"I resisted, but she drew me back. I stayed away, but she beckoned me. I distanced myself, but she haunted me. I even rejected her, but she did not abandon me..."
"She Seduced Me" is a unique book that immerses readers in a magical world where places, monuments, and artists come alive through their stories. The setting for this experience is Rome, and the reader becomes an active participant in the city's ebb and flow, gaining insight into why so many people have fallen in love with Rome despite its flaws.
This nonfiction work is divided into chapters that allow the reader to explore various aspects of art, culture, history, and contemporary life through the perspectives of both the author and the city's inhabitants, past and present. The journey begins with the author standing in front of Michelangelo's Moses statue, mouth agape, almost imagining the artist screaming at his creation: "Speak!" From there, a captivating odyssey unfolds, seeking to uncover the stories behind the Trevi fountain, the rock in the middle of the Roman Forum, the presence of priests and nuns, and every other intriguing aspect of the city. The author and reader delve into life in the piazzas, share in the camaraderie of street performers, engage with history through all the senses, get lost in the city's streets, observe Americans and foreigners, discover unique dining experiences, converse with Romans, and explore the houses of Nero, Augustus, and Livia. Along the way, they encounter Caravaggio, converse with expats, and follow two senators through the corridors of the Baths of Caracalla.
The book takes the reader through a captivating city that educates and enthralls.