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The Three Graces
Ruth, Diana and Marta are three very different friends having a last 'adventure before dementia' after moving from England to Tuscany. Fierce, clever, bold and unconventional, they have survived into their eighties to live almost comfortably in an idyll of delicious food, wild flowers and affectionate dogs - but their happiness is upset by the forthcoming marriage of Ruth's eldest grandchild, Olly, to the ravishing yet dysfunctional Tania.
Xan, over to hear Marta's recital at the Santorno music festival, is more concerned with his grandmother's fading health than his former friend's nuptials. Diana has her own trials with her demented husband, and a beloved but estranged son. Ruth has meanwhile been charged with creating a setting for the wedding worthy of an Instagram influencer with over a million followers.
Meanwhile, Italy is grappling with migration from North Africa, something that only their neighbour and friend Enzo seems alarmed by, and the Palazzo Felice above Santorno has been bought by an oligarch, whom Putin wants to kill. How can all these incomers resolve their difficulties? Are lies, greed and violence the only solution, or could there be another way?
Like The Three Musketeers crossed with A Room With a View, this is a novel about female friendship, courage, old age, crime and art. Enchanting, suspenseful and original, it is literary fiction at its most entertaining.
Xan, over to hear Marta's recital at the Santorno music festival, is more concerned with his grandmother's fading health than his former friend's nuptials. Diana has her own trials with her demented husband, and a beloved but estranged son. Ruth has meanwhile been charged with creating a setting for the wedding worthy of an Instagram influencer with over a million followers.
Meanwhile, Italy is grappling with migration from North Africa, something that only their neighbour and friend Enzo seems alarmed by, and the Palazzo Felice above Santorno has been bought by an oligarch, whom Putin wants to kill. How can all these incomers resolve their difficulties? Are lies, greed and violence the only solution, or could there be another way?
Like The Three Musketeers crossed with A Room With a View, this is a novel about female friendship, courage, old age, crime and art. Enchanting, suspenseful and original, it is literary fiction at its most entertaining.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2023
65 people are currently reading
1263 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Craig
28 books141 followersAmanda Craig (born 1959) is a British novelist. Craig studied at Bedales School and Cambridge and works as a journalist. She is married with two children and lives in London.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
Craig has so far published a cycle of six novels which deal with contemporary British society, often in a concise acerbic satirical manner. Her approach to writing fiction has been compared to that of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens.[1] Her novel A Vicious Circle was originally contracted to be published by Hamish Hamilton, but was cancelled when its proof copy received a libel threat from David Sexton, a literary critic and former boyfriend of Craig's at Cambridge, fifteen years previously.[2] The novel was promptly bought by Fourth Estate and published three months later. Although each novel can be read separately, they are linked to each other by common characters and themes, thus constituting a novel sequence. Usually, Craig takes a minor character and makes him or her the protagonist of her next work.
Craig is particularly interested in children's fiction, and was one of the first critics to praise JK Rowling and Philip Pullman in The New Statesman. She is currently the children's critic for The Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 24, 2023
I read this whilst on holiday in Italy and chose it not just for its Tuscan setting but because of endorsements from two authors whose writing I like.
It was definitely a holiday read ( a label which rather damns it with faint praise. ) But I did romp through the story so it had some merit.
I found some of the ideas interesting but the style quite pedestrian which meant that the characters and themes were unable to fully develop into anything convincing. At times it felt like I was reading something in a trashy magazine as the story contained a plethora of far fetched coincidences. Two prodigal sons, a hunted down oligarch , a famous Insta blogger’s sumptuous wedding, a demented former slave trader, a family of refugees in hiding , a death in a pool, an assisted suicide , a Shakespearean swapping over of lovers , a runaway bride - all of this in a small Tuscan village ? ( Akin to Morse’s Oxford with all those murders ? ) Apart from quite a strong sense of place( which kept me reading) the story was thin and the characters two dimensional, caricatures more than real people.
A pity because The Three Graces had such promise. and a lot more that could have been said about ageing, displacement and family.
It was definitely a holiday read ( a label which rather damns it with faint praise. ) But I did romp through the story so it had some merit.
I found some of the ideas interesting but the style quite pedestrian which meant that the characters and themes were unable to fully develop into anything convincing. At times it felt like I was reading something in a trashy magazine as the story contained a plethora of far fetched coincidences. Two prodigal sons, a hunted down oligarch , a famous Insta blogger’s sumptuous wedding, a demented former slave trader, a family of refugees in hiding , a death in a pool, an assisted suicide , a Shakespearean swapping over of lovers , a runaway bride - all of this in a small Tuscan village ? ( Akin to Morse’s Oxford with all those murders ? ) Apart from quite a strong sense of place( which kept me reading) the story was thin and the characters two dimensional, caricatures more than real people.
A pity because The Three Graces had such promise. and a lot more that could have been said about ageing, displacement and family.
January 15, 2023
Amanda Craig is a marvellous writer - I've read a few, but not all, of her previous books and I really need to remedy that.
The Three Graces, set in Tuscany, is an enthralling read with a lot to say about ageing, racism and colonialism, among other things, set against a backdrop of local fear and suspicion of the African migrant "invaders" of their community. Brexit Britain, though rarely mentioned directly, feels ever-present; other contemporary horrors like the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis and climate change also lurk in the background.
Unusually, it focuses on three women who are all over eighty. None are Italian, but all now live in Tuscany: Marta, a German concert pianist: American former psychiatrist Ruth, now an organic farmer; and faded English aristocrat Diana, caring for an ungrateful husband. The wedding of Ruth's grandson Olly to social media influencer Tania brings guests to the area and stresses to Ruth - but all three have their issues.
Permanent residents include nearby exiled Russian oligarch Vasily Ivanov, living in daily fear of an attack by Putin, and local man Enzo, who, also feeling under threat (though not from Putin) has done something that horrified him. Among the visitors are Marta's grandson Xan - consumed with resentment about the injustices he experiences due to his age and race - and, rather mysteriously, a young man from Zimbabwe, Blessing, who is assumed to be but clearly isn't a wedding guest.
All the characters are complex and compelling - I liked "influencer" Tania, who is far from the stereotype one might assume, though few understand her, certainly not her husband-to-be - and Raff, who works on Ruth's farm. Indeed all - or at least most - of the characters are, if not always likeable, at least understandable. (Diana's husband Perry doesn't have much to recommend him, any softer side being well hidden, and Olly's boss Angus is a horror.) I did occasionally get a bit confused about the relationships (Marta and Diana are related by marriage) and which children/grandchildren belonged to who.
