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Coins in the Fountain
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 10, 2017
This book is the basis for the romantic comedy "Three Coins in the Fountain" starring Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan, Rossano Brazzi, and Maggie McNamara. The film is about three American women working in Rome who dream of finding romance (with varying results). The book also features an ensemble cast based in Rome, but is primarily about the lives of the married male head of an American news agency, a famed and ill male American author, a married male lead at the American "Agency," and his unmarried female secretary. It is the existence of the latter and her roommates that is closest to one of the plot lines of the movie.
I bought the book to see what the movie was based on, and what the differences were. Clearly significant differences - since there were fewer girl romances - but the stories of the author, and the married news agency head were entertaining and enough to keep me reading. Secondari shows clear insight into office politics, family dynamics, and female gossip, and has the ability to keep you hooked. It's a book in the same vein as "Ship of Fools" but a lot less depressing, and sadly harder to find.
The title, by the way, refers to the legend that if you throw a coin in to the Fontana di Trevi/Trevi Fountain, you will return to Rome.
I bought the book to see what the movie was based on, and what the differences were. Clearly significant differences - since there were fewer girl romances - but the stories of the author, and the married news agency head were entertaining and enough to keep me reading. Secondari shows clear insight into office politics, family dynamics, and female gossip, and has the ability to keep you hooked. It's a book in the same vein as "Ship of Fools" but a lot less depressing, and sadly harder to find.
The title, by the way, refers to the legend that if you throw a coin in to the Fontana di Trevi/Trevi Fountain, you will return to Rome.
May 27, 2026
Coins in the Fountain centers around a cast of characters living and drifting through Rome, with the Trevi Fountain acting as both a literal and emotional centerpiece, coming from the famous tradition of tossing coins into the fountain to ensure one's return to the city (thus the title!). What charmed me most about this book was the dialogue. Conversations feel natural, intimate, and observant in a way that made the characters are very human even during slower sections. At the same time, however, a lot of the events pass without ceremony, very much like a slice-of-life story but without the stronger central conflict (and as I am writing this review I've researched that it's loosely based on the author's events, so it does explain the autobiography-ish elements of it.) It's also very much deeply reflective of the writing of its time, which may or may not work with everyone.
This is definitely for those who enjoy literary slice-of-life fiction, older mid-century novels, travel-centered narratives, and character-driven stories.
This is definitely for those who enjoy literary slice-of-life fiction, older mid-century novels, travel-centered narratives, and character-driven stories.
June 10, 2026
First published in 1952 to a runaway success, Coins in the Fountain by John H Secondari went on to forever place the Trevi Fountain in the folkloric, minds and hearts of all the worlds romantic as a place where perhaps, wishes can come true.
Written for a post-World War II world where hope was beginning to grow, where Americans where flocking to Rome, the eternal City, to find love, hope and adventure, the novel is one based around just that, as it carefully captures the innermost desire to belong to someone or somewhere that is called home.
Commencing this step back to the Rome of 1950 the confronting fact that the Trevi Fountain is closed, empty of water, undergoing a cleaning is causing great consternation to patrons in the cafes facing onto the Fountain. Frank Bertin, a resident of Rome for many years, considers the Fountain is naked, almost tawdry; he is chatting with the old man overseeing the cleaning, who is disgusted with the lack of coins to be found.
Fred Shadwell arrives, a man who religiously comes to the fountain daily to throw his coins in hope of a miracle cure, a young American couple arrive, she believes, he is scornful, but who is to say that there is not something magical about the fountain, certainly not the people gathered there!
As the story delicately evolves it focuses on the changing of time, not just for the residents of Rome but for a group of young women working for the American Embassy as Secretaries, all hopeful of falling in love, Frank Bertin, head of the Continental News Bureau, facing stagnation, but unsure of where to go and what to do as he really does not wish to leave Rome, neither will his wife, Fred Shadwell, a man who’s book shot him to wealth but is in failing health, each one bringing the past era of the Eternal City alive to a new generation once again.
All these people, along with the tourists and others from far and wide, go to the Fountain, to throw a coin in hope that their dreams will come true, only to eventually realise that life, like so many things, is what you chose to make of it when change comes knocking at your door.
Secondari’s daughter Linda has reviewed gently this time old story now beautifully presented for the modern world of 2026, carefully detailing the world of Rome as it once was through the eyes of those who lived there in hope of finding love, happiness, acceptance and new beginning and in doing so learned much about themselves.
Coins in the Fountain was the inspiration for the award wining classic Three Coins in the Fountain released in 1954 and the Oscar wining song of the same name sung by Frank Sinatra.
Written for a post-World War II world where hope was beginning to grow, where Americans where flocking to Rome, the eternal City, to find love, hope and adventure, the novel is one based around just that, as it carefully captures the innermost desire to belong to someone or somewhere that is called home.
Commencing this step back to the Rome of 1950 the confronting fact that the Trevi Fountain is closed, empty of water, undergoing a cleaning is causing great consternation to patrons in the cafes facing onto the Fountain. Frank Bertin, a resident of Rome for many years, considers the Fountain is naked, almost tawdry; he is chatting with the old man overseeing the cleaning, who is disgusted with the lack of coins to be found.
Fred Shadwell arrives, a man who religiously comes to the fountain daily to throw his coins in hope of a miracle cure, a young American couple arrive, she believes, he is scornful, but who is to say that there is not something magical about the fountain, certainly not the people gathered there!
As the story delicately evolves it focuses on the changing of time, not just for the residents of Rome but for a group of young women working for the American Embassy as Secretaries, all hopeful of falling in love, Frank Bertin, head of the Continental News Bureau, facing stagnation, but unsure of where to go and what to do as he really does not wish to leave Rome, neither will his wife, Fred Shadwell, a man who’s book shot him to wealth but is in failing health, each one bringing the past era of the Eternal City alive to a new generation once again.
All these people, along with the tourists and others from far and wide, go to the Fountain, to throw a coin in hope that their dreams will come true, only to eventually realise that life, like so many things, is what you chose to make of it when change comes knocking at your door.
Secondari’s daughter Linda has reviewed gently this time old story now beautifully presented for the modern world of 2026, carefully detailing the world of Rome as it once was through the eyes of those who lived there in hope of finding love, happiness, acceptance and new beginning and in doing so learned much about themselves.
Coins in the Fountain was the inspiration for the award wining classic Three Coins in the Fountain released in 1954 and the Oscar wining song of the same name sung by Frank Sinatra.
August 10, 2026
While this is the book that the movie Three Coins in the Fountain is based on, it is not the same story at all. Instead it’s a slow, thoughtful examination of one’s life, and the people who help you live it. For Bertin, who has lived and worked in Rome for almost two decades, he’s torn between homesickness for a place that lives primarily in his memories, and the complacency of staying where he is. The second option is the one his wife prefers.
Then there’s the quartet of women — Anita, Pris, Virginia and Theresa — who are all looking to settle down, to find love and become wives. Or to simply find stability and become wives. This book was written in the 1950s and the time period is almost as much a character as Rome itself, with the way people talk, the drinking, the smoking, the social actions and expectations, especially for women. It’s interesting, but for some readers more used to modern mores and ways of thinking, they may not enjoy this book quite as much.
One of the characters enters into a romance with an Italian man and faces a great deal of pushback from those around her. It’s racism, yes, but also classism, and the book is aware of the small mindedness of those against the union and does not frame the couple’s detractors as right. There’s also a great deal of misogyny, both of the paternalistic sort and the general disparagement towards women. But it’s all treated as normal and expected, and there will be readers who do not enjoy that aspect; not that I’d blame them. It’s always a bit of a wrench reading old books, but this one is well written for all that, today, we might call certain aspects problematic.
It’s also less romance focused than I expected (having only been familiar with the classic movie, Three Coins in the Fountain), and less … well, comedic. It’s a thoughtful book, and I think you can take a great deal away from it depending on what you want from it. Thoughts on aging and the stages of adult life: young people with their lives ahead of them, settled people comfortable in their rut, and people nearing the end of their lives. But everyone wants acknowledgement of their humanity, someone to listen to them, to nod in agreement to even the most banal of statements. To not be alone.
I found it, while not something I’ll come back to, worth the read. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
Then there’s the quartet of women — Anita, Pris, Virginia and Theresa — who are all looking to settle down, to find love and become wives. Or to simply find stability and become wives. This book was written in the 1950s and the time period is almost as much a character as Rome itself, with the way people talk, the drinking, the smoking, the social actions and expectations, especially for women. It’s interesting, but for some readers more used to modern mores and ways of thinking, they may not enjoy this book quite as much.
