Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four Seasons in Rome is an autobiographical account of the year that the author spent in Rome as a fellow at the American Academy. The author was accompanied by his wife, and their twin sons who were about 6 months old when they relocated to Rome. It was an exciting year – the twins learned to walk, the author finished a short story, and the world gathered in Rome for the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

It’s a good story and Mr Doerr is an excellent writer. There is a lot about the twin boys of course, and a lot about Rome and visiting different parts of the city. And a lot of history – the quotes from Pliny the Elder were always interesting – as well as plants, insects and birds. It’s very well-written, but I admit there were parts of it where my attention wandered a bit.

I recommend this book; it is a good read and kind of fun.