Like everything else I've read by Amanda Craig, I loved this book, which has depth, insight and cracking storytelling. (It even made me laugh out loud a couple of times.) Highly recommended.
Ruth, at one point, ponders about how she and her friends are supposed to be "invisible, inaudible and negligible, as if they had nothing left to do or say. No wonder old women preferred to be portrayed as witches, or Fates, or Furies...". Here, though, they are the Three Graces: Beauty, Truth and Love. But which is which?
The Three Graces, set in Tuscany, is an enthralling read with a lot to say about ageing, racism and colonialism, among other things, set against a backdrop of local fear and suspicion of the African migrant "invaders" of their community. Brexit Britain, though rarely mentioned directly, feels ever-present; other contemporary horrors like the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis and climate change also lurk in the background.
Unusually, it focuses on three women who are all over eighty. None are Italian, but all now live in Tuscany: Marta, a German concert pianist: American former psychiatrist Ruth, now an organic farmer; and faded English aristocrat Diana, caring for an ungrateful husband. The wedding of Ruth's grandson Olly to social media influencer Tania brings guests to the area and stresses to Ruth - but all three have their issues.
Permanent residents include nearby exiled Russian oligarch Vasily Ivanov, living in daily fear of an attack by Putin, and local man Enzo, who, also feeling under threat (though not from Putin) has done something that horrified him. Among the visitors are Marta's grandson Xan - consumed with resentment about the injustices he experiences due to his age and race - and, rather mysteriously, a young man from Zimbabwe, Blessing, who is assumed to be but clearly isn't a wedding guest.
All the characters are complex and compelling - I liked "influencer" Tania, who is far from the stereotype one might assume, though few understand her, certainly not her husband-to-be - and Raff, who works on Ruth's farm. Indeed all - or at least most - of the characters are, if not always likeable, at least understandable. (Diana's husband Perry doesn't have much to recommend him, any softer side being well hidden, and Olly's boss Angus is a horror.) I did occasionally get a bit confused about the relationships (Marta and Diana are related by marriage) and which children/grandchildren belonged to who.
Like everything else I've read by Amanda Craig, I loved this book, which has depth, insight and cracking storytelling. (It even made me laugh out loud a couple of times.) Highly recommended.
Ruth, at one point, ponders about how she and her friends are supposed to be "invisible, inaudible and negligible, as if they had nothing left to do or say. No wonder old women preferred to be portrayed as witches, or Fates, or Furies...". Here, though, they are the Three Graces: Beauty, Truth and Love. But which is which?
September 12, 2023
The title figures are Beauty, Truth and Love ... or three elderly expatriate women in Tuscany. Ruth is preparing to host her grandson Olly's Instagram-perfect wedding to Tania (hedge fund manager meets vlogging personality); Marta welcomes her grandson, Xan, to town and hopes to give one last piano recital before illness gets the better of her; and Lady Diana cares for a belligerent husband with dementia and laments that the family name and manor may be lost for good.
Although the focus on a wedding might have made the earlier and later chapters seem frothy, there's a strong dose of current events to counterbalance that. The plight of refugees emerges as an urgent subplot, with postcolonial legacies and xenophobia coming into question. Craig comments with subtlety on generational divides, including Brexit, the emptiness of social media and dilemmas faced by young people who can't afford housing and don't think this is any world to bring children into. None of her characters feel like caricatures, although I think the decision to bring autism in as an explanation for Tania's behaviour late in the game was probably a mistake. Based on this and The Lie of the Land, the only other of her novels I've read, I'd also say Craig introduces mystery where she doesn't really need to.
It's all quite witty and sparkling in a Shakespearean comedy sort of way, and I was interested to read in the Afterword that 1) Craig was inspired by Botticelli (Primavera and Venus) and 2) minor characters from her previous novels appear in this one; I should have remembered Xan, at least.
Although the focus on a wedding might have made the earlier and later chapters seem frothy, there's a strong dose of current events to counterbalance that. The plight of refugees emerges as an urgent subplot, with postcolonial legacies and xenophobia coming into question. Craig comments with subtlety on generational divides, including Brexit, the emptiness of social media and dilemmas faced by young people who can't afford housing and don't think this is any world to bring children into. None of her characters feel like caricatures, although I think the decision to bring autism in as an explanation for Tania's behaviour late in the game was probably a mistake. Based on this and The Lie of the Land, the only other of her novels I've read, I'd also say Craig introduces mystery where she doesn't really need to.
It's all quite witty and sparkling in a Shakespearean comedy sort of way, and I was interested to read in the Afterword that 1) Craig was inspired by Botticelli (Primavera and Venus) and 2) minor characters from her previous novels appear in this one; I should have remembered Xan, at least.
May 26, 2023
Three elderly women, wise, foolish and alive, refusing to be pigeon-holed or dismissed 4.5 rating
I am never NOT going to appreciate, a lot, any book written by this author, even if this one did not quite match the dizzying heights of almost all her other novels.
Craig, very much a state of the nation author, writes always with a rich delight in language itself, and with a fine sense of both the humour and the tragedy of the human condition. She is, in many ways, a kind of modern Dickens, exposing, incisively, our preenings and posturings and the unpleasant underbelly of society, with wicked humour, but also with an appreciation for the complexities of almost all of her characters. Unlike Dickens, we don’t often get out-and-out hiss the villains, but will have to grapple with the flaws – sometimes quite severe – of characters we might have some warmth towards, whilst finding that characters we might automatically find reprehensible (generally the privileged) have aspects or actions to them which might, partially at least, offer some redemption.
A continuing delight in Craig’s writing is characters to appear across more than one of her books, sometimes central, sometimes peripheral. And so it is here, where the central characters, 3 women now in their eighties – the Graces of the title, have retired to Tuscany (the setting for a couple of her earlier books)
All three have had – or have, somewhat complicated relationships. Ruth Viner’s marriage ended in divorce and betrayal. Diana Evenlode (various branches of the wealthy and not so wealthy Evenlodes appear in many of her novels) is dealing with her philandering and cruel husband’s slide into demential. Marta Evenlode, who was a concert pianist, refugee from Germany, and a great friend of Ruth’s, is the only one of the three whose marriage was truly happy, though she has been a widow for many years, as her husband died unexpectedly.
The focus is wonderfully on these three, and Craig gives us three very old women, each, in their different ways still changing, still spirited, still very much alive, though of course decrepitude, loss, death, stalk the pages.
Drama and a large cast of younger characters, going through different kinds of conflicts and desires, is provided by the fact that a large wedding party, which includes several massed friends and relatives of Diana’s, Ruth’s and Marta’s, are about to descend.
Where this novel slightly fell off absolute adoration for me, was the somewhat complicated slight harkback to an earlier novel’s Midsummer Night’s Dream tangle of swapping lovers – Craig’s Love In Idleness. So there’s quite a bit of backstory exposition which has to happen, with ends which had been left dangling in some earlier books needing to be finally completed.
I am never NOT going to appreciate, a lot, any book written by this author, even if this one did not quite match the dizzying heights of almost all her other novels.
Craig, very much a state of the nation author, writes always with a rich delight in language itself, and with a fine sense of both the humour and the tragedy of the human condition. She is, in many ways, a kind of modern Dickens, exposing, incisively, our preenings and posturings and the unpleasant underbelly of society, with wicked humour, but also with an appreciation for the complexities of almost all of her characters. Unlike Dickens, we don’t often get out-and-out hiss the villains, but will have to grapple with the flaws – sometimes quite severe – of characters we might have some warmth towards, whilst finding that characters we might automatically find reprehensible (generally the privileged) have aspects or actions to them which might, partially at least, offer some redemption.
A continuing delight in Craig’s writing is characters to appear across more than one of her books, sometimes central, sometimes peripheral. And so it is here, where the central characters, 3 women now in their eighties – the Graces of the title, have retired to Tuscany (the setting for a couple of her earlier books)
All three have had – or have, somewhat complicated relationships. Ruth Viner’s marriage ended in divorce and betrayal. Diana Evenlode (various branches of the wealthy and not so wealthy Evenlodes appear in many of her novels) is dealing with her philandering and cruel husband’s slide into demential. Marta Evenlode, who was a concert pianist, refugee from Germany, and a great friend of Ruth’s, is the only one of the three whose marriage was truly happy, though she has been a widow for many years, as her husband died unexpectedly.
The focus is wonderfully on these three, and Craig gives us three very old women, each, in their different ways still changing, still spirited, still very much alive, though of course decrepitude, loss, death, stalk the pages.
Drama and a large cast of younger characters, going through different kinds of conflicts and desires, is provided by the fact that a large wedding party, which includes several massed friends and relatives of Diana’s, Ruth’s and Marta’s, are about to descend.
Where this novel slightly fell off absolute adoration for me, was the somewhat complicated slight harkback to an earlier novel’s Midsummer Night’s Dream tangle of swapping lovers – Craig’s Love In Idleness. So there’s quite a bit of backstory exposition which has to happen, with ends which had been left dangling in some earlier books needing to be finally completed.
May 5, 2024
A promising story and interesting characters led astray by too many plot lines and a need to cover every possible issue imaginable.
August 6, 2023
a slow burn and a stellar entangled recounting of a hectic tuscan wedding as it pertains to three elderly women. it’s special because life doesn’t end until we die, contrary to what our youth fetish would have us believe. occasionally silly takes on modern culture but perhaps the culture is indeed silly and so no other mirror could be suitable
September 2, 2024
Hoovered up this one on my holiday in Montenegro. Beautifulll and a very good exploration of the modern day generational divide, without being preferential to any age bracket.
February 26, 2025
A bookclub book and I didn’t expect to like it but I did! Very easy read but well written so not annoying and all sorts of issues are included including a very clever way of covering privilege, poverty, refugee migration, racism, dementia and gave agency to older women so well. A skilled writer, I really enjoyed it. More 3 & 3/4 score really
September 26, 2024
I have very mixed feelings about this book, but overall I did not like it. Here's a list of pros and cons bc idk how else to put it.
Pros:
- A pretty good depiction of Italy and most specifically Tuscany, which I am not used to when I read English novel. I truly believe that the writer has been to the places she describes, and that she has some insightful knowledge on italian culture and politics.
- The setting of the Tuscan countryside in July makes this a perfect summer read.
- Given that the mcs are three grandmas, the story is sprinkled with little drops of wisdom, which in some cases hit home for me.
Cons:
- The plot is awful and is so contrived at times that it made me wonder if this was the first book Amanda Craig had written. There's an awful murder mistery / action plot going on that is so obviously written by someone who is not used to these genres.
- The book really reads like a succession of articles from the guardian. The characters are basically only devices through which Craig gives her opinion on social issues very very clumsily. Basically, every single chapter is structured like this: "character A is a young black man. Here is his internal monologue about being a young black man in this day and age. He encounters character B, who is an old white lady. Here is her internal monologue about being an old white lady in this day and age. Character A and B fight about who has it worse, young black men or white old ladies? Enters character C, who is a middle aged white Italian man. Here is his internal monologue about being Italian and male in this day and age....".
- The representation of young people is particularly shallow. While the three older ladies are more fleshed out characters and have more compelling point of views, the younger characters are just a very clumsy representation of millenials by an author who is clearly a boomer. Although Craig is seemingly trying to understand the younger generation by depicting them as sympathetic but a bit lost and snowflakey, I still cringed out at how badly this was done. Her millenials characters are literally: an influencer, a liberal literature graduate, a finance bro...
Pros:
- A pretty good depiction of Italy and most specifically Tuscany, which I am not used to when I read English novel. I truly believe that the writer has been to the places she describes, and that she has some insightful knowledge on italian culture and politics.
- The setting of the Tuscan countryside in July makes this a perfect summer read.
- Given that the mcs are three grandmas, the story is sprinkled with little drops of wisdom, which in some cases hit home for me.
Cons:
- The plot is awful and is so contrived at times that it made me wonder if this was the first book Amanda Craig had written. There's an awful murder mistery / action plot going on that is so obviously written by someone who is not used to these genres.
- The book really reads like a succession of articles from the guardian. The characters are basically only devices through which Craig gives her opinion on social issues very very clumsily. Basically, every single chapter is structured like this: "character A is a young black man. Here is his internal monologue about being a young black man in this day and age. He encounters character B, who is an old white lady. Here is her internal monologue about being an old white lady in this day and age. Character A and B fight about who has it worse, young black men or white old ladies? Enters character C, who is a middle aged white Italian man. Here is his internal monologue about being Italian and male in this day and age....".
