Until Italy: A Traveler's Memoir

by Debra VanDeventer

Her life was calm, comfortable, predictable… Until Italy
Debra has settled into a routine in retirement—planning meals in advance, scheduling laundry and grocery shopping days, and eating lunch in the same local sandwich shop. She lives her life in a bubble. A bubble that is slowly suffocating her. On the eve of a monumental birthday, she decides she must escape. Her Italy.

Along with an endearing cast of supporting characters—husband Ed and best friends Anne and Scott—Debra leaves familiar ground behind in search of adventure. How far is she willing to go? Travel with Debra as she swigs limoncello in Sorrento, ponders the mysteries of Pompeii, explores the Amalfi coast, copes with loss on the Mediterranean shore, abandons a sight-seeing bus in Sicily, considers Italian lingerie, and finds her way to sunrise over Venice.


Through Debra’s eyes, you will experience the challenges and adventures of an ordinary traveler transformed by an extraordinary country.

153 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2024

Reviews

[wonkagranny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small book is a fun read. Debra took me on her trip with her husband and a couple of travel buddies through Italy in one 200-page afternoon. She made their experiences from a lemon farm in Sorento to the disturbing ruins in Pompeii, the sight of Mt. Vesuvius, then villages clinging to mountainsides along the Amalfi Coast so real I could almost smell the lemons, taste the pizza, and feel the roll of the sea. Then on to Sicily, Mt. Etna, and Palermo with its colorful legends. She shared the fun of shopping for Italian clothes and a little something extra (you must read to get the joke). The ferry rides, the train rides through the countryside, and the water taxis were interesting because her little group met interesting people along the way. Getting lost in Taormina and again in Venice led to even more discovery. She describes the street art so well you think you are there. Venice, their ultimate destination, is a place they had all been before that held wonderful memories. They visited glass blowers in Murano. Her goals to see Mt. Vesuvius and dip her toes in the Mediterranean were achieved with some interesting results. It was not a trip without drama and a significant loss, but all ended well. I highly recommend this splendid travel memoir for an afternoon or evening of good reading.

[David Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

You look at the cover of Until Italy, and you know this is going to be a fun read. Debra VanDeventer
knows how to write, and this book proves it. It’s informative, it’s insightful, and it’s funny. I greatly enjoyed her first book Out of the Crayon Box, and I relished this one even more. Each page made me feel I was tagging along on her adventures and misadventures. In all the hustle of today’s world, this book allows you to slow down and appreciate the beauty, culture, and history of a country and its people. More importantly, it gives you the gift of knowing life can be far more than mundane.

[Ram Halady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book transported me to Italy, to places I have been and to those I am yet to visit. It reminded me of why I travel - not just finding pleasure in leisure, but enjoying those perfect, simple moments and making memories: a perfect lunch, great landscapes and sights, different cultures to expand my horizons, and, of course, new cuisine to try.
Debra does a good job of painting Italy - A collection of nice water paintings in words!

[Janis Palcovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short n Sweet

Lovely book. Not redundant, or complicated. An easy "armchair traveler" escape. Enjoy it with an espresso or an icy cold lemoncello.