The new book Marcus of Umbria: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl About Love traces Justine van der Leun’s funny and illuminating time spent in Collelungo, a 200-person farming village in central Umbria. Justine, a Brooklyn resident, met Emanuele, a local gardener, on vacation and impulsively moved in with him. When she leaves a year later, she has gained a newfound knowledge of language and family, a deep-rooted passion for animals and nature and a small, spotted dog that she’d adopted named Marcus.