- The representation of young people is particularly shallow. While the three older ladies are more fleshed out characters and have more compelling point of views, the younger characters are just a very clumsy representation of millenials by an author who is clearly a boomer. Although Craig is seemingly trying to understand the younger generation by depicting them as sympathetic but a bit lost and snowflakey, I still cringed out at how badly this was done. Her millenials characters are literally: an influencer, a liberal literature graduate, a finance bro...
June 26, 2023
I was expecting love love this book: set in Tuscany, dealing with long-time female friendships, touching on themes like immigration, loneliness, family... It was supposed to be just the book for me. Alas, it was most certainly not.
We're mostly following these three old ladies who have, to put it nicely, some preconceived notions about race, wealth, class, and how The World Works. The author also didn't bother to flesh them out at all, so I was often confused as to which racist old meddling fart we were dealing with in every chapter. The other characters all seemed to be caricatures/archetypes the author didn't bother to develop: the racist Tuscan man, the whiny snowflake Gen-Z, the airheaded influencer, the money hungry banker.
I honestly don't understand what the author was trying to do here. These were some very painful 400 pages, at the end of which no one had grown or really developed any kind of personality. You'd think that, after reading through chapters and chapters of racist ideology and small-minded thoughts, we might be rewarded with a better ending than whatever that was. It didn't feel like these people learned to be any less judgmental and they all got happy endings.
I didn't like the writing. I had to read some sentences twice or three times to parse them, at times. The author has not heard of commas, let alone Oxford ones, and seems to be at war with punctuation in general.
Overall, very long, drawn out book about judgmental old fucks I could not have cared any less about with rickety writing that gave no depth to any of the characters. I sort of enjoyed the last 20 pages or so, but this was a pain to get through.
We're mostly following these three old ladies who have, to put it nicely, some preconceived notions about race, wealth, class, and how The World Works. The author also didn't bother to flesh them out at all, so I was often confused as to which racist old meddling fart we were dealing with in every chapter. The other characters all seemed to be caricatures/archetypes the author didn't bother to develop: the racist Tuscan man, the whiny snowflake Gen-Z, the airheaded influencer, the money hungry banker.
I honestly don't understand what the author was trying to do here. These were some very painful 400 pages, at the end of which no one had grown or really developed any kind of personality. You'd think that, after reading through chapters and chapters of racist ideology and small-minded thoughts, we might be rewarded with a better ending than whatever that was. It didn't feel like these people learned to be any less judgmental and they all got happy endings.
I didn't like the writing. I had to read some sentences twice or three times to parse them, at times. The author has not heard of commas, let alone Oxford ones, and seems to be at war with punctuation in general.
Overall, very long, drawn out book about judgmental old fucks I could not have cared any less about with rickety writing that gave no depth to any of the characters. I sort of enjoyed the last 20 pages or so, but this was a pain to get through.
June 18, 2023
My thanks to Little, Brown Group U.K. Abacus for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Three Graces’ by Amanda Craig.
I have enjoyed a number of Craig’s previous novels and would describe them as ‘comedies of manners’. She expertly blends comedy, drama, and social observation. The Graces of the title are three elderly women, who have retired to Tuscany.
Ruth is hosting the wedding of her favourite grandson, Olly, from her idyllic hillside farmhouse. Yet the bride, Tania, seems curiously unengaged by anything apart from posting to various social media platforms as part of her role as an influencer. Marta is preparing to give her annual music recital sponsored by a Russian oligarch currently in hiding from Putin. She is increasingly unwell and her visiting grandson, Xan, is concerned about her though is full of resentment at the inequalities that he encounters. Finally, Diana is nursing her husband, Lord Evenlode, who is living with dementia. She finds herself looking back over their long and troubled marriage.
Over two weeks in May 2022, these characters and others will find themselves facing various challenges. While the Tuscan spring looks as ravishing as a Renaissance painting, the realities of modern life impinge on its perfection.
In her Afterword Craig writes about the influences that caused her to write the novel and includes mentions of her other novels where various characters made appearances.
Overall, I found ‘The Three Graces’ an outstanding novel that brought together excellent writing, multiple interwoven storylines, strong characterisations across generations, a magnificent setting, and insightful commentary on contemporary social issues.
With its mistaken identities and romantic misunderstandings, there is something of a Shakespearean feel to it. The influence of Botticelli is also evident including Tania’s appearance being compared to his ‘Birth of Venus’ and, of course, the ‘Primavera’, which is referenced in the text, title and witty cover art.
Another triumph for Amanda Craig.
I have enjoyed a number of Craig’s previous novels and would describe them as ‘comedies of manners’. She expertly blends comedy, drama, and social observation. The Graces of the title are three elderly women, who have retired to Tuscany.
Ruth is hosting the wedding of her favourite grandson, Olly, from her idyllic hillside farmhouse. Yet the bride, Tania, seems curiously unengaged by anything apart from posting to various social media platforms as part of her role as an influencer. Marta is preparing to give her annual music recital sponsored by a Russian oligarch currently in hiding from Putin. She is increasingly unwell and her visiting grandson, Xan, is concerned about her though is full of resentment at the inequalities that he encounters. Finally, Diana is nursing her husband, Lord Evenlode, who is living with dementia. She finds herself looking back over their long and troubled marriage.
Over two weeks in May 2022, these characters and others will find themselves facing various challenges. While the Tuscan spring looks as ravishing as a Renaissance painting, the realities of modern life impinge on its perfection.
In her Afterword Craig writes about the influences that caused her to write the novel and includes mentions of her other novels where various characters made appearances.
Overall, I found ‘The Three Graces’ an outstanding novel that brought together excellent writing, multiple interwoven storylines, strong characterisations across generations, a magnificent setting, and insightful commentary on contemporary social issues.
With its mistaken identities and romantic misunderstandings, there is something of a Shakespearean feel to it. The influence of Botticelli is also evident including Tania’s appearance being compared to his ‘Birth of Venus’ and, of course, the ‘Primavera’, which is referenced in the text, title and witty cover art.
Another triumph for Amanda Craig.
June 22, 2024
I really enjoyed reading this novel, I did indeed read this in one sitting. The main reason would be the writing style, which is easy to digest but still lyrical. The dialogue wasn't bad, a few wise words from our three Graces. I also enjoyed how modern it was, with the pademic, immigration and the war. The topics were explored with a lot of compassion. The use of music was smart and thought through. I really enjoyed the whole novel. I probably missed wonderful details. This book did not feel like 396 pages, it felt like a poem about modern Europe. I was suprised by the story, thinking it was a magical realism novel, it was not it's a literary fiction but it did not disappoint.
