This book feels like a story of two halves. Yes, that's what the book is but I mean that it feels as though it should be two.

We begin with Evelyn. An art historian living with a past girlfriend, who showed up unannounced, through the Second World War. With the war drawing to a close, she hitches a lift with a young soldier to one of the many properties priceless art has been hidden at, all to offer her services. Then that's it. As soon as her fabulous, full of life character enters, she's gone. We don't hear from her again for the majority of the book.

The main portion is decicated to Ulysses, the young soldier, and his life following his chance meeting with Evelyn. He returns to a wife he has no connection with and a child born during his time away that he knew nothing about. It's a story of family, the term oil within brought about by war, the beauty of Italy and a memory of an art historian. Soon, he gains an unexpected inheritance, suggesting a life back in Italy may be his ture goal. And so begins his adventure, setting off to Italy with his mismatched family of friends and a very chatty parrot.

I loved it. But I loved each part individually. I do wish we'd seen more from Evelyn, rather than it being a book about chasing the ideas she brought with her. Ulysses' relationship with Evelyn is not romantic though which made a lovely change. Both stories were fab but a parrot who knows more than the characters do feels like a very different story to an art historian's tale of her European love affairs.

I listened part on audiobook and the rest I read. I found the punctuation and layout of the text confusing at times when reading, often having to backtrack to work out who was speaking, especially when chunks of time seemed to pass with no reference within the text. It felt confusing without reason.

All in all, it's a gorgeous book. It wasn't what I thought it would be having not read the blurb fully and reading on several recommendations but never has a description of a place made me want to up and move their immediately so greatly. Perhaps an unexpected Italian inheritance is just what I need too!