A novel of family set in West Altadena / CALIFORNIA
Magically entertaining novel set in Trastevere (ROME)
26th August 2026
Roman Mornings by Matson Taylor, a magically entertaining novel set in Trastevere (Rome).
Monty is in Rome, a little travelled carpenter, to help renovate an apartment, acquired for his boss’s Italian wife. Romford Dave has sent a team out to the city to make it shipshape, with plenty of Italian bling.
Clemmie first arrived in Rome in 1954 and is now – twenty odd years later – working as a translator at the British Council Library, translating pieces heavy with sprockets and bowel irrigation, not to mention the odd washer-dryer manual. She is in middle age and yearns for “some silver glitterings, some bright-eyed hope“, given the monotony of her job. Now, in the 1970s she has acquired a Vespa. Unsteady on her wheels, she motors down the Lungotevere and finds herself on the Ponte Sant’Angelo amongst the pedestrians, and happens to collide with Monty. He sees stars and the angels seem to be talking to him. He is scooped up to recuperate with Clemmie and her coterie in the piccolo palazzo, which includes Octavian, a rather large cat, who can pontificate on Pier Paolo Pasolini, and in quiet moments Monty finds the cat communicating with him as well as the angels. Clearly the bang on the head has propelled him into new and magical realms – or is there more to the mystery of all this angelic discourse.
Clemmie and Monty go on to explore the marvels of the city and through their eyes – both jointly and individually – Rome comes to beautiful life. Monty ponders why Romans don’t use the amazing roof terrace with its stunning views, to sit and ponder (the cat keeps him straight on this, it’s for practicalities like hanging the washing): this area of the piccolo palazzo becomes a a rather large issue in the story.
“The next morning, the colour of the city hit him. It was everywhere. In the streets, in the sky, in the clothes, in the cars, in the noises in the air, in the way Italians moved, in their voices, in their faces”
Meanwhile, in a parallel story, Bob Stanley is heading towards Italy in his renovated Mr Whippy ice-cream van. All roads lead to Rome, he has been told, and indeed, that is where he lands. A connection is made with the folks living at the piccolo palazzo.
The story bounces along with a few mishaps along the way and then goes up a few gears as the backstory of one of the characters is shared. There is a very heart-rending story woven into the narrative. Nevertheless, the story resumes its delightful trajectory and proves to be a wonderfully crafted storyline, with a serious note. The magical elements fit for the city, which often – like Venice – has an other-wordly feel to it.
There is a terrific sense of Rome, it is a wonderful example of #literarytourism and after reading this novel, you will feel that you have had a trip to the wonderful city!
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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