Why a Booktrail?
1944: As the Allied troops advance, two strangers meet in a Tuscan cellar and share an extraordinary evening together.
Still Life
What you need to know before your trail
Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy. She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the wreckage and relive memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view.
These two unlikely people find kindred spirits in each other and Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses’ mind that will shape the trajectory of his life – and of those who love him – for the next four decades.
Travel Guide
Travel to Italy and rediscover the story of Ulysses
Much of the novel takes place in the Tuscan hills and in the piazzas and streets of Florence. The background is clear but it’s the myths and legends which take centre stage. The depiction of Florence and Tuscany at war time is to see beauty amidst the terror and uncertainty of war. There is a brief journey to London but it’s the Italian landscape which dominates.
Odysseus was in Greek mythology a famous fairytale hero and king of Ithaka. He was one of the most important people in the Iliad.
At the time of the Trojan War, he was one of the foremost fighters.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: Still Life
Destination/location: Florence, Tuscany Author/guide: Sarah Winman Departure Time: 1944
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