Celebrated British author Amanda Craig has returned to her (and our!) beloved Tuscany in her latest novel “The Three Graces,” a social comedy centered on three octogenarian expats forging new lives in “Chiantishire.” This marks Craig’s third literary venture into the Tuscan landscape, following “Foreign Bodies” and “Love in Idleness.”
What draws this acclaimed novelist—whose work has been compared to Trollope and Dickens—to this particular Italian region? As Craig reveals, it’s Tuscany’s “staggering beauty, both natural and cultural,” coupled with its more challenging aspects—”snakes, scorpions, earthquakes, and even the Mafia”—that make it “incredibly compelling for a novelist”.
Having grown up in Italy while her parents worked for the UN in Rome, Craig brings a unique perspective that goes beyond the typical tourist lens. She created Santorno, the fictional setting for “The Three Graces,” as “an amalgam of Tuscan hill towns”, allowing her to play with familiar elements while avoiding being tied to one specific location.
For guests at Karma Borgo di Colleoli, Craig’s insights offer a deeper appreciation of the region’s complex history and character. While you cycle alongside ancient walls, savour local wines, or settle into the opulent new environs of Karma Borgo di Colleoli which has recently undergone a stunning new redesign by acclaimed German interior designer Tina Kirschner, consider how this landscape has inspired generations of writers from Shakespeare to Forster.
As Craig notes, “To me, places are characters”—a sentiment that resonates strongly when experiencing the timeless charm of Tuscany from the vantage point of our historic Borgo. Her new novel promises to capture both the enchantment and the reality of expat life in one of Italy’s most captivating regions. You can read the full interview over on Ultimate Library and pick up The Three Graces in all good bookshops.
The Three Graces by Amanda Craig
‘In the Tuscan hilltop village of Santorno, the setting for Amanda Craig’s entertaining and bracing new novel, the Three Graces of her title are preparing for a spring wedding. Adorning this idyll Craig’s Graces – Ruth, Marta and Diana – are a trio of elderly expatriates with a total of “four breasts, five eyes and three hip replacements” between them… witty, sharp-eyed and ridiculously enjoyable’ Christobel Kent, Guardian
