Of course every nation, every nationality has its foibles and eccentricities. And while Alexander McCall Smith is most commonly associated with his affectionate portrayal of the people in Africa, he has also highlighted the idiosyncracies of the Scots, the Germans, the Americans, and the British with tremendous charm and to great effect. This time it's the turn of Italy and the Italians.

Paul Stewart is a writer. He's reeling from a failed relationship and desperate to clear his head in order to finish the latest book he has promised his editor. Focusing on the food and wine of Italy, a trip to the region is necessary and all the arrangements appear to be in place. He arrives full of hope and expectation only to find that there is an error with his hire car agreement. A misunderstanding results in Paul being arrested, and imprisoned!  

Thanks to the efforts of an acquaintance from the flight over, Paul is released but still stranded. There are no hire cars, but one vehicle is available - a bulldozer!

So Paul's time in Italy begins. He writes, he eats, he drinks wine, he meets villagers, he finds love, he confronts dilemmas from home, and he also grows confident in his use of his bulldozer. It becomes much more than a means of getting from A to B.

This is the loveliest, lightest, most uplifting read. It is funny and silly but also wise, optimistic and joyful, just as we come to expect with Alexander McCall Smith's writing. Its idyllic Italian setting may make us all want to leap on a plane to capture the moment for ourselves, but actually the message is for us in the here and now, wherever we are, about living in the moment and making the best of what we have.

It's a wonderful book!