Hill Towns
By Anne Rivers Siddons

     Hill Towns introduces readers to Catherine Gaillard, a woman who is afraid to leave her small mountain town but takes a family trip to Italy for her daughter's wedding. Catherine is introduced to several anxiety attacks, the uniqueness of Italian cities and people, and fear of her relationship with her husband Joe. Catherine and Joe travel throughout Italy with two other couples who have what Catherine would think of as strange relationships.

     The characterization of Catherine and the other individuals in the book show the reader how Catherine truly feels about what is going on around her. It also, at times, makes the reader want to reach into the book and shake Catherine awake to what is happening. The plot is very simple: a family trip to Italy. It is mixed with several small subplots with each group of characters. Each subplot adds to the development of Catherine's confusion about her and her husband's relationship and what she wants out of her own life.
Hill Towns allows the reader to think and put themselves in Catherine's position and see if they would react the same way that she does throughout the book.