Ben Downing's "Queen Bee of Tuscany," the movie

Now showing at My Book, The Movie: Queen Bee of Tuscany by Ben Downing.

The entry begins:

Queen Bee of Tuscany: The Redoubtable Janet Ross is a biography of a remarkable Englishwoman who grew up among the likes of Dickens and Thackeray and went on to spend most of her life in Tuscany, where she farmed, wrote, entertained, and became the acknowledged doyenne of what was then known as the Anglo-Florentine colony.

Given that it's a cradle-to-grave bio, and that Janet Ross lived to the ripe age of eighty-five, I've had a tough time envisioning a particular actress in the role. But one that I can see embodying her in her prime is the marvelous Rebecca Hall, whose recent performance in Tom Stoppard's adaptation of Parade's End really knocked my socks off. Like Sylvia Tietjens, Janet had a...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Ben Downing's website.

The Page 99 Test: Queen Bee of Tuscany.

My Book, The Movie: Queen Bee of Tuscany.

--Marshal Zeringue