Shirley Hazzard is the acclaimed author of four books of nonfiction and six novels, including the National Book Award - winning The Great Fire. Francis Steegmuller (1906-94) was an editor, translator, critic, and literary biographer.

"Much larger than all its parts, this book does full justice to a place, and a time, where 'nothing was pristine, except the light.'" - Bookforum "Deep in the spell of Italy, Hazzard parses the difference between visiting and living and working in a foreign country. She writes with enormous eloquence and passion of the beauty of getting lost in a place." - Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times "The two voices join in exquisite harmony.... A lovely book." - Booklist, starred review "An exquisite companion for the armchair traveler who dreams in the languages of literature and art.... A love letter to an ancient Italian city by the sea.... By temperament, I incline toward the understated appreciations of art and people I find in The Ancient Shore.... Such passages, simple as they are, constitute the unalloyed traces of love." - Mindy Aloff, Washington Post Book World"

Shirley Hazzard is the acclaimed author of four books of nonfiction and six novels, including the National Book Award - winning The Great Fire. Francis Steegmuller (1906-94) was an editor, translator, critic, and literary biographer.

"Much larger than all its parts, this book does full justice to a place, and a time, where 'nothing was pristine, except the light.'" - Bookforum "Deep in the spell of Italy, Hazzard parses the difference between visiting and living and working in a foreign country. She writes with enormous eloquence and passion of the beauty of getting lost in a place." - Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times "The two voices join in exquisite harmony.... A lovely book." - Booklist, starred review "An exquisite companion for the armchair traveler who dreams in the languages of literature and art.... A love letter to an ancient Italian city by the sea.... By temperament, I incline toward the understated appreciations of art and people I find in The Ancient Shore.... Such passages, simple as they are, constitute the unalloyed traces of love." - Mindy Aloff, Washington Post Book World"

Shirley Hazzard is the acclaimed author of four books of nonfiction and six novels, including the National Book Award - winning The Great Fire. Francis Steegmuller (1906-94) was an editor, translator, critic, and literary biographer.

"Much larger than all its parts, this book does full justice to a place, and a time, where 'nothing was pristine, except the light.'" - Bookforum "Deep in the spell of Italy, Hazzard parses the difference between visiting and living and working in a foreign country. She writes with enormous eloquence and passion of the beauty of getting lost in a place." - Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times "The two voices join in exquisite harmony.... A lovely book." - Booklist, starred review "An exquisite companion for the armchair traveler who dreams in the languages of literature and art.... A love letter to an ancient Italian city by the sea.... By temperament, I incline toward the understated appreciations of art and people I find in The Ancient Shore.... Such passages, simple as they are, constitute the unalloyed traces of love." - Mindy Aloff, Washington Post Book World"