Park Ridge Library Discussion Questions
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN by Frances Mayes

  1. Would you like to meet Mayes? Visit her in Cortona?

  2. This book is a compilation of memoir, travelogue, cookbook and essays. Do the parts blend? Do you like all the parts or do you find yourself skipping over certain sections of the book?

  3. This is a nonfiction title so there is essentially no plot. How does Mayes sustain interest in the book?

  4. Mayes is a poet. How does she use her poetic sense? (see page 42)

  5. Mayes commutes between Cortona and San Francisco. How does she balance the transition?

  6. Is Mayes a "Pollyanna"? Does she show a darker side?

  7. Describe the natives of Cortona. Is she kind in her descriptions?

  8. Describe Ed. Is he a good mate for Mayes?

  9. The book contains lots of snippets of information - everything from wasps fertilizing figs to how to make a grandmother's pie. Does this add or detract from the book?

  10. Mayes grew up in Georgia. How does her Southern childhood weave into the book?

  11. "Restoration, I like the word. The house, the land, perhaps ourselves." (85) What does this mean?

  12. What do you learn about Italian culture?

  13. Is life in Cortona for everyone? If not, who would not fit into the picture?

  14. Does feminism have a role in this book? (191)

  15. The book uses all the senses. Can you think of examples where the author uses touch? (skin fell off the peaches like a silk slip falls off your body - 73) Hearing? (her mother's canning jars make a distinctive sound) Sight? Smell? Taste? (enjoying watermelon with the workers - 63)

Questions created by Vivian Mortensen, Head of Reader Services at the Park Ridge Public Library.