A praiseworthy feature of La Bella Lingua is the way Hales peppers her narrative with hundreds of Italian words, idioms, and figures of speech all chosen with gusto and brio and clearly translated into English to introduce readers to the sonic and semantic seraglio that is the Italian language. A separate chapter on Irreverent Italian highlights la parolaccia, the earthy lexicon of invective and jocular sensuality that contemporary Italians imbibe with their mother s milk but foreign students of Italian rarely get to savor. Peter D Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish, authors of Sprezzatura: 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World
Dianne Hales is just about pitch perfect as she weaves the engaging story of her innamoramento with
Italian, hitting the high notes of Italian culture...
a lovely, touching tribute to the many fine civilizing gifts that Italy has shared with the world. Any smart traveler to Italy would want to read La Bella Lingua.
It s not only readableand engaging but informative about things not easily found in guidebooks and common tourist materials. Julia Conaway Bondanella & Peter Bondanella, authors and editors of The Italian Renaissance Reader, Italian Cinema, and the Cassell Dictionary of Italian Literature
An impassioned student, Dianne Hales takes us along on her delightful pilgrimage to the speaking heart of Italy. The rhythmic beat she comes to feel and love teaches her how to live, in beautiful and idiomatic Italian, a language as rich in flavors and varieties as Italian cooking. The reading pilgrim s reward is this delicious feast of a book, a strong mix of cultural and spoken treasure. Susan Cahill, author of Desiring Italy and The Smiles of Rome