One of the characters enters into a romance with an Italian man and faces a great deal of pushback from those around her. It’s racism, yes, but also classism, and the book is aware of the small mindedness of those against the union and does not frame the couple’s detractors as right. There’s also a great deal of misogyny, both of the paternalistic sort and the general disparagement towards women. But it’s all treated as normal and expected, and there will be readers who do not enjoy that aspect; not that I’d blame them. It’s always a bit of a wrench reading old books, but this one is well written for all that, today, we might call certain aspects problematic.
It’s also less romance focused than I expected (having only been familiar with the classic movie, Three Coins in the Fountain), and less … well, comedic. It’s a thoughtful book, and I think you can take a great deal away from it depending on what you want from it. Thoughts on aging and the stages of adult life: young people with their lives ahead of them, settled people comfortable in their rut, and people nearing the end of their lives. But everyone wants acknowledgement of their humanity, someone to listen to them, to nod in agreement to even the most banal of statements. To not be alone.
I found it, while not something I’ll come back to, worth the read. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
April 25, 2026
Nostalgia. Romance. Grit. Non-movie watcher here: Coins in the Fountain took me on a journey of human love and attraction, life and death, and social norms in a small American foreign service and media expat community living in post-WWII Rome. The men and women's lives weave around each other as they hold on to the thrills and luxuries of Italian life (with expense accounts) when U.S. political and popular attention has already moved on elsewhere. Meanwhile, most if not all the Italian characters–from servants to lovers–are socially subdued to stay subservient to the Americans.
On men and women: Although the American boss-men plainly exercise their overt power, narcissism, and gaslighting over everyone and everything, the covert power of the women is even stronger, even if subconsciously: from Bruna managing her husband Frank’s homesickness and her own desire to stay and be seen in Rome; to Anita, Virginia, and Flicka managing their lovers so they can feel strong and powerful themselves; to Frances managing her Uncle Fred’s love for life and Rome in the face of his terminal illness.
But it’s not so depressing. Nearly 75 years on, Rome is painted beautifully in words, filling my senses with the cafes, streets, architecture, and of course, the Fountain of Trevi that beckons people to stay.
A timely read, revisiting a pre-digital era when we relied on community for information and social support, even when it wasn’t perfect. I was able to fully follow and appreciate each character’s trajectory since I hadn’t watched the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain before reading the book.
Thanks to Studiolo Secondari, Independent Book Publishers Association, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of Linda Secondari's 2026 reissue of her father John H. Secondari's original 1952 publication!
On men and women: Although the American boss-men plainly exercise their overt power, narcissism, and gaslighting over everyone and everything, the covert power of the women is even stronger, even if subconsciously: from Bruna managing her husband Frank’s homesickness and her own desire to stay and be seen in Rome; to Anita, Virginia, and Flicka managing their lovers so they can feel strong and powerful themselves; to Frances managing her Uncle Fred’s love for life and Rome in the face of his terminal illness.
But it’s not so depressing. Nearly 75 years on, Rome is painted beautifully in words, filling my senses with the cafes, streets, architecture, and of course, the Fountain of Trevi that beckons people to stay.
A timely read, revisiting a pre-digital era when we relied on community for information and social support, even when it wasn’t perfect. I was able to fully follow and appreciate each character’s trajectory since I hadn’t watched the 1954 film Three Coins in the Fountain before reading the book.
Thanks to Studiolo Secondari, Independent Book Publishers Association, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of Linda Secondari's 2026 reissue of her father John H. Secondari's original 1952 publication!
August 22, 2026
In John H. Secondari’s Coins in the Fountain, Rome stands as the “Eternal City” not merely due to its ancient architecture, but because its historical grandeur serves as a living, indestructible force that outlasts transient human drama. Against a backdrop of sunlit piazzas and crumbling ruins, postwar Rome offers a timeless stage where personal histories collide with millennia of heritage. The city forces the characters to realise that their private heartbreaks and ambitions are small, fleeting blips within an enduring continuum, transforming Rome from a geographic setting into an immortal catalyst for reinvention and self-discovery.