"To look back is to regret what can't be changed"
"Let us live and love, for tomorrow we die"
"It's more important to see the good in people than to focus on small differences"
"I wish I knew/It would feel to be free"
"Do you think that is how it is? All bad things come from outside, rather than our own hearts?"
"To look back is to regret what can't be changed"
"Let us live and love, for tomorrow we die"
"It's more important to see the good in people than to focus on small differences"
"I wish I knew/It would feel to be free"
"Do you think that is how it is? All bad things come from outside, rather than our own hearts?"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2024
"[N]othing observed in unremarkable."
What do three old ladies, a middle-aged Italian man, and a twenty-something influencer have in common? They feel. This is a story about people and their capacity to change and the importance of having a rich inner world, tolerance, empathy, and friends, even as the community around you—and your vitality—decays and sprouts into something else entirely.
Set against the ancient olive groves and nightingale rabble of Tuscany, this is most definitely a character-led novel, but the plot is still engaging, especially as some events are seamlessly interpreted from one perspective to another, and the characters' judgements of each other fall away with every glimpse into the momentary spectator's innermost self. Whilst the prose itself isn't intricate by any means and the messaging is a bit too heavy handed sometimes, I felt that there was enough narrative complexity and profundity to warrant the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
Whether or not you'll like this book will probably just come down to your preference in genre as it is quintessential literary fiction.
What do three old ladies, a middle-aged Italian man, and a twenty-something influencer have in common? They feel. This is a story about people and their capacity to change and the importance of having a rich inner world, tolerance, empathy, and friends, even as the community around you—and your vitality—decays and sprouts into something else entirely.
Set against the ancient olive groves and nightingale rabble of Tuscany, this is most definitely a character-led novel, but the plot is still engaging, especially as some events are seamlessly interpreted from one perspective to another, and the characters' judgements of each other fall away with every glimpse into the momentary spectator's innermost self. Whilst the prose itself isn't intricate by any means and the messaging is a bit too heavy handed sometimes, I felt that there was enough narrative complexity and profundity to warrant the ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
Whether or not you'll like this book will probably just come down to your preference in genre as it is quintessential literary fiction.
July 8, 2023
4.5
I have to admit that it was the ‘updated’ Botticelli on the cover that first attracted me to this book but I was very quickly drawn in by the writing. I am not sure which of the graces the expats Diana, Marta and Ruth were but this does not matter at all. They were all fascinating characters. The book covered many dark themes: human trafficking, racism, the negative impact of social media, imperialism and ageing to name a few but was consistently witty, compassionate and very human. Tying up, all the ends of the stories at the end of the book to give everyone a happy ending felt a little contrived (though also strangely satisfying) , hence the 4.5 rather than 5 stars.
This is the second book I have read by this author and in my mind was superior to ’ The Golden Rule’. I shall definitely look into her other earlier works.
I have to admit that it was the ‘updated’ Botticelli on the cover that first attracted me to this book but I was very quickly drawn in by the writing. I am not sure which of the graces the expats Diana, Marta and Ruth were but this does not matter at all. They were all fascinating characters. The book covered many dark themes: human trafficking, racism, the negative impact of social media, imperialism and ageing to name a few but was consistently witty, compassionate and very human. Tying up, all the ends of the stories at the end of the book to give everyone a happy ending felt a little contrived (though also strangely satisfying) , hence the 4.5 rather than 5 stars.
This is the second book I have read by this author and in my mind was superior to ’ The Golden Rule’. I shall definitely look into her other earlier works.
June 15, 2024
fab easy summer reading
italian setting, lots of characters with enough fleshing out that they all seem necessary and it’s not hard to keep track of them, intertwined stories, a few guessable twists, loved the three main characters and interesting to read in the afterword that they are characters from Craig’s previous novels
overall a very enjoyable read and most importantly one that pulled me out of a 4 month slump :)
italian setting, lots of characters with enough fleshing out that they all seem necessary and it’s not hard to keep track of them, intertwined stories, a few guessable twists, loved the three main characters and interesting to read in the afterword that they are characters from Craig’s previous novels
overall a very enjoyable read and most importantly one that pulled me out of a 4 month slump :)
January 1, 2024
I always choose a book by its cover, adoring Botticelli’s Premaviera , the three graces in the painting having crude black pen spectacles drawn on their faces… I couldn’t ignore it.
It brought me up to speed on current/ social events, the real Tuscany and the author’s passion for writing what you know. It is understanding and eventually tolerant with all the loose ends tied up.
It brought me up to speed on current/ social events, the real Tuscany and the author’s passion for writing what you know. It is understanding and eventually tolerant with all the loose ends tied up.
September 7, 2024
Amanda Craig is one of those writers that is enjoyable enough to pack in your suitcase for an escapist holiday read, but with enough writerly depth that you end up thinking about how clever it is for days afterwards. She manages to turn a family / wedding drama into a reflective story on aging, families, love and immigration. Top read!
September 12, 2023
A good fun, feel-good read. I enjoyed learning about the lives of the varied characters and, although a bit twee and predictable, I was satisfied with the way all the loose ends tied up in the end. Although it was a light read it did deal well with some weighty issues including age, the digital world and racism. I may be alone in this, but it reminded me of Richard Osman's 'The Thursday Murder Club'.
August 4, 2024
The best I’ve read in a while. A good yarn with a lovely writing style. Phrases along the lines of, they arranged their wrinkles into a look of displeasure, really appealed to me.
June 8, 2023
The Three Graces are three expatriate ladies in their 80s who have retired to a quiet town in Tuscany. Here they are coming to terms with their lives while refusing to be dismissed due to their advanced age. The novel is an enjoyable read on the surface, in a beautiful and tranquil setting that belies some of the darker, complex sides of life. Ms Craig's strength is her portrayal of generations of families, their strengths and weaknesses. Her fans will not be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group/Abacus for the opportunity to read and review The Three Graces.
May 15, 2023
Amanda Craig's latest novel is a joy to read. Set in Tuscany in Spring 2022, it offers a memorable and diverse cast of characters, an intriguing plot full of unexpected but satisfying twists, a beautifully evoked Tuscan setting, and highly topical and incisive social commentary on many of the issues facing us in today's society, including the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the migrant crisis, an ageing population and 'Generation Rent'.
At the heart of the novel are the eponymous 'three graces', three expat octogenarians living in the Tuscan hill town of Santorno: aristocratic Diana Evenlode, a former debutante living in reduced circumstances as she cares for her husband who is suffering from dementia; widowed Marta Konnig, a renowned concert pianist; and divorced American-Jewish psychotherapist Ruth Viner, who is now playing reluctant host to her hedge-fund manager grandson's wedding to a social media influencer. Like all characters in the novel. these three women are flawed but lovable and retain plenty of strength and spirit even as their bodies start to fail them. As well as these three ladies and the various wedding guests, the plot incorporates a local Russian oligarch in exile and migrants from Africa and Albania, one of whom is shot by Italian local Enzo in the novel's prologue.
There are a lot of balls to keep in the air, and Craig manages this with great skill. I was completely absorbed by the novel which moves deftly between different perspectives and features lots of cliffhanger endings to chapters. More than this, however, I was impressed by the generosity of Craig's writing. The novel allows us to consider complex issues from different points of view without judgement: we hear Ruth's resentment at her freeloading grandson and fiancée when she feels that she has worked hard all her life, but we also hear Marta's mixed-race grandson Xan's anger at generational inequality and the racial prejudice he has faced. The hardships faced by migrants are compassionately explored but Craig also gives voice to Enzo and his fellow Italians' frustrations at the impact of mass migration on their communities. The novel doesn't seek to legitimise Enzo's thoughts or actions but nor does it offer easy answers. Instead, there is an expansiveness to Craig's moral vision as characters and readers both develop empathy - there is even hope for the seemingly vapid vlogger and hedge-fund manager. The result is a profoundly moving, entertaining and timely read, reminiscent of Anthony Trollope's novels which are so beloved by Ruth and Diana.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this superb novel to review!
At the heart of the novel are the eponymous 'three graces', three expat octogenarians living in the Tuscan hill town of Santorno: aristocratic Diana Evenlode, a former debutante living in reduced circumstances as she cares for her husband who is suffering from dementia; widowed Marta Konnig, a renowned concert pianist; and divorced American-Jewish psychotherapist Ruth Viner, who is now playing reluctant host to her hedge-fund manager grandson's wedding to a social media influencer. Like all characters in the novel. these three women are flawed but lovable and retain plenty of strength and spirit even as their bodies start to fail them. As well as these three ladies and the various wedding guests, the plot incorporates a local Russian oligarch in exile and migrants from Africa and Albania, one of whom is shot by Italian local Enzo in the novel's prologue.
There are a lot of balls to keep in the air, and Craig manages this with great skill. I was completely absorbed by the novel which moves deftly between different perspectives and features lots of cliffhanger endings to chapters. More than this, however, I was impressed by the generosity of Craig's writing. The novel allows us to consider complex issues from different points of view without judgement: we hear Ruth's resentment at her freeloading grandson and fiancée when she feels that she has worked hard all her life, but we also hear Marta's mixed-race grandson Xan's anger at generational inequality and the racial prejudice he has faced. The hardships faced by migrants are compassionately explored but Craig also gives voice to Enzo and his fellow Italians' frustrations at the impact of mass migration on their communities. The novel doesn't seek to legitimise Enzo's thoughts or actions but nor does it offer easy answers. Instead, there is an expansiveness to Craig's moral vision as characters and readers both develop empathy - there is even hope for the seemingly vapid vlogger and hedge-fund manager. The result is a profoundly moving, entertaining and timely read, reminiscent of Anthony Trollope's novels which are so beloved by Ruth and Diana.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC of this superb novel to review!
June 3, 2023
The inspiration for this story was the Primavera painting by Botticelli but I was often reminded of Shakespeare’s Mediterranean-set plays such as Much Ado About Nothing. There are mistaken identities, revealed family and mismatched lovers, all set in the Tuscan scenery.
I enjoyed the narrative and the variety of characters amongst the pages. They were all individual and nuanced with positive and negative character traits and opinions.
With English politics and the media obsessed by the number of immigrants crossing to this country, it was interesting to get a new perspective in a country closer to Africa where numbers would be much higher.
The story also challenged preconceptions of who a refugee might be, with Blessing being able to blend in easily with the wedding attendees.
An enjoyable summer literary read.
I enjoyed the narrative and the variety of characters amongst the pages. They were all individual and nuanced with positive and negative character traits and opinions.
With English politics and the media obsessed by the number of immigrants crossing to this country, it was interesting to get a new perspective in a country closer to Africa where numbers would be much higher.
The story also challenged preconceptions of who a refugee might be, with Blessing being able to blend in easily with the wedding attendees.
An enjoyable summer literary read.
February 21, 2023
Amanda Craig’s novels are eminently readable; witty and plot driven, they also allow us to appreciate her skills in characterisation as, over the course of her narratives we learn about what makes her people who they are. ‘The Three Graces’ is no exception. This comedy of manners explores the aging process through the lives of three octogenarian ex-pat female friends residing in beautiful Tuscany.
However gorgeous the countryside, though, these women recognise that life in Italy is no more idyllic than anywhere else. Racism is rife; the winters are cold and the summers too hot; tourists ae thoughtless and people can be lonely anywhere.
Ruth has reluctantly agreed to host her grandson Olly’s wedding and the narrative builds up to this event. However, having encouraged him to propose, she now doubts whether his influencer fiancée, Tania, is right for him. Her ‘Maestra’ friend, Marta, is becoming increasingly frail and suffering from almost unbearable pain. What to do when she is so far from home? And Diana, who is caring for her insufferable husband, who is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s, is sleep deprived, full of regrets and persecuted, even now, by a man who tells her he never loved her.
Within this story of old people ‘buggering on’, Craig also asks us to consider millennials’ concerns, why the appearance of refugees can cause fear, alongside aspects of Brexit and the war in Ukraine. It is credit to her writing skills that these topical subjects are part of her characters’ lives rather than a bolt-on, just as they are her readers’.
If you have read her previous novels, you are likely to enjoy the reintroduction of familiar characters and will look forward to further appearances in the future. Diana, usually the most pragmatic of the ‘Three Graces’ says: ‘‘Life must be lived in prose…just not without a sense of wonder.’’ Whilst one could criticise Craig for sticking with a mostly privileged cast who enjoy more than one or two fairy tale moments, she does ensure that her men and women have their share of moral tussles and difficult decisions as they face their particular truths.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review
However gorgeous the countryside, though, these women recognise that life in Italy is no more idyllic than anywhere else. Racism is rife; the winters are cold and the summers too hot; tourists ae thoughtless and people can be lonely anywhere.
Ruth has reluctantly agreed to host her grandson Olly’s wedding and the narrative builds up to this event. However, having encouraged him to propose, she now doubts whether his influencer fiancée, Tania, is right for him. Her ‘Maestra’ friend, Marta, is becoming increasingly frail and suffering from almost unbearable pain. What to do when she is so far from home? And Diana, who is caring for her insufferable husband, who is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s, is sleep deprived, full of regrets and persecuted, even now, by a man who tells her he never loved her.
Within this story of old people ‘buggering on’, Craig also asks us to consider millennials’ concerns, why the appearance of refugees can cause fear, alongside aspects of Brexit and the war in Ukraine. It is credit to her writing skills that these topical subjects are part of her characters’ lives rather than a bolt-on, just as they are her readers’.
If you have read her previous novels, you are likely to enjoy the reintroduction of familiar characters and will look forward to further appearances in the future. Diana, usually the most pragmatic of the ‘Three Graces’ says: ‘‘Life must be lived in prose…just not without a sense of wonder.’’ Whilst one could criticise Craig for sticking with a mostly privileged cast who enjoy more than one or two fairy tale moments, she does ensure that her men and women have their share of moral tussles and difficult decisions as they face their particular truths.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review
September 13, 2024
“Lie of the Land”, set in Tuscany, … an octogenarians’ take
The premise is promising, even more so someone like me in her 60s. The prologue, an extract from “Foreign Affairs” by Alison Lurie, made me want to tuck into it with great anticipation. Having read, a few years back, the “Lie of the Land”, I was prepared for a gentle, understated but thoughtful ride.
However, although all the “right elements” are there, it felt that too many are actually there!
To explain,
Too many characters to start with, so much that the featuring trio of expat friends is lost amongst all the relatives (dead and alive), friends, locals, refugees and even a Russian oligarch in hiding. As the story unfolds we are given tiny bits of their personalities and their stories but with so many characters introduced and then re-introduced the result is a fuzzy mesh of people with little to engage or empathise with. Same with the numerous storylines and “issues” tackled. Literally, NOTHING is left out! Old age, dementia, war trauma, abuse, rape, racism, colonialism, refugee crisis, climate crisis, social media, Putin, …. I could go on for a while.
I thought there were interesting observations and commentary but overall, I found the continuous jumping from one topic to another tiring, especially as it led to generalisations and gloss overs since the book had to conclude at some point, and all the loose ends tied up.
The premise is promising, even more so someone like me in her 60s. The prologue, an extract from “Foreign Affairs” by Alison Lurie, made me want to tuck into it with great anticipation. Having read, a few years back, the “Lie of the Land”, I was prepared for a gentle, understated but thoughtful ride.
However, although all the “right elements” are there, it felt that too many are actually there!
To explain,
Too many characters to start with, so much that the featuring trio of expat friends is lost amongst all the relatives (dead and alive), friends, locals, refugees and even a Russian oligarch in hiding. As the story unfolds we are given tiny bits of their personalities and their stories but with so many characters introduced and then re-introduced the result is a fuzzy mesh of people with little to engage or empathise with. Same with the numerous storylines and “issues” tackled. Literally, NOTHING is left out! Old age, dementia, war trauma, abuse, rape, racism, colonialism, refugee crisis, climate crisis, social media, Putin, …. I could go on for a while.
I thought there were interesting observations and commentary but overall, I found the continuous jumping from one topic to another tiring, especially as it led to generalisations and gloss overs since the book had to conclude at some point, and all the loose ends tied up.
March 19, 2023
I’ve read two of the previous novels that include some of the characters within Thai new novel so it was good to catch up with them and hear some about the minor characters. However what this highlighted was that I really never fully engaged with the previous books as I found it hard to place some the backstories and connections. I was this same with this novel while it was good and made some truly insightful points about society today I found it hard to fully get into it. It dragged on a bit in places, lacked humour and the story itself got lost. I did enjoy it and found a lot of the points Craig makes relevant and intelligent it wasn’t for me I skipped though places to get to the end. Thanks for the ARC but this will be last of Craig’s book I read.
July 19, 2025
I found this book to be pretty shallow. It had a lot of promise - three ladies in their 80s in Tuscany and the early story set-up promised something akin to a Richard Osman tale. Alas, there was no depth to the novel: pretty slow plot, and way too many themes for any to be considered in real depth: COVID, Ukraine, wealth, domestic abuse, romantic relationships, family dynamics, class, racism, slavery, music, art, farming, gardening, friendship, the Holocaust, dementia, euthanasia, migration and human trafficking, small-town politics....for me this was a "don't judge a book by its cover" but in the opposite direction to how it's usually intended...
July 6, 2023
A really good book, set in my favourite European country. But another "happy ever after" finale, wrapping up the all the narrative strands, spoilt this for me...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2023
Having recently become acquainted with the gifted author Amanda Craig, I was greatly looking forward to reading her latest, where she atmospherically evokes Tuscany and the Italian town of Santorno. Where Craig excels is in her astute creation and development of distinct, diverse and complicated collection of flawed characters, displaying an uncommon balance, depth, sensitivity, non-judgementalism and humanity in her portrayals. The eponymous three graces are ageing expatriate women in their eighties, Diana who cares for her obnoxious and abusive dementia suffering husband, divorced American Ruth Viner who is feeling the pressure and stresses of organising her grandson's wedding to a well known social media influencer, Tania, and concert pianist and widow Marta Konnig.
These are women, who whilst dealing with the inevitable decline that getting older brings, the pain, the losses, the body breaking down, still have plenty of verve, development and living to do in a world that would have them be invisible. This is a beautifully written, gripping and drama filled read, which slowly penetrates beneath the surface appearances of the characters, including giving voice to different realities, a fast changing world with its growing contemporary dilemmas, including the cost of living crisis, family, trauma, wars, fears, conflicts, class divisions, racism, migrants, and human trafficking. The story opens with a shocking act, with local Enzo Rossi ending up shooting someone, there is a Russian oligarch living in fear of being killed, African and Albanian migrant lives that differ significantly to the arriving wedding guests, and the deepening cultural and financial gap between the generations.
Craig provides a insightful social and political commentary on a world which seems to become increasingly fragmentary and polarised, where many have nothing to lose, where privilege may not always confer the expected advantages, where ageing may be no barrier to continued personal development and redemption is possible. Craig is a writer to be treasured, she manages to pull off and incorporate important global and national issues and themes into the lives and dramas of characters that radiate authenticity. This is a fun and entertaining read that probes and shines a light on the darkest of places, but does it with wit, light, and humour. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
These are women, who whilst dealing with the inevitable decline that getting older brings, the pain, the losses, the body breaking down, still have plenty of verve, development and living to do in a world that would have them be invisible. This is a beautifully written, gripping and drama filled read, which slowly penetrates beneath the surface appearances of the characters, including giving voice to different realities, a fast changing world with its growing contemporary dilemmas, including the cost of living crisis, family, trauma, wars, fears, conflicts, class divisions, racism, migrants, and human trafficking. The story opens with a shocking act, with local Enzo Rossi ending up shooting someone, there is a Russian oligarch living in fear of being killed, African and Albanian migrant lives that differ significantly to the arriving wedding guests, and the deepening cultural and financial gap between the generations.
Craig provides a insightful social and political commentary on a world which seems to become increasingly fragmentary and polarised, where many have nothing to lose, where privilege may not always confer the expected advantages, where ageing may be no barrier to continued personal development and redemption is possible. Craig is a writer to be treasured, she manages to pull off and incorporate important global and national issues and themes into the lives and dramas of characters that radiate authenticity. This is a fun and entertaining read that probes and shines a light on the darkest of places, but does it with wit, light, and humour. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
November 16, 2023
this was a beautifully written story on socio-economic class divide, mortality, race, and generational wealth and differences. from the start, i was hooked on each of the characters stories and lives. following an english debutante, a pianist from berlin and an american physician as they navigate their retirement in tuscany, each with vastly different upbringings, marriages and trails of parenthood.
amanda craig made you sympathetic with even the worst characters in her story and delves into the whys and what ifs, of each character.
it was, in my opinion, a thought compelling piece, with each character ending up in the same place despite the privilege (or lack of) they had in their life. each character thought themself morally above another, and each one was faced with the reality of their own circumstances, and their own faults. i felt glued to the pages, desperate to see if the characters beliefs changed or if the characters achieved what they wanted.
however the final chapters of the story felt rushed and unsatisfying. suddenly it felt like every character had to be tied to another in some way, and every character had to have an ending. certain revelations felt cheap or un-needed. almost as if it was an idea never fully fleshed out. something for the shock factor but never something done in a way where it felt impactful for the story, or like i should care.
i feel like a more ambiguous ending would have been a better ending. so we could make up our own mind on wether certain characters changed or if certain things would happen. leaving things more open ended would have been better than the rush at the end.
ignoring the final chapters, this is a beautiful book that i thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to others.
however the ending spoilt it for me slightly and left me feeling disappointed. sort of like when the big bad happens in a hallmark christmas movie the final 20 minutes is where they're going to cram every good ending in for every good character, even if that is just a quick 3 second shot of the side character making eye contact with someone else. which wasn't exactly a "feel-good" moment after the amazing writing displayed previously in the book.
amanda craig made you sympathetic with even the worst characters in her story and delves into the whys and what ifs, of each character.
it was, in my opinion, a thought compelling piece, with each character ending up in the same place despite the privilege (or lack of) they had in their life. each character thought themself morally above another, and each one was faced with the reality of their own circumstances, and their own faults. i felt glued to the pages, desperate to see if the characters beliefs changed or if the characters achieved what they wanted.
however the final chapters of the story felt rushed and unsatisfying. suddenly it felt like every character had to be tied to another in some way, and every character had to have an ending. certain revelations felt cheap or un-needed. almost as if it was an idea never fully fleshed out. something for the shock factor but never something done in a way where it felt impactful for the story, or like i should care.
i feel like a more ambiguous ending would have been a better ending. so we could make up our own mind on wether certain characters changed or if certain things would happen. leaving things more open ended would have been better than the rush at the end.
ignoring the final chapters, this is a beautiful book that i thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to others.
however the ending spoilt it for me slightly and left me feeling disappointed. sort of like when the big bad happens in a hallmark christmas movie the final 20 minutes is where they're going to cram every good ending in for every good character, even if that is just a quick 3 second shot of the side character making eye contact with someone else. which wasn't exactly a "feel-good" moment after the amazing writing displayed previously in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2023
This was a bit of a slow burner, set in Santorno, Tuscany, it starts with a prologue in which local man Enzo shoots what he believes to be someone trying to break into his property. Then we meet the Three Graces of the title, expat women in their 80’s who, for various reasons have retired to this quiet town. Diana Evenlode is caring for her rather vile, abusive, aristocratic husband who is living with dementia; Ruth Viner is a wealthy American who is preparing for her grandsons wedding and Marta Konnig a former concert pianist. This is a well written, very descriptive book with a gentle plot that has some very dark corners in it.
Briefly, as the guests for the wedding of the year start to arrive Ruth is worried that encouraging the wedding was a mistake. The bride Tania, a vlogger, seems completely uninterested in all the preparations other than how they will look on her social media and Ruth’s grandson Ollie still hasn’t arrived at the villa.
This all sounds rather idyllic but everything definitely isn’t a bed of roses. There are references to many of todays social and economic problems. The migrant crisis is an important part of the storyline, alongside the Russian war against Ukraine and Putins private ‘war’ against Russian oligarch’s who left the country and there are references to Covid pandemic and the issues around an increasingly aging population. An enjoyable and satisfying read with some important messages amongst the beautiful Tuscan countryside and the entertaining story.
4.5⭐️
Briefly, as the guests for the wedding of the year start to arrive Ruth is worried that encouraging the wedding was a mistake. The bride Tania, a vlogger, seems completely uninterested in all the preparations other than how they will look on her social media and Ruth’s grandson Ollie still hasn’t arrived at the villa.
This all sounds rather idyllic but everything definitely isn’t a bed of roses. There are references to many of todays social and economic problems. The migrant crisis is an important part of the storyline, alongside the Russian war against Ukraine and Putins private ‘war’ against Russian oligarch’s who left the country and there are references to Covid pandemic and the issues around an increasingly aging population. An enjoyable and satisfying read with some important messages amongst the beautiful Tuscan countryside and the entertaining story.
4.5⭐️
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