A Garden in Lucca: Finding Paradise in Tuscany

You might get the idea at first glance that this is yet another Provence/Tuscany retreat memoir complete with wide-eyed cross-cultural mishaps, boring renovations and banal recepies, but look again; This writer is bona fide, as he's lived near the old city of Lucca for nearly twenty years where he now cultivates the extensive gardens of his Renaissance hunting lodge. Missing here is the breathhless, shallow enchantment with all that's new and foreign, further tainted by a patronizing scrutiny of the locals and their quaint, imagined, cuteness. He doesen't bother us with the butcher, baker and the candlestick maker, or any shephed who happens to pass through his olive groves; he's gone beyond the obvious and facile here. His friends are those with whom he shares a passion for gardening. These characters come from all walks of life: they might be landed aristocrats or simple folks with a patch of ground, but they're all vibrantly portrayed, with enormous wit and affection. This is a book that lasts, with its generous mix of passion, irony and wonder, and its depths linger in my memory.

Paul Gervais has written a wonderful book. A book for everyone. Gardening lovers, gardeners, neophytes, everyone including those who have always been lazy with their garden. The story is just amazing. The extremely witty way of telling it and the incredible setting keep the reader glued to the book with a funny feeling. You actually realise you want to do the same thing Paul has done. You want to create your own garden, improve your little terrace or add a flower-bed to your plain-looking lawn. You will fall in love with the countryside. The author looks at Italy with an eye full of reverence, passion and excitement and he never fails to convey the humble feeling with which he approaches his work in his gardens. You'll love the book. Professionals will read it and smile and recognise some of the struggles to obtain what they wanted, people will learn something new. All will enjoy the story that lies behind the wonderful house and its gardens. It's the right book to dream with, find new ideas and have a great feeling.

Paul Gervais captures the delights as well as the challenges of living in Italy -- and does so with splendidly engaging prose. Gervais has an exceptional talent for recalling conversations, as readers of his first book 'Exceptional People' will agree. My wife and I both loved this book, and we knew nothing before about gardens!

Bravo! Bravo! Mr. Gervais on this colorful and artful journey in prose wonderfully construcuted. With his elegant manner of detail, humor, and eccentric characterization, this work brought light to a romantics soul. An intriguing & refreshingly natural explosion of a personal rebirth. Five revitalizing stars!

I really loved this book. A nice variation on the 'foreigners move to exotic locale and meet charming locals' theme. It's much more than that, too. I nearly cried when I thought Paul and Gil were going thru with the sale......whew! Never thought I'd read a garden book, but as a fan of Tuscany, I had to pick this one up. Glad I did.