Full disclosure: I am not from Siena. I am not even Italian, though, like many Americans, I wish I were, and all three of my children have Italian names—one so intensely Italian only Italians can pronounce it properly. (Poor girl, spending years having her name mangled by friends… but she loves it anyway).

Despite my origins, I decided, seven years ago, to write a historical novel set in Siena. The Scribe of Siena, which was published in May of 2017, is a tribute to that extraordinary city—its history, its traditions, and its singular magic. Since the book came out, I’ve been asked many terrific questions: how I learned about medieval Italian cuisine; why I, a neurologist and neuroscientist, decided to write medieval Italian historical fiction; and whether the book is autobiographical. (Answer: no, and yes, like all novels.)  But one of the most common questions I get asked during readings and interviews is “Why Siena?”