This week, we feature a charming farce set in a small Italian town and a biography about a remarkable oilman who protected the environment.
Fiction A Suite Summertime Sizzler
‘The Hotel Nantucket’
By Elin Hilderbrand
Part mystery, part romance, and all fun, this novel follows Lizbet Keaton, who lands a job as the general manager of the lavishly restored Hotel Nantucket. She’s desperate to please the wealthy London owner and counts on her charismatic staff to help her succeed.
Little, Brown and Company, 2022, 416 pages An Endearing Farce
‘The Patron Saint of Second Chances: A Novel’
By Christine Simon
Prometto, Italy, population 212, has 60 days to come up with 70,000 euros to repair its water system or the state will close down the town. In this wild ride of a story, Signor Speranza, self-appointed mayor and vacuum repair man, hides this looming crisis while trying to solve the town’s insolvency. He falls into a plan of making a movie featuring a young and famous star and finds himself facing one disaster after another. This book is a wonderful, charming comedy and a great escape from our present troubles….