The Secret of Santa Vittoria

I simply echo the others - read this book - it is wonderful.It's full of the drama and comedy of life, like a fine play. Yes - the characters can be seen as stereotypes, but more often they evolve into a rich complexity, as their lives and ideals clash. Their close comunity and common dangers propel them through a suspensefull and wryly narrated struggle. Like Steinbeck, Crichton crafts the events of a time to work changes on people and force out their best, and so the tale inspires. I read it years ago, and reread it, and then gave it away. Now I have regained it (used), and find myself again rereading it. Why in heaven's name is this book out of print?

This book sat on a shelf at my parent house for years before I finally picked it up and read it. What a wonderful treasure to find! The story is set in a small, isolated, Italian village during the second world war. The townsfolk manage to live quietly undisturbed by the war - that is, until it is reported that a German regiment has been installed in a nearby town and is planning to visit the tiny mountain oasis. What ensues is a mad race by the townsflok to hide a precious secret from the German invaders while appearing to be hospitable and cooperative. To some degree everyone in the town is enlisted to participate in the massive con job (to varying degrees of sucess). You won't be able to put it down. It's a great, fast paced read with an excellent plot and character development.

I bought this book on a pavement in Bombay and have read it a dozen times since. Santa Vittoria, a small hill town in Italy, struggles to hide their most precious possession from the occupying Germans, a million bottles of fat black wine. Consequently, in the struggle between the methodical, self procalimed 'superior-raced' Germans and the uncouth, seemingly naive but clever Italians, the latter manage to hide the wine and keep it too. The Nazi captain Von Prum tries to find the hidden wine till the last day of his departure from the little town, but the secret lies safely in the hearts of the people, for whom wine is their life and blood. A cleverly written book, with subtle humour and insights into workings of an Italian mind, The Secret of SV makes one wonder why it isn't in the list of the so-called "popular, best read" lists.

This is a wonderful book. I've read it at least 4 times and I don't generally reread books. I agree with the two other reviewers. Why isn't this book still in print? It is a great book for book clubs to read as it raises so many questions of honor, right and wrong, ethics etc., etc. Great discussion material! How do we contact the publisher to make our feelings known? There must be others who feel the same way!

This is one of my most treasured books. I have read it a dozen times over the last twenty years. It is a funny story of an Italian wine village, but has a great philosophical duel between the wise-as-a-fox mayor and the German conquerors. It has tremendous quotes, parables, and insight into human nature. A true classic.