Summary
Batholomeo di Crespi is a bachelor decorator in the upscale New Jersey town of Our Lady of Fatima, circa 1970. His exquisite taste in fabrics and decor have made B well respected in OLOF; he's decorated all the important houses, from his divorced older sister's Georgian manor to Aurelia Mandelbaum's... Full description
Summary: |
Batholomeo di Crespi is a bachelor decorator in the upscale New Jersey town of Our Lady of Fatima, circa 1970. His exquisite taste in fabrics and decor have made B well respected in OLOF; he's decorated all the important houses, from his divorced older sister's Georgian manor to Aurelia Mandelbaum's mansion. Aurelia's myopic daughter Capri, still living at home at age 40, has been B's unofficial fiancee for 20 years, but this was their mothers' idea, not theirs. B avoids the messiness of romantic relationships, preferring to spend his time making the world elegant: "The rococo period where French design and Italian flair came together make my heart leap for joy." At the moment, he's got his eye trained nostalgically on the restoration of the town's Catholic church. Once he wrests the commission away from a fancy New York firm, B is faced with the scary task of having to turn his vision into reality. Conveniently, he meets a fancy Park Avenue architect and historian, Eydie Von Gunne, who specializes in churches and can recommend expert craftsmen. But first, B soothes his artistic crisis with a trip to England, where he buys Monica Vitti's chandelier, and then to Italy with Capri, who decides to live a little in spite of him. B embarks on the church restoration with the help of Brooklyn's noted fresco painter Rufus McSherry, who urges him to be daring rather than conventional. Resourceful B even saves the day by raising the last-minute money for the church's final stage. |
---|---|
Item Description: |
Subtitle from container. Unabridged. Compact disc. |
Physical Description: |
9 sound discs (ca. 72 min. each) : digital ; 4 3/4 in. |
ISBN: |
1415921350 : |
Author Notes: |
Her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, was published in 2001. Her young adult and adult novels include Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon, Home to Big Stone Gap, The Queen of the Big Time, Rococo, Encore Valentine, Viola in Reel Life, The Supreme Macaroni Company, The Shoemaker's Wife, and All the Stars in the Heavens. She wrote the film adaptation for her novels Big Stone Gap, Very Valentine, and Lucia, Lucia. She also wrote a cookbook entitled Cooking with My Sisters and a non-fiction book entitled Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from My Grandmothers. (Bowker Author Biography) |