"Mortimer Miss Molly" by Peter Henisch

Miss Molly is her little house on the city wall when their luck falls from the sky at the window. Just point it ends up at the circle center of the Renaissance garden in front of their eyes. The American parachutists had jumped at the last moment from his fighter-bomber before the German flak hit the machine.

Twenty years earlier, Miss Molly herself in San Vito, a fictional village in southern Tuscany, arrived here. In his native London she had always suffered from asthma; Italian flavorings should bring their improvement.

Then they hired the distinguished Bianchi family, so that they educate their children and teach. Which are now, in May of the war in 1944, long grown up, her parents moved to its Palazzo and the governess have sienabraune house, on the walls, a “wild cherry tree hugs, a fabulous bougainvillea hedge high climbs,” than leave home.

Miss Molly is a fatalist: “If it be not now, it will happen tomorrow” or even “later.

” So she stayed, fled as the other villagers in the shelter, rather in their home. From here, they watched as the soldier frantically pulls together his umbrella, trying to get to safety. She takes heart and sneaks the dark staircase down to the hiding place of strangers. The lady dressed in white appears like a “fairy from a fairy tale”, especially since she speaks his language. It will save his life.

Whether ensues between Mortimer, the attractive young American soldiers (24), and Miss Molly, the daring, sensitive and cultured Brit (45), a sweet romance? The remains una bella fantasia , a “fantasy game”, which begins four decades later, between Julia and Marco.

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The psychology student from Vienna visited with a couple of girlfriends an Italian course in Siena and learns know where the medical students from Turin. With its Basque cap, he looks like a film director. He quickly wins Julia’s heart, and after he has convinced her that she could learn faster and more intense Italian with him far more than one course, he may move with the women-WG. But soon the friends of the “permanent presence of this Man image “, his “beard hairs in the wash shell” and “toilet seat in the wrong (misogynist) position” are tired.

Julia and Marco pack up and rattle in Marcos 2CV south. San Vito they relate in a simple albergo a room con letto matrimoniale and explore in the following days, life in the centro storico . In Caffe Italiano they enjoy every morning delicious crostini to cappuccino , served by a satisfaction and harmony radiating elderly couple awakens both admiration. Julia asks (and) as “un amour tellement résistant”, unless possible a love that seems to have survived all “adverse circumstances” of life. “Philemon and Baucis” (as Marco calls them) could give the two young people and their “Summer Love” perhaps a model, perspective and depth.

Besides chatting them with many other interesting people in the village, such as the fussy alimentari -Ladenbetreiber Tullio, which can ironically Lo Svelto (the Nimble) calls, and Nino ( il postino ) that of his activities told as a football referee ( arbitro ). In the simple, graceful gardens and backyards, they discover an elephant tree, a giant rosemary bush, cats and amazingly active turtles ( fanno l’amore ). Everywhere offer postcard idylls that Marco maps with his camera, Julia in the foreground. Actually, he is supposed to soon be medico , but in his dreams he prefers film director. Chabrol, Truffaut, Godard – where he wants to emulate. And a location such as San Vito crying out for a storia d’amore.

One evening there was a knock at the door of turtledoves. It is the low-key guest from the next but one room, an elderly gentleman who il Vecchio Hemingway is similar. “Non volevo disturbare” he says, and turns out to be Mortimer Mellows from Minnesota before. He saw how the two often strolled in the park below, and because he had to a “special relationship” that he wanted them like to tell his story. In a forest restaurant in the Maremma, he reported in wild boar and funghi porcini , as he had jumped in May 1944 with his parachute from the bomber and was rescued by Miss Molly: “She saved my life.”

Unfortunately, finds exciting, promising military history no continuation. Because the next day Mortimer left the albergo . According to the padrone the regular comes back every year; maybe he had to leave early because his has expired permesso di soggiorno (residence). Julia and Marco will soon have to leave, but the experience and heard it is long merge accompany and over again. As Mr Mellows they will return to San Vito, and they will amp the unfinished story of Mortimer &; Miss Molly to continue: ” figurati: … we would, we would … we would”.

A love story embedded in a love story that only in San Vito can be lived between Marco and Julia – this is the plot of this charming novel. And it contains a third love story: the author Peter Henisch to Italy. On each side you can feel how much he appreciates the people and life in the sun-drenched, beautiful and varied landscape. Lots of little phrases in Italian give this declaration of love their flavor. Do not worry: There are easy to understand everyday expressions that you meet already in the evening class for beginners that are locally like to use (and hear) is and those of friendly authoring a precaution in most cases is accompanied by a translation.

In short: a lovely, relaxing novel of the pleasant side effect of the Italian-learning for beginners. If soon the travel time for Tuscany in ways which are “Mortimer & amp; Miss Molly” ideal companion. Pick a nice quiet spot in a giardino , or take as Miss Molly at a “stone table under oaks” place. Remember, though, bring a cushion, because in May is “the stone bench … not only hard but also cold”.