This season, we’ve been talking about how to change. We’ve wondered: can a big move really change you? Or are you the same inside, just with new, prettier scenery? Frances Mayes, author of “Under the Tuscan Sun,” has opinions about this. Decades ago, she moved to Italy and changed her life. After she wrote about her experience, other people followed her lead. Almost 30 years after "Under the Tuscan Sun" was published (and about 20 years after the movie), Mayes still sees many strangers stopping by her home in Cortona. They leave notes of appreciation and small gifts, making a small altar at the bottom of her driveway. They praise her for inspiring them to embrace change and find beauty in the world. In this episode, Meredith talks to Mayes about the power of geography, her novel “A Great Marriage,” and whether she believes real, internal change is possible by shifting your surroundings.

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