The Slow Train To Milan

Lisaveta, an attractive sixteen-year-old, meets Cesar, a handsome Venezuelan exile in his mid thirties, in a street in Clapham. Accompanying Lisaveta home and refusing to leave, Cesar soon becomes an almost permanent fixture in her young life, and before long Lisaveta is heavily involved in Cesar's rather shady existence, and that of his two close friends and fellow guerrillas, Otto and Elias, both of whom are on the run. Although Lisaveta knows practically nothing about the very reticent Cesar, they soon marry and travel to Paris, before meeting up with Otto and Elias and moving on to Rome, Bologna, Milan and Venice. Living the high life when finances permit and existing on almost nothing when their money runs out, the intrepid foursome lead a nomadic, eventful and rather risky existence, but where will it all end?Beautifully written and wonderfully described, this is an eccentric, amusing and very entertaining novel which, like the author's debut novel:  Keepers Of The House , is based on her own life. There are some darker areas to this story, but Lisaveta is a charming narrator of her own tale and I hugely enjoyed this novel with its lovely descriptions of Italy and its depiction of a rather unusual and flamboyant lifestyle. I have had my signed hardback copy of this novel languishing for some time on one of my bookshelves, waiting for when I had the time to really savour it, and have only just finally got around to reading it. I'm happy to say that this novel is going straight back on the shelf to be read and enjoyed all over again at some point in the future. Recommended.4.5 Stars.Also recommended by Lisa St Aubin de Teran:  Keepers Of The House

I first read this book when it came out years ago, and on wishing to read it again I could not find my copy, so I bought this one .Still a wonderful read -- I'm so glad I bought it, but is the cover different?Any way, I find it as enjoyable as ever. Thank you

1970s London, still in school uniform, Lisa St Aubin was accosted by a seemingly charming man who then followed her home. Dear reader, she married this man, a Venezuelan aristocrat on the run from.....well, perhaps from himself or maybe dark criminal forces or was it the police and Interpol? We never really find out. This is a tale of absolute paranoia, confusion and existential crises... (well, this was the seventies.) Zigzagging across France and Italy, backwards and forwards on night trains in the ragbag company of low life petty crooks and political dissidents, living on the margins of desperation and destitution, she begins to realise that sanity and reason are parting company. Read the Hacienda as a follow up to Slow Train, as Ms St Aubin is a very fine, nuanced writer and storyteller, but I cannot deny that Slow Train will be a turbulent read for current sensitivities.

Reread this and it is one of the best books ever. Lisa is a great storyteller.

Good book

Perfect

Oh so good