Praise for Professor's New Novel

"The Italian Lover," the new novel from Robert Hellenga, George A. Lawrence Professor Emeritus of English at Knox College, is gaining rave reviews from critics.

The novel is Hellenga's fifth, and is a sequel to his first, "Sixteen Pleasures," in which Margot Harrington, a young American art conservator in Florence, Italy, helping clean up from the Arno River flood of 1967, comes upon a rare and controversial 16th-century manuscript. In "The Italian Lover," Harrington grapples with a film production company that wants to make a movie about her exploits in Florence 25 years earlier.

The New York Times praised the novel for its "affairs, fiery outbursts and lots of rich food," as well as a "story that is just as rich."

"Hellenga tells a fast story and creates solid characters," wrote the Boston Globe, which also noted his "memorable references to the arts."

The Cleveland Plain Dealer said the book is "delectable and philosophical... satisfying in unexpected ways," while the Associated Press called it "a must-read" for people who loved the best-selling "Sixteen Pleasures."

Hellenga taught English at Knox full-time from 1968 to 2004, when he was named Distinguished Writer in Residence. He still teaches fiction writing at Knox part-time, sharing with students some of the lessons he has learned as a successful novelist.

"I tell my students that inspiration is more likely to strike on the fourth or fifth draft than on the first draft," he says. "I also advise students to create characters who have 'an agenda.' They're more interesting than characters who are just hanging out."

Hellenga's other novels include "Philosophy Made Simple," "Blues Lessons," and "The Fall of a Sparrow."