Notes from a Roman Terrace

by Joan Marble

A delightful travel memoir of contemporary life in Rome, by the author of the well-loved Notes from an Italian Garden .

Joan Marble has lived in a sixteenth-century Roman palazzo apartment with husband Robert, a sculptor, for over forty years. A lifetime of mingling with the citizens of Rome and pottering about on her beloved terrace above the city rooftops has resulted in this warm and witty book.

Highly personal and brimming with anecdote, history and insight, Joan’s experience of Rome and Romans is infected by her contagious fascination for plants, a hobby she shares every week with the Women’s Gardening Club of Rome. She includes an insider’s view of Italian fellow gardening-obsessives, and an authoritative view of famous Italian Gardens. Woven into her gardening tales are her informed views on everyday life in the city; of partying, politics and popes; of bicycle thieves and cat-catchers, and how to deal with those friends-of-friends who arrive so regularly in Rome with nowhere to stay.

Imbued with a special feel for history and human observation, this idiosyncratic study of Joan’s beloved home will delight armchair gardeners and travellers alike.

Genres: Travel, Italy, Nonfiction

289 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Maria Caruana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read - literally nails the experience of living in Italy.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this by accident and can't believe how much I love it. I picked it up at a fundraiser book sale at my son's school, second-hand, and casually hoped for some authentic Roman atmosphere. It has that in spades. But what surprises me is that Marble was primarily a writer about gardening, and her love for the subject and all of the eccentric Italian women gardeners she meets in its pages is infectious. It's inspired me to rip out half my front yard by hand and plant a cottage garden. It's reminded me that travel and gardening are both transformative and deeply good for the soul. Maybe she was a kindred spirit, but it's a great, quirky memoir, with some wonderful drawings for illustration.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is an unusual little memoir, mainly concentrating on gardening aspects in rome/ italy. However it also goes into the author's life a bit, but the stories are more like diary memories than anecdotes and it fails to be scintillating. However a good little thig to fall asleep to.

[Bernadet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een korte compilatie van gebeurtenissen (sommige leuk, andere wat minder) die binnen een tijdspanne van 40 jaar plaatsvonden in Rome. Altijd met een kwinkslag!
Ideale (pre)vakantielectuur. Je waant je zo onder de Romeinse zon!

[Rhode PVD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want that apartment!! The best bit was her description of the little potted gardens so many Romans keep on their terraces and balconies.

[Anna Ciddor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming story about living in Rome.