My Dolce Vita

Organised into three parts, the memoir not only spans eight decades, but bumps into people of distinction and interest. Beginning with the war years, Jean encounters characters as diverse as Dirk Bogarde, a childhood playmate and General Mark Clark of the US 101st Army, as citizen of Rome as an 'open city'. In part two, Jean relives her 19 years working as the first PR in Italy for Howard Hughes, who at the time owned RKO and TWA; both of which he used to full advantage. When movie stars were sent into 'movie exile' by Hughes it was usually to Rome, where Jean accompanied and consorted with them, in addition to overseeing high-profile guests who needed 'special attention'. Finally, in part three, Jean moves to Milan and then to the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este to the quieter but not calmer life of luxury. Being a main force that has built the hotel into the world-renowned destination that it is today, Jean has been the director of PR for more than forty years, which she continues to this day.