[1] She writes "Beneath Walter's black comic's mask beats the brain of an ethical philosopher and the heart of a romantic.

[2] Similarly, the novel includes significant leaps of time and geography, with much of the early parts of the novel set in an Italian coastal hotel, but later parts are set in Hollywood; Edinburgh; Seattle; Florence, Italy; Portland, Ore.; Truckee, Calif.; and Sandpoint, Idaho.

[2] Critic Janet Maslin describes the novel as "more intuitive than linear, a believer in capricious destiny with a fine, freewheeling sense of humor.

[5][6] Washington Post reviewer Allegra Goodman wrote, "Adept at mixing flavors and textures, Walter whips together dying beauty, enduring love, war-shadowed Italy, haunting landscapes, veiled identity.

[8] In November of that year, it was announced Imogen Poots was attached, with filming scheduled to begin in Italy in May 2014.