"Bullets, Butterflies, and Italy" is a unique travel memoir that deftly combines a love story with an exhilarating Italian adventure through Rome, Amalfi, and Siena.
Zack Curtis truly dreads his 30th birthday. Estranged from his family and friends, he hopes his trip to Italy will lift his spirits and trigger the inspiration for a happier life.
But he soon offends a mobster who threatens to turn his dream trip into a nightmare. From the splendor of Amalfi, to the grandeur of Rome, to the pageantry of Siena during its Palio Festival, John Meyer presents a unique travel memoir that masterfully combines a love story with an exhilarating adventure.
Brimming with wit and humour, Bullets, Butterflies, and Italy, is a literary travelogue enlivened with passion, jealousy, betrayal, and hope.
Excerpt
"I was turning thirty and obviously unhappy with the way life treated me. I couldn’t bear the passing of that monumental milestone surrounded by a tired, disappointed family and a few transient work friends.
A girl I liked at work suggested a trip to take my mind off the stress of my birthday. “Hey, how about Italy? History, culture, romance, you might even come home happy.”
She made the suggestion in May 2005 and by the end of June I boarded a plane to Rome. Everything she said made total sense. This trip would be about me. I’d meet people, I’d see history, I’d get laid by a local, I’d experience culture, I’d get laid by another local, and maybe I’d meet a fellow traveler and get laid again.
“You might even come home happy.” This was my new mantra and I wanted it permanently tattooed across my chest. I landed in Rome wearing an unfamiliar grin on my face. I easily figured out the train transfer from Fiumicino airport to Termini train station and arrived in central Rome like I’d been traveling all my life.
And then I was robbed."
(page 12 from "Bullets, Butterflies, and Italy")
Professional Reviews
The Best Staycation... (from amazon.ca)
If anything can reinvigorate your love for travel, this can. I don't travel often. I should, but I don't. This book helped me remember what I've been missing. Told through the eyes of a lone traveler, he sees Italy the way you hope one day to. He's informed, adventurous, completely in love with the city, and just desperate enough to do everything that you wouldn't with his short stay. It's February in Toronto, and I can't decide if I'm now determined to go to Italy, or feel that I've already been. A fabulous hybrid genre that shows the vulnerability and courage in travelers to treat everyday like their last.
Life, Death and Love in Italy (from amazon.com)
I loved this book. Having never been to Italy, I loved that this book combined not only a love triangle with danger (yay romance!) but also detailed descriptions of Italian culture, architecture and art history. The way the author wrote was refreshing... the writing was like he was talking to me, complete with injections of humour and honest language. The main character was real, with sincere everyday struggles (like the rest of us) and I liked how his personality evolved and grew in maturity as he underwent a lot of self-reflection. The BEST part was the unpredictability of the plot! There was a twist and turn towards the end that impressed me; and therefore elevated this book above others. A new genre: a "travel guide" combined with a great storyline... a story that can only happen when you find yourself in a strange country with a strange language... leading to all kinds of unbelievable miscommunications! I highly recommend John Meyer, and am looking forward to his next book.
Chatelaine Magazine (November 2011 issue)
Turning 30 and being single sucks. Or, at least that’s what Zack Curtis thinks, so he takes a chance and embarks on the trip of a lifetime to Italy. But then he’s robbed of all his belongings, spends too much time “on the wrong side of drunk” and apparently negotiates his own murder – not exactly a promising start. He does, however, also fall madly in love. While the premise sounds mildly familiar and it’s at least partly based on real-life events, this is no Eat, Pray, Love. Instead it sets a fast and furious pace with destination unknown – but that’s the point.
First Kindle eBook edition of the literary memoir Greeting Flannery O'Connor at the Back Door of My Mind. Explores a certain author's "Adventures and Misadventure of Literary Savannah" upon encountering, in one form or another, authors Flannery O'Con
Perfect for fans of Bill Bryson, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Cheryl Strayed, this is more than a travelogue—it's a hilarious and heartfelt journey for anyone who has ever wondered: "Is this it?"
