Simon has set her book in Prometto, Italy (population 212). Senor Speranza acts as the mayor of the village and so it is he that finds out that the village water system needs repairing - at a cost of 70,000 Euros. How can he raise the needed funds without worrying the other residents - or having them move away? Hmm, why not start a rumor - that movie star Dante is going to be filming a movie in and around Prometta!? Surely that will bring in the tourists.
Simon has come up with a fun, light-hearted premise that's just plain fun to listen to. The rest of the village becomes enamored of the film idea, especially with heart throb Dante starring. Uh huh - you can see some flaws in his idea can't you? You just know things aren't going to go to plan for Senor Speranze, no matter how many saints he calls upon.
Simon does a great job with her characters. I love quirky characters and The Patron Saint of Second Chances is chockablock with them. I quite liked Senor Speranze, but his assistant Smilzo was my favorite. (You'll love his screenplay ideas) Simon explores the power of community, relationships of many types and the power of believing in something and someone in her story. A lovely listen that kept me company as I puttered.
I chose to listen to The Patron Saint of Second Chances. The reader was Tim Frances. He did a great job of bringing Simon's work to life. He has a lovely, gravelly tone to his voice that absolutely fit the mental image I had created for Senor Speranze. And it suited the age of the character. Frances is an enthusiastic reader, easily capturing the emotions of the characters and the tone of the plot. He provides a suitable, believable Italian accent for the characters when they are speaking. As the 'narrator' he speaks in his own British accent, which also has lots of movement. See for yourself - listen to an audio excerpt of The Patron Saint of Second Chances.
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