All We Know of Love [Hardcover]

Katie Schneider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 11, 2000

A moving first novel that sets the burgeoning creative and romantic life of a young woman against the backdrop of the art and history of Florence

Jo Shepherd grew up in the Pacific Northwest under the loving care of her grandfather, Frank. After spending months nursing him through his final painful illness, Jo receives a glorious vision of the Virgin Mary, who tells her to head to Italy to live out her dream of becoming an artist. In doing so Jo must leave behind her childhood sweetheart, Jack, facing the prospect of losing him forever.
        In Florence, Jo's intense artistic visions begin to find fruition, but her magical odyssey is complicated when she meets two extraordinary young American men, Chad and Walter. By day, Jo paints--women in a marketplace, a street musician near the Duomo, the view of the Arno from the Piazzale Michelangelo. By night, she sketches in a tavern, while Chad and Walter vie for her attention and pay for her meals. As the lives of these three friends become more deeply entwined, the revelation of painful secrets threatens to destroy their delicate balance. In one heart-wrenching scene, one of Jo's paintings is badly damaged, and the ensuing heartbreak causes her to flee Stateside. In New York City, and eventually back in the Pacific Northwest, Jo begins to face up to the legacy of her time in Italy, and to her future with or without Jack.
        All We Know of Love deftly blends themes of female spirituality, creat-
ivity, and romantic awakening. Along the way there is love left behind and love regained; a bloody fight and a ruined painting; miraculous visions and a child lost. Alternately lyrical, engaging, and funny, this is a remarkable achievement by an evocative new voice in women's fiction.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Told with a watery melancholy brightened by flickers of wry humor, this debut novel sends 20-year-old Joanna Shepherd to Florence on behalf of the Virgin Mary. After Joanna's beloved grandfather, FrankAher last living relative, who raised her from the age of fourAdies of cancer on their eastern Washington farm, a vision of Mary appears to Joanna in the kitchen, instructing her amid "an overpowering scent of lilacs... and white light" to "go to Europe and become a painter." Joanna plans her departure quickly, her resolve swayed only by a bittersweet farewell to Jack Pearce, a childhood friend, which sparks "years of fantasies." Resolutely, she journeys to Italy, rents a room from an elderly widow, Lena Cabrini, and begins to absorb the magnificent city and its art. Cutting across the Piazza della Repubblica one afternoon, Joanna is drawn by a cellist whose music "[makes her] want to paint." The captivating musician, Chad Lesa, turns out to be an American studying at the political science institute, and he introduces her to Walter Haffner, a wealthy student who takes a financial interest in Joanna's artwork. They all form an instant connection, but love complicates the trio's dynamics, as do Joanna's abiding feelings for Jack. Schneider's portrait of an artist is convincing, but the novel's real power is in its landscapes, which are rendered so pungently that they become characters in their own right: the rural Pacific Northwest, Florence's busy streets and squares, the Sistine Chapel on a day trip to Rome. Less believable is the romantic fallout from Italy, which steers Joanna to a stereotypical stint as an artist-bohemian in New York. Though spirituality reenters via a series of paintings, the charming incongruity of the Virgin makes no further appearances. A quicksilver pace precludes development of any character other than Joanna and muddles tricky shifts between time frames. Like Joanna's visitation, the story is a jumble of sensory images, sparked by an eloquent vision without a clear path of resolution. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In Schneider's debut novel, orphaned Jo Shepherd nurses her beloved grandfather Frank through his last illness. Bereft after his death, Jo experiences a vision of the Virgin Mary, who tells her to pursue her dream of becoming an artist in Italy. The action switches effortlessly from Jo's home in the Pacific Northwest to Florence, Rome, and New York and then back again, as Jo relives the odyssey that helped her grow up. Deeply involved with two young men to whom she attaches herself during her travels, she compares and contrasts them to Jack, her best friend and boyfriend, who has been in her life forever. While she reaches personal milestones and works through her grief, secrets emerge within and around Jo, who continues to search for love, peace, and meaning in her life. Well recommended.
-Ellen R. Cohen, Rockville, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1st edition (July 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767904087
• ISBN-13: 978-0767904087
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,995,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is all we need to know....., July 11, 2000

By 

mbee - See all my reviews

This review is from: All We Know of Love (Hardcover)

I nabbed a friend's pre-pub copy of this book because part of the story takes place in Florence and I like to read books that take place in Italy. My all time favorite novel is still Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal Dreams" and anyone else who enjoyed that should like this book. This author knows how to weave a tale with some interesting characters and I grew quickly attached to the artist that is the main character. This is delightful reading as Schneider has a magnificent grasp of poetic language that makes it easy to feel immersed not only in the landscape but in the emotions that drives the artist through her process of resolving her grief and coming to terms with her art. I also liked the way the story moves back and forth between the past and the present. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an affecting, well-written first novel, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: All We Know of Love (Hardcover)

I went from being put off at the beginning of the book by the protagonist's vision of the Virgin Mary to being totally drawn in by this character's travails. Ultimately, despite a shaky and improbable start, the book is affecting and rings true. Schneider won me over with her exploration of the complexity and fragility of relationships and her descriptions of an artist's compulsion to create. Her characters are rich, well-drawn, and compelling. All in all, this was a moving well-written novel. I look forward to Schneider's next book.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling first novel, July 14, 2000

By 

S. Larson "RI Book Diva" (Cumberland, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All We Know of Love (Hardcover)

I just stayed up all night and finished this magical book! Jo, the main character, is well-drawn and complex, as are her relationships. The story has several levels that are echoed in the settings - I especially liked Florence as a haven and a place of transformation. The language is rich, at times funny, and always right on target. Brava, Katie Schneider!