Italian Life

<p><b>'Parks...offers detailed cultural observation witty yet eagle-eyed of what makes Italians so Italian' <i>The Times</i></b><br><b><br>How does Italy <i>really</i> work?</b><br><br>When Valeria travels from hot dusty Basilicata to begin her studies in a northern university town she has little idea of the kind of education she will find there. <i>Italian Life</i> is her story and that of the students and professors around her: a story of power and corruption influence and exclusion and the workings of a society where your connections are <i>everything</i>.<br><br>Written with flair and insight <i>Italian Life</i> joins Tim Parks' bestselling books about his beloved and paradoxical adopted country. It is a gripping entertaining behind-the-scenes account of how Italy actually happens and the ways it can surprise those who know it inside out.<br><br><b> 'A satisfyingly truthful entertaining and provocative comedy' <i>Daily Telegraph</i></b></p>