““WHEN IN ROME is a love story, a tug-of-war between fate and faith, and Claire is its funny, thoughtful, searching guide. In fact, she’s one of the most delightful narrators I’ve encountered in recent fiction, full of genuine curiosity and relatable contradictions. I happily followed her through the winding streets of Rome, and I’d go anywhere else she’d care to take me.” ”
Meet Claire: fifty-two, desperate to do something new and get a fresh start.
And Rome: Home to a struggling convent facing a precipitous end, the city beckons Claire, who’s long had a complicated relationship with religion, including a teenage brush with convent life. Once in Rome, she finds a group of funny, fearless nuns in a gorgeous villa, beautiful runs throughout a color-saturated city, and a chance to reflect. It all leads her to an unexpected question—should she join the convent?—and an answer that startles her as much as it does those closest to her.
And Marcus: a once-buzzy actor, eternally in love with Claire. He’s come and gone from Claire’s life since college but now reappears in Rome just as she’s about to decide what’s next.
As Claire searches for her higher calling, she finds the key to her future may lay in her past—and involves an actual key. The nuns swear it unlocks nothing, but on a night when choices and voices swirl, Claire finds a long-hidden lock.
A look at faith, in oneself as much as a higher power, and love, romantic and familial, lost and found, this is the story of a woman who sets out to rewrite her story, only to be surprised by the plot twists life plants . . . WHEN IN ROME.
“{A] sweet new romantic comedy.... This novel’s scenic descriptions, food references and coffee bar stops may have the susceptible Googling flights to Italy.”
“Liam Callanan’s beautiful novel swept me away—right into the cobblestoned streets of Rome. His sumptuous descriptions are magically transportive, and his characters are as well, as they wrestle with questions of love, of faith, and of service to a higher power. This is a story for the mind and for the soul, and is one that will stay with me for a long time.”
“I tore through When In Rome—it’s a delicious love story, a guilty pleasure without the guilt. But it’s a sneaky novel, too, because Liam Callanan has miraculously melded a light-hearted, globe-hopping, and time-travelling plot with soulful meditations on community, commitment, and vocation. I’ll be reading it again in Travestere.”
“WHEN IN ROME is a total delight. It has all my favorite things—a gorgeous setting, a fierce and funny female protagonist, and nuns! Best of all, it showcases Liam Callanan’s trademark wisdom about the human heart, and reminds us that it’s never too late to change your life.”
“Cancel that Alitalia flight. All the fun of a trip to Italy—and a Yale education, for that matter—can be found for a fraction of the price in Liam Callanan’s delightful novel When In Rome. With breathtaking descriptions of secret corners of the Eternal City and New Haven, this novel introduces us to Claire, who, at 52, is ready to resolve issues of faith, passion, and obligation that have dogged her since she was 22. Only she has to think about things a little longer. So hold on. And while you wait, prepare to be charmed by this clever, engaging book.
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“Love and faith are at the center of Liam Callanan’s heartfelt story of self-discovery and reinvention. Claire at middle age, is at a crossroads as she faces the despair of her lost dreams and the hope that there’s still time to find happiness. Book clubs will go wild for Claire’s new mission, shaped by a series of events propelled by nuns, the restorative beauty of the Eternal City and the urgency that comes from the determination to live life before it’s over. When in Rome will delight readers everywhere.”