"Drink Wine and Be Beautiful" by Kimberly Sullivan

I just finished reading Sullivan’s fabulous story collection. The title comes from “Where Angels Fear to Tread” by E.M. Forster:

“They traveled for thirteen hours down hill, whilst the streams broadened and the mountains shrank, and the vegetation changed, and the people ceased being ugly and drinking beer, and began instead to drink wine and be beautiful.”

Earlier this year I read her novel, In the Shadow of the Apennines, and once again, Sullivan does not disappoint. This collection is an impressive range of stories, and they called forth a range of emotions, equally as powerful.

And I loved the tangle of them; a mix of joy, jealousy and shame in “Amica del Cuore” about leaving behind a cretino, and finding a friend of the heart in Rome.

“Early Morning Jogs” about rekindling marital bliss, by ….well, you’ll have to read it to find out! Pangs of remorse and independence. Defiance, exhilaration and sadness.

Then there was “Roman Snow” about a luggage mix-up that leads to more shaking up. If your luggage has ever been lost, what happened? Did you feel anger? Longing? Helplessness? You'll have a new appreciation for what happened during its life away from you before it found its way back to you again.

For more of Kimberly Sullivan’s great writing: her books and blog posts about her Italian travels, visit her website.

As I say, each story calls up a wealth of emotions. As does wine! And sometimes these emotions change from the first sip to the last.

Watch my reel with 20 wine pairings for this collection of 21 stories on Instagram, follow @dorettesnover

But I left one wine pairing open. Reply to this email to let me know, which wine would you choose to add?

Follow @kimberlyinrome on Instagram for updates on her stories, books, and travels.