cover image Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home

Halfway to Each Other: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home

Susan Pohlman, GuidepostsBooks (Ideals, dist.), $14.99 trade paper (288p) ISBN 9780824948283

After nearly 20 years of marriage, the Pohlmans, in the final stages of divorce, decide to spend a year in Italy, a decision their "marital therapist called… an elaborate scheme of avoidance at best." The resulting story is full of charm, Kodak moments, and tumult typical of Americans abroad. In Italy, the family faces daily challenges, like unraveling the mysterious bus system ("...something left over from the days of Mussolini?") and dealing with the government. Even the simple act of purchasing groceries is an exercise in frustration. But eventually, Susan and Tim adapt, learning how to be spouses again, and even friends. The family perseveres, pulls together, sheds some of their American patina, and learns a new way of life in a country known for a commitment to family. Not many mothers can boast a midnight swim with a 14-year-old daughter or dropping plans to ice skate with their children simply because they wanted to. The Pohlmans' adventure is the stuff that dreams are made of. (Sept.)