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Good evening and welcome to the sleepy bookshelf,

where we put down our worries from the day and pick up a good book.

I'm your host, Elizabeth, and I'm so glad you've chosen to be here tonight. This evening will be returning to a room with a view by E. M. Forster.

But before we begin, let's take a quiet moment here to settle in for sleep.

Notice the feeling of the bird beneath you, supporting you completely. Let your shoulders soften, unclench your jaw and allow any lingering tension from the day to slowly drift away.

Take a slow, deep breath in and exhale gently.

Inhale calm and comfort.

And breathe out anything you no longer need to carry tonight.

Last time Lucy Honeychurch awoke to her first beautiful morning in Florence, gazing out across

the Arno and the sunlit city beyond. Eager to explore she set out with the lively and unconventional Miss Lavish who promised to show her the real Italy.

The two wandered through the winding Florentine streets, chatting about politics, travel and society,

until Miss Lavish became distracted with someone she knew and abandoned

Lucy outside the great church of Santa Croce, taking Lucy's Bédica guidebook with her.

Alone and overwhelmed at first, Lucy slowly began to enjoy the church in her own way, noticing

its curious visitors and strange atmosphere.

Then, she encountered Mr Emerson and his son George. Though their manners still struck her as unusual,

Lucy found herself increasingly drawn to them.

Inside the cool silence of the church,

the Emerson spoke openly about life

and the difficulty of truly understanding oneself.

Much of it puzzled Lucy, but she was certainly intrigued. When her cousin arrived, Lucy dutifully went with her.

...