This is the story of Jamie, who works in finance for a large company in California and is trying to achieve partnership in the firm. She meets and begins an affair with Jack who is an engineer with a company that Jamie's firm is working with. Jack is Italian, but has been in America, going to school and working, for 10 years and hardly ever talks about his heritage. Jamie is a driven, fiercely independent woman working hard to reach her goals. Early on in their relationship, Jamie travels to Italy with Jack for the wedding of his cousin. While there she realizes the large cultural divide that exists between her and Jack, as he morphs into Giovanni, his true Italian self. Back in the US, Jack wants to earn his green card but it is a long process. Jamie suggests they marry temporarily to help speed things along, even though marriage was not something she ever envisioned for herself. The two live together, but Jamie doesn't acknowledge to anyone that they are married.
The story progresses from here as Jamie and Jack go back and forth to Italy and Jack/Giovanni becomes more and more embroiled in the family vineyards and wine business. It seemed to me that what mostly happened throughout the book was that Jamie gradually gave up all her own existing hopes and dreams to mesh with the new life Jack had chosen for himself. I never did quite 'get' the attraction between the two. Jack was very cool and remote and spent most of his time with Jamie belittling her. I failed to see how she found that endearing.
I did read the entire book. I wanted to see where it was going and how it would end. The ending wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be, but in general I think the book was well written. The exploration of differences and misconceptions between the Italian and American customs and cultures was interesting. I just didn't like what happened with the main character, Jamie.
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