Florence in Ecstasy by Jessie Chaffee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Welcome to the world of Italian saints and art; of the wonderful galleries and physical beauty of the streets of Florence, of the cafes, the men, the eating, the drinking. Welcome to Hannah, an American woman bound to these saints through her personal struggles of food and drink and men; the demons of anorexia and bulimia and her journey to find the essence of her heart and soul. It is also a writer's struggle-the sense of isolation, deprivation and discovery, and the language that brings us there is so sensual and daring. I am grateful and proud to know Jessie as an MFA graduate of City College, where I work, and based on the sheer eloquence of this book, I would venture to say she has a long and illustrious career ahead of her. I started it and finished it on a plane ride from Europe; how perfect. I could not put it down, not even for a second!

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