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Quick answer: If you loved Under the Tuscan Sun, read Frances Mayes's Bella Tuscany, then A Year in Provence, Toujours Provence, A Thousand Days in Venice and Driving Over Lemons. All are sunny, food-loving memoirs about moving abroad and falling for a place.
Frances Mayes's 1996 memoir describes buying and restoring an abandoned villa in Cortona, Italy, and learning the rhythms of Tuscan food, neighbours and seasons. It is sensual, warm and perfect for armchair travel. The books below offer similar escapes, from Provence to Venice, with houses, kitchens and a new way of life.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Tuscany | Frances Mayes | Adult | the sequel |
| A Year in Provence | Peter Mayle | Adult | funny travel memoir |
| Toujours Provence | Peter Mayle | Adult | more Provence |
| A Thousand Days in Venice | Marlena de Blasi | Adult | love in Venice |
| Driving Over Lemons | Chris Stewart | Adult | a farm in Spain |
| Almost French | Sarah Turnbull | Adult | an Australian in Paris |
| My Life in France | Julia Child | Adult | food memoir |
| The Sweet Life in Paris | David Lebovitz | Adult | pastry chef in Paris |
| Paris to the Moon | Adam Gopnik | Adult | essays on Paris |
| A Moveable Feast | Ernest Hemingway | Adult | Paris in the 1920s |
| A Room with a View | E. M. Forster | Adult | Italy in fiction |
| The Enchanted April | Elizabeth von Arnim | Adult | villa escape |
| Beautiful Ruins | Jess Walter | Adult | Hollywood and Italy |
| Love and Gelato | Jenna Evans Welch | Teen | Italy romance |
| In a Sunburned Country | Bill Bryson | Adult | funny travel |
1. Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes
Mayes continues her life in Tuscany with new trips and friendships. Warm and sensual.
Best for: the sequel.
2. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
A couple moves to southern France. Light, funny and warm.
Best for: funny travel memoir.
3. Toujours Provence by Peter Mayle
Mayle returns with more stories of village life. Charming.
Best for: more Provence.
4. A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi
An American woman moves to Venice to marry a man she barely knows. Romantic and food-filled.
Best for: love in Venice.
5. Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart
A former musician buys a farm in Andalusia. Funny and gentle.
Best for: a farm in Spain.
6. Almost French by Sarah Turnbull
An Australian journalist moves to Paris for love. Funny and honest.
Best for: an Australian in Paris.
7. My Life in France by Julia Child
Julia Child recalls discovering French cooking. Warm and enthusiastic.
Best for: food memoir.
8. The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
Lebovitz writes about moving to Paris. Funny and delicious.
Best for: pastry chef in Paris.
9. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
Gopnik writes about family life in Paris. Witty and elegant.
Best for: essays on Paris.
10. A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Hemingway recalls his early years in Paris. Short and classic.
Best for: Paris in the 1920s.
11. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
A young woman is awakened by Italy and love. Light and moving.
Best for: Italy in fiction.
12. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim
Four women rent an Italian villa and are transformed. Gentle and funny.
Best for: villa escape.
13. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
A young Italian innkeeper meets an actress in 1962, and the story spans decades. Charming.
Best for: Hollywood and Italy.
14. Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
A girl travels to Tuscany after her mother's death. Light and cosy.
Best for: Italy romance.
15. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Bryson travels across Australia. Light, funny and informative.
Best for: funny travel.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Under the Tuscan Sun: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more Mayes read Bella Tuscany. For Provence choose A Year in Provence or Toujours Provence. For Italy pick A Thousand Days in Venice or The Enchanted April. For Paris read My Life in France, The Sweet Life in Paris or Almost French. For travel humour try In a Sunburned Country. Under the Tuscan Sun is a book to read with a glass of wine, so these picks suit readers who love food and place. Under the Tuscan Sun was adapted into a 2003 film starring Diane Lane, but the book is more about the house, food and seasons than the plot of the film. Mayes also published cookbooks, which pair well with the memoir.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Under the Tuscan Sun about?
An American writer buys and restores a villa in Tuscany.
Who wrote it?
Frances Mayes.
When was it published?
1996.
Is the film like the book?
No, the film adds romance and invents characters.
Is there a cookbook?
Yes, Mayes has written cookbooks with recipes from Bramasole.
Is it a long book?
About 280 pages.
Is Bramasole a real house?
Yes, in Cortona.
Is it a good gift?
Yes, for armchair travellers and cooks.
What should I read next?
Try Bella Tuscany or A Year in Provence.
Which book here is best for love in Venice?
Try A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi, which is a good fit if you want love in Venice.
Which book here is best for food memoir?
Try My Life in France by Julia Child, which is a good fit if you want food memoir.
Which book here is best for Paris in the 1920s?
Try A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, which is a good fit if you want Paris in the 1920s.