for an espresso and brioche, the view of the Tuscan hills from her window; and then I would immediately become empathetic as she dealt with the language barrier, the hardships of gaining citizenship and employment, and frozen laundry. However, this story is told in such an endearing and humorous way that at many times I was "that person" laughing out loud while reading on the subway and at the gym. This book is also perfect for any one who has traveled to Tuscany during the tourist season and wants an inside scoop of what it’s like to live there all year round. Thanks Jenny for letting us readers into your life, embarrassing moments and all!!
I ordered this book as I enjoy reading Italian books/memoirs. Entertaining read. She is really a great writer-lots of descriptions that makes you feel like you are smelling the food and flowers and seeing the town with your own eyes…very talented in that regard. Look forward to reading more of her adventures!
Lisa
We’ve all seen the movies or read the books about expat life in Tuscany. After spending a few days there myself (enjoying the amazing food, gelato, wine, and art), I remember thinking, \\”It would be awesome to actually LIVE here.\\” But after spending extended periods of time in both Europe and South America studying abroad, I realized that expat life wouldn’t be easy. As valuable as those travel experiences were, I was thankful that I was able to return home to my normal life in the U.S. afterward.
In her book, Criswell detailed both the highs and lows of her life in Italy. I appreciated how she painted a realistic picture of what it was actually like to move to a new country alone, establish citizenship, find work, and make friends. Criswell faced legal issues, language barriers, cultural differences, and a complete change in lifestyle. She went from being a sociable lawyer in New York City to being unemployed in a small town in Italy where everyone had their nose in each other’s business. She found herself the subject of gossip since after an affair with a local fruit vendor.
Despite the many difficulties she faced, Criswell was determined to make it work, and she kept her optimism and sense of humor through it all. I had to laugh when I read the scene where she accidentally freezes her duvet on the laundry line. The people she encounters in Italy are described in vivid detail, and they add more humor and heart to her story.
I recommend this book to anyone who has ever dreamed about moving to Tuscany–you can live vicariously through the author’s experiences. I enjoyed this honest and relatable memoir, and I would love to read more about Criswell’s new life in Italy.