Maria Kalman’s drawings, paintings and embroidery are super charming and often comical. I like the way she writes about historical events and personalities on one page, then goes into depth about a diner menu on the next. The thoughts and observations she shares feel casual yet personal. Her own personality seems to come through everywhere. Not that I know her, but she seems smart, thoughtful, and delighted with so much.
An Italian-American major in World War II wins the love and admiration of the local townspeople when he searches for a replacement for the 700 year-old town bell that had been melted down for bullets by the fascists.