{"product_id":"la-bella-lingua-dianne-hales-9780767927703","title":"La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language","description":"\u003cb\u003eA celebration of the language and culture of Italy, \u003ci\u003eLa Bella Lingua\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of how a language shaped a nation, told against the backdrop of one woman's personal quest to speak fluent Italian.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For anyone who has been to Italy, the fantasy of living the Italian life is powerfully seductive. But to truly become Italian, one must learn the language. This is how Dianne Hales began her journey. In \u003ci\u003eLa Bella Lingua\u003c\/i\u003e, she brings the story of her decades-long experience with the \"the world's most loved and lovable language\" together with explorations of Italy' s history, literature, art, music, movies, lifestyle and food in a true \u003ci\u003eopera amorosa \u003c\/i\u003e-- a labor of her love of Italy. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOver the course of twenty-five years, she has studied Italian through Berlitz, books, CDs, podcasts, private tutorials and conversation groups, and, most importantly, time spent in Italy. In the process the Italian language became not just a passion and a pleasure, but a passport into Italy's \u003ci\u003estoria\u003c\/i\u003e and its very soul. She invites readers to join her as she traces the evolution of Italian in the zesty graffiti on the walls of Pompeii, in Dante's incandescent cantos and in Boccaccio's bawdy \u003ci\u003eDecameron\u003c\/i\u003e. She portrays how social graces remain woven into the fabric of Italian: even the chipper \"ciao,\" which does double duty as \"hi\" and \"bye,\" reflects centuries of \u003ci\u003ebella figura.\u003c\/i\u003e And she exalts the glories of Italy's food and its rich and often uproarious gastronomic language: Italians deftly describe someone uptight as a \u003ci\u003ebaccala \u003c\/i\u003e(dried cod), a busybody who noses into everything as a \u003ci\u003eprezzemolo\u003c\/i\u003e (parsley), a worthless or banal movie as a \u003ci\u003epolpettone\u003c\/i\u003e (large meatball). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Like Dianne, readers of \u003ci\u003eLa Bella Lingua \u003c\/i\u003ewill find themselves \u003ci\u003einnamorata\u003c\/i\u003e, enchanted, by Italian, fascinated by its saga, tantalized by its adventures, addicted to its sound, and ever eager to spend more time in its company.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Dianne Hales\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0767927702\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780767927703\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Crown Publishing Group (NY)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/20\/2010\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.52lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.96h x 5.44w x 0.73d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eReference and Research Bk News\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2011 pg. 182","brand":"Dianne Hales","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44044038504703,"sku":"9780767927703","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_5a9cf31a-8f9b-4908-a2a0-57a9899e1e98.jpg?v=1684970570","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/la-bella-lingua-dianne-hales-9780767927703","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}