Villa Coco

From the first delightful sentence of this novel to its unconventional and satisfying conclusion, Greer (Less Is Lost) takes readers on a charming Italian sojourn in which nothing is precisely what it seems. A young archivist accepts a position as an assistant to a baroness at a Tuscan villa. He believes his duties will mainly consist of cataloging the villa’s art and artifacts. But he soon becomes enmeshed in the household’s daily drama, which includes avoiding a wild marten, searching for a fix for an ailing septic system, and entertaining his employer’s friends and family. Lisabetta is a charismatic and demanding boss, leaving the young archivist exasperated and charmed in equal measure. While the twists and turns of the plot will keep readers smiling, a deeper theme emerges about finding one’s place in the world. The young protagonist learns to see his own struggles and triumphs as part of a larger story rather than the main event.