Pages: 280 📖 Year Published: 1996 🕰️ Days to Complete: 17 Author: Frances Mayes was born and raised in the American south and teaches creative writing at San Francisco State University where she also earned her masters degree. She is most-known for this book but has several novels and other books about her adventures in Italy and travels around the world. She divides her time between North Carolina and Cortona, Italy and has one daughter. Three words to describe this read: