A first kiss, do you remember? Gentle at first, his lips exploring every curve of her neck, then hungry, then greedy. . . . "Tu sei perfetta," Cesare whispered into her ear, and his words became all of her body.Cesare is a cosseted Italian boy, raised in the weathy town where his family has lived for 500 years. Beth is an ambitious American dreamer, born to hippies and raised on a rural commune. In the brilliant sunshine of a small Greek island they meet - and begin a transforming love affair that spans two continents, two decades, and two lifetimes. As their passion struggles against the pull of culture and country, their story unfolds against the backdrop of a lush Italian landscape and the thrumming streets of New York, catalyzed by the events of September 11th. A sensuous immersion in place, an acute exploration of the divide between old world and new, L'AMERICA is also and above all an evocation of the dizzying, life-changing power of first love.The novel of an American in Europe has a long and lustrous pedigree: With this dreamily exquisite story Martha McPhee joins the ranks of its most impressive practitioners.