The Trevi Fountain acts as the emotional heart of the story, with coin-tossing serving as a central metaphor for human longing and the exchange of earthly vulnerabilities for hope. Throwing a coin symbolises an investment in destiny—a physical manifestation of a wish tossed into the unknown. The novel contrasts the optimistic gambles of the four young American women (Priscilla, Anita, Virginia, and Theresa) with the lingering ties of older expatriates: Frank Bertin remains bound to Rome by a coin thrown fifteen years prior, while the aging novelist Fred Shadwell daily offers a coin as a symbolic plea to buy precious time. The fountain represents the delicate border between idealised fantasy and real fulfilment.
The postwar expatriate community in Italy is portrayed as a vibrant, glittering, yet emotionally complex enclave. American expats view Italy as a realm of sensual liberation, artistic romance, and reinvention, contrasting sharply with the rigid expectations of home. The mid-century Rome of Secondari's narrative hosts a diverse network of careerists. The novel details characters pursuing lives in diplomacy and international administration, foreign journalism, the arts and academia, and essential secretarial roles that granted young women unprecedented autonomy. Though surrounded by glamour, these expats navigate constant tensions between romantic illusions and authentic belonging in a city that welcomes dreamers yet remains stubbornly its own.
The Trevi Fountain acts as the emotional heart of the story, with coin-tossing serving as a central metaphor for human longing and the exchange of earthly vulnerabilities for hope. Throwing a coin symbolises an investment in destiny—a physical manifestation of a wish tossed into the unknown. The novel contrasts the optimistic gambles of the four young American women (Priscilla, Anita, Virginia, and Theresa) with the lingering ties of older expatriates: Frank Bertin remains bound to Rome by a coin thrown fifteen years prior, while the aging novelist Fred Shadwell daily offers a coin as a symbolic plea to buy precious time. The fountain represents the delicate border between idealised fantasy and real fulfilment.
The postwar expatriate community in Italy is portrayed as a vibrant, glittering, yet emotionally complex enclave. American expats view Italy as a realm of sensual liberation, artistic romance, and reinvention, contrasting sharply with the rigid expectations of home. The mid-century Rome of Secondari's narrative hosts a diverse network of careerists. The novel details characters pursuing lives in diplomacy and international administration, foreign journalism, the arts and academia, and essential secretarial roles that granted young women unprecedented autonomy. Though surrounded by glamour, these expats navigate constant tensions between romantic illusions and authentic belonging in a city that welcomes dreamers yet remains stubbornly its own.
March 12, 2026
I do not know how in the world anyone could read this depressing book and think: "This would make a charming romantic comedy/drama!" For that matter, I wonder what the author thought of how Hollywood treated his novel. Some of the story lines coincide a little bit, but others were made up out of whole cloth (including my favorite one, the romance between Shadwell and Miss Frances). And the tone of the novel could not be more contrary to that of the film. The novel's characters are mostly desperate, lonely, misplaced people whose lives are depressing and occasionally sordid. I did not enjoy reading this despite the author's technical skill as a writer. He has a most unfortunate habit of referring to—or of having his male characters refer to—women as bitches. Especially any woman who is attractive or outspoken. Even the fictional writer in the story, Shadwell, shares this trait, pointing out that "Most of my feminine characters are whores." Charming. I'm not a huge fan of the movie version of this—some of the (made-up) story lines are downright silly—but I would re-watch it 100 times before I read this book again.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Good snapshot of expat life & romance in post WWII Rome⛲
4.5🌟 stars
I hadn't seen the movie based on the book recently but wanted to see how much the movie plot jived with the novel. It was quite different. One of the romances in the movie (Maria with an Italian Prince) took place before the novel starts and the novel has a broader focus on both men and women expats working for U.S. agencies and journalists. I enjoyed the journey back to the past. Yes, the way local contractors and women were treated does not jive with our contemporary standards, but it was a good story authentic to the era when it was written. My favorite characters: Anita and Giorgio with all the obstacles they faced in their romance, and ill author Fred Shadwell. Shadwell's decline and acknowledgment of his mortality were especially touching and his visit to the U.S. Consulate to discuss arrangements for repatriating remains darkly humorous.
Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
4.5🌟 stars
I hadn't seen the movie based on the book recently but wanted to see how much the movie plot jived with the novel. It was quite different. One of the romances in the movie (Maria with an Italian Prince) took place before the novel starts and the novel has a broader focus on both men and women expats working for U.S. agencies and journalists. I enjoyed the journey back to the past. Yes, the way local contractors and women were treated does not jive with our contemporary standards, but it was a good story authentic to the era when it was written. My favorite characters: Anita and Giorgio with all the obstacles they faced in their romance, and ill author Fred Shadwell. Shadwell's decline and acknowledgment of his mortality were especially touching and his visit to the U.S. Consulate to discuss arrangements for repatriating remains darkly humorous.
Thanks to the Publishers and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
July 2, 2026
I was really curious about how this book, originally published in 1952, would read based on 2026 standards. Well. Some things never change. The men in the novel seem to be in control, but are a bunch of bumbling, busybody fools making a hash of everything. Some of the women are constrained by the time or their circumstances, but are infinity wiser than the men.
The portrayal of Rome in post-World War II is really a time capsule, barely recognizable as today's Rome--in some ways. But in other ways, it truly is the eternal city. This book and author take credit for the tradition of throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain (hence the title).
You cannot read this book without a huge grain of salt, or at least the awareness that it was written more than seventy years ago. #CoinsintheFountain #NetGalley
The portrayal of Rome in post-World War II is really a time capsule, barely recognizable as today's Rome--in some ways. But in other ways, it truly is the eternal city. This book and author take credit for the tradition of throwing coins in the Trevi Fountain (hence the title).
You cannot read this book without a huge grain of salt, or at least the awareness that it was written more than seventy years ago. #CoinsintheFountain #NetGalley
May 11, 2023
An American secretary just moving to Rome to work for the United State Distribution Agency is told by two othe girls that according to legend, if she throws a coin in the fountain and makes a wish to return to Rome, she will. Maria and Frances throw in their coins, but Anita, who is planning to return to the United States to marry, declines. And the story goes on thru all the book to tell their stories. Was interesting, entertaining and probably better if you had seen the movie!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A wonderful reissue of the novel that inspired the famous '50s film, Three Coins in the Fountain. I remember watching the movie with fascination as a child (and can still sing the theme song!), so discovering the original story was a treat. Recommended!
August 20, 2026
This novel is a must-read for anyone looking for an example of fine lost mid-20th Century fiction. John Secondari was a pioneering television journalist who, by the early 1950s, had turned his considerable energies to fiction writing, penning three novels in three years. Coins is the most successful of his titles and was made into the Oscar-winning film Three Coins in the Fountain.
Having seen the classic film, it was fascinating to see how much of the novel got lost in the translation to the screen. The film version is a 1950s Hollywood confection; the novel is a serious work from an American writer whose literary gifts are on par with bestselling authors of the day like Irwin Shaw and Sloan Wilson.
Secondari’s story focuses on a group of loosely connected expats in post-WWII Rome, the dramatic episodes of his characters playing out against a richly-detailed portrait of the Eternal City. One of the main sub-plots concerns a somewhat forbidden relationship between an American woman who falls for an Italian local, and Secondari excels at evoking the intense romanticism of their bond and of their dilemma.
While large sections of the book are concerned with the post-war angst of men wrestling with duty and displacement, the bonding of the expat female characters adds something of a rom-com element that adds richness to the narrative.
Glad to see this fine book back in print!
Having seen the classic film, it was fascinating to see how much of the novel got lost in the translation to the screen. The film version is a 1950s Hollywood confection; the novel is a serious work from an American writer whose literary gifts are on par with bestselling authors of the day like Irwin Shaw and Sloan Wilson.
Secondari’s story focuses on a group of loosely connected expats in post-WWII Rome, the dramatic episodes of his characters playing out against a richly-detailed portrait of the Eternal City. One of the main sub-plots concerns a somewhat forbidden relationship between an American woman who falls for an Italian local, and Secondari excels at evoking the intense romanticism of their bond and of their dilemma.
While large sections of the book are concerned with the post-war angst of men wrestling with duty and displacement, the bonding of the expat female characters adds something of a rom-com element that adds richness to the narrative.
Glad to see this fine book back in print!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews