Beneath the Porticoes

Tired of her hum-drum life as a secondary school teacher living in Yorkshire, thirty-four year old Elizabeth Miller travels to the Italian city of Bologna to take up a post as an English Literature...A captivating story that I was drawn into from the first page a propulsive read that never let me go from start to finish!

A sweet relationship story about finding love unexpectedly and self-acceptance. ‘Beneath the Porticoes’ by Brooke Adams is a short but sweet relationship story that follows Elizabeth Miller, a thirty four year old secondary teacher, looking for a change to her life in York, and leaves to work as an English Literature lecturer in Bologna. This is not the only life changing decision made in this book as Elizabeth forms a connection with one of her students, Carlo, a friar in training with the Franciscan order. As the characters get to know one another, Carlo struggles with whether to carry on his training and sacrifice his feelings for Elizabeth, or give up everything he’s spent the last decade working towards, for love. This is a really easy to read narrative, the writing style is gentle but quite fast paced. With the winter solstice celebrations in York and the sunshine of Bologna, this would be a lovely afternoon read for all seasons. The internal conflict of Carlo’s circumstances is apparent throughout, with the dual narrative showing Carlo grappling with his feelings for Elizabeth, and Elizabeth aware of the huge sacrifice any relationship between them would mean. Overall, I think that ‘Beneath the Porticoes’ is a heart-warming tale of transformation and self acceptance, as both Elizabeth and Carlo essentially search for a life that brings them more fulfilment. I liked the similarities in both the characters' stories, and feel this helps to bring them closer.

Brooke Adams writes with the skill of a modern-day Iris Murdoch. This is a novel about humility and generosity, about faith and love, about new horizons and old promises. The characters are faced with moral dilemmas and harsh decisions. There's a gentle eroticism and a bow to old-fashioned values. The backdrop is a sun-kissed Bologna, with all it's art, culture, history and literary heritage. There's plenty here for anyone who loves English literature and for anyone who has ever had cause to question their faith in the pursuit of love.

A quick and easy to read book due to the great writing style. I appreciate how much work goes into something being very easy to read. The characters were good and the story line was interesting too.

I really enjoyed this wonderful story, the characters came alive, an author to follow.#netgalley #matadorbooks