Our Italian Summer

November 2, 2020
Probst’s delightful latest (after Temptation on Ocean Drive) follows three generations of women on a monthlong tour of Italy as they attempt to repair their troubled relationships. The grandmother, Sophia Ferrari, suggests the trip as a way to postpone an imminent diagnosis for her increasing stomach pain and reconnect with her daughter and granddaughter, who are facing troubles of their own. Once on the ground, Francesca, an advertising executive suffering from panic attacks, attempts to leave work behind and repair her strained relationship with her daughter, Allegra, who believes she’s an afterthought to Francesca’s career. Allegra, too, has been at a crossroads since being arrested her back home for driving and smoking weed with her friends. In Italy, she meets someone who will listen to her, a young man studying to be a priest who’s down for a bit of romance before taking up the cloth. Meanwhile, Francesca connects with their tour guide, and Sophia meets a promising man as well. The issues within the family are established early and offer little surprises, but the novel is carried by the rich interactions between the women, as well as the lush Italian landscape, city descriptions, and culinary pleasures. Probst consistently charms. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary.