Dimensions
157 x 209 x 23mm
'Pronto' (Ready!), Italians say when they answer the telephone. And ready they are - to talk, laugh curse, debate, woo, sing, lament. Their native tongue conveys a sense of something coming alive...
For anyone who has ever travelled to Italy or just likes to dream about it, the fantasy of living the Italian life is powerfully seductive. Dianne Hales is no exception, but she also fell truly, madly and deeply in love with the language, fascinated by its story and its stories, tantalised by its adventures, addicted to its sound, and ever eager to spend more time in its company: 'Italians say that someone who acquires a new language "possesses" it. In my case, Italian possesses me. With Italian racing like blood through my veins, I do indeed see with different eyes, hear with different ears, and drink in the world with all my senses...'
The author's decades-long quest to learn Italian became her passport into the country's people, its culture, history, lifestyle, food, traditions - and its very soul. The result is a joyous and warmly affectionate celebration of the country and the people who helped to not only learn 'the world's most loved and lovable language' but how to really live - and laugh.
