I found Wisdom from Franciscan Italy to be a charming book and a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is a mixture of travelogue, a history of St Francis and a study of the ideas of Franciscan Spirituality as enacted today by lay or secular Franciscans. There is to the writing a wonderfully mellow feeling that in some ways transports you even deeper into the lyricism of journeying alongside those following in the ways of St Francis. An interesting sub theme that runs through this book is the idea of marriage, break-up, bereavement and loss, this begins from the first page when we find David Torkington, the author, ended up going on this retreat after having his heart broken the first time he risked love again many years after the loss of his wife, from then this theme crops up again and an interesting collage and introspection is given to the whole idea of marriage and singleness with some surprising outcomes. It is a wonderful book and certainly one any Lay Franciscan might well enjoy reading and definitely something anyone interested in finding out a little about Francis and Franciscan Spirituality might well enjoy.