Product Description

When Laura Fraser's husband leaves her for his high school sweetheart, she takes off, on impulse, for Italy, hoping to leave some of her sadness behind. There, on the island of Ischia, she meets M., an aesthetics professor from Paris with an oversized love of life. What they both assume will be a casual vacation tryst turns into a passionate, transatlantic love affair, as they rendezvous in London, Marrakech, Milan, the Aeolian Islands, and San Francisco. Each encounter is a delirious immersion into place (sumptuous food and wine, dazzling scenery, lush gardens, and vibrant streetscapes) and into each other. And with each experience, Laura brings home not only a lasting sense of pleasure, but a more fully recovered sense of her emotional and sexual self. Written with an observant eye, an open mind, and a delightful sense of humor, An Italian Affair has the irresistible honesty of a story told from and about the heart.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #473675 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-07
• Released on: 2002-05-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
When her husband of one year left her for an old girlfriend, Fraser (Losing It: False Hopes and Fat Profits in the Diet Industry), in her mid-30s and suddenly alone, was devastated. In a state of shock, she decided to take a trip to Italy. Finding no solace with friends in Florence, she traveled to the island of Ischia, where she met M., a married university professor from France with whom she began a casual affair that continued on and off for the next two years. In this gentle memoir, she tells of her rendezvous with her lover in Milan, Lago Maggiore, London, the Aeolian Islands, Morocco and her own city, San Francisco all the places where they carried on their fairy-tale romance, enjoying beautiful scenery, languorous days in the sun, fabulous meals and good sex. The professor, a man of the world who took such liaisons casually, had an easy, humorous, slightly mocking manner that was just what she needed to help her recover from her broken heart. There were no expectations beyond having a good time. "It's simple," he told her. "All you need is an older man who can handle you, who will take care of you, who will love to have sex with you." What M. offered Fraser was far more satisfying and restorative than the psychologically complicated relationships she found in the San Francisco singles scene. Eventually, she was able to get her groove back and even forgive her husband. Writing in the second person, Fraser steps back and looks at the experience without sentimentality, recounting a tender story that gives hope to women with broken hearts. Agent, Sarah Lazin.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
After her husband leaves her for his high school sweetheart, freelance writer Fraser (Vogue, Glamour, Self, the San Francisco Examiner Magazine) takes off to Italy to gain a new perspective on her life. There she unexpectedly meets M. (as he is known throughout the book), a married French aesthetics professor, and begins an affair of a lifetime. Often reading like a romance novel, this beautiful tale of self-discovery is purposefully written in the second person so that readers can feel as if they are a part of the story. Fraser alternates chapters between San Francisco (home) and exotic locations like Milan, Morocco, or the Aeolian Islands, where she rendezvous with M., taking her audience on a journey from heartbreak to new love to self-understanding and spiritual revival. In the end, she triumphs by restoring the naturally lively self that was abruptly silenced by the break-up with her husband. Part travelog, part memoir, and part love story in the most traditional sense, this highly personal, honest, funny, and charming account is a joy to read. Essential for all public libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Fraser departs from the typical travelogue format, interweaving the sights and sounds of several exotic vacations with the intensely personal story of her own long-term romance with a married man. As the two lovers rendezvous in Ischia, Marrakech, Lake Maggiore, Stromboli, London, and San Francisco, their relationship seems to adapt to the character, color, and climate of each new locale. Drenched in sumptuous, sensuous detail, both the passionate affair and the vivid descriptions of foreign cities compete for the reader's attention. A painstakingly honest emotional memoir masquerading as a travel digest. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

An Affair to Remember...
Forget Fodor's -- An Italian Affair is the best guidebook to Italy ever! I was totally mesmerized by Laura Fraser's descriptions of Italy (and beyond), its landscape, city life and food. Reading this book was just as good as being there -- and the fairy tale romance was the "cherry on top of the cherry on top of the sundae."

Written as a travel memoir, I was a bit surprised that An Italian Affair turned out to be a true story. It sounded like such a great fiction novel, so knowing this story actually happened to someone made it all the more incredible. Laura Fraser's story begins when her husband of one year dumps her for his high school sweetheart. Devastated, Laura decides to visit her friends for a therapeutical trip in Italy. Exploring one of the outer islands, Ischia, on her own one day, Laura crosses paths with her destiny. M., a dashing Frenchman, on a vacation of his own, finds Laura having breakfast in the same hotel, and from there a spectacular romantic rendez-vous ensues.

M.'s and Laura's love affair is at once sweet and nurturing, but also has magical healing powers. Since meeting M., Laura's post-divorce depression has had a back-burner storyline in her life, and through M., Laura has been able to become the independent, strong woman she thought she had lost for good. Endearing and smart, An Italian Affair is a wonderful testimony of being a woman, falling in love and getting back your life. Highly recommended for a fabulous, quick read.

A Wonderful Weekend Read
Someone once said that we vacation to take a break from ourselves, but Laura Fraser's novel shows how travel can actually help us uncover who we really are. I read this memoir over the weekend and felt as if I'd gone on a brief adventure myself. Although I'm happily married, I could completely relate to the author's sense of loss and confusion post-divorce, and also to the sense of empowerment (and mild surprise) she felt as she met men who found her attractive and finally one she was interested in, too. More important, regardless of the fellas in the book, Laura Fraser stands on her own as an interesting, mature (I mean that in a good way), REAL character in this novel, absent perfect bodies or hair or clothes or the right thing to say all the time. But the book is still eminently sexy because you can easily put yourself into Ms. Fraser's well-traveled shoes. It's a quick read, a combination travelogue, love story, and girl-power piece, perfect for a little getaway of your own.

A beautiful, sensual love story
This book is a very quick read but it is beautiful, sensual and fun. Fraser chronicles a jet-set love affair with a French man after a divorace. I read it once a year while lounging in the sunshine. The descriptions of food, place and character are vivid and delicious. Be sure to have some crusty bread, fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, and olive oil on hand while reading this book!