An unforgettable story about a couple who follow their dream of converting a run-down country house into a working bed and breakfast, and what they learn along the way from an old home, a close-knit community, and a parade of extraordinary guests. One spring, Carol Eron Rizzoli and her husband Hugo bought a dilapidated farmhouse in the tiny village of Royal Oak, Maryland, on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. They spent two years transforming it into a bed and breakfast, which took them twice as long and cost three times as much as they had originally estimated (on the back of a napkin). As they struggled to restore the house and open the B&B, Carol and Hugo were also slowly acquainting themselves with the rural community of Royal Oak, rich in custom and culinary traditions, and populated by neighbors with particular views on politics, hunting, wildlife, and of course, newcomers from the big city. Written with honesty and humor, The House at Royal Oak is a journey to the heart of what it means to start over and chase a dream. Part inspirational account of reinventing yourself at mid-life, part love story about learning what matters most in a relationship, it is above all a book about home: what it means, and the unexpected places we find it. "Written with poignant honesty, The House at Royal Oak tells (an) endearing story of starting over." -- ChesapeakeHome magazine "You may think you've read this story before...but you haven't...This lovely, intelligent memoir is told with clarity and deliberation." -- Minneapolis Star-Tribune This is the kind of domestic travelogue that demonstrates the wisdom of (lines) from Emily Dickinson..." -- New York Times Book Review Carol Eron Rizzoli first visited the Chesapeake Bay to interview James Michener as he was starting work on his epic novel Chesapeake . She taught at Boston University, served as book editor for the Washington Post , and was a managing editor of publications for the National Gallery of Art in Washington,D.C. Her articles, reviews, essays, and profiles have appeared in Smithsonian Magazine , the Washington Post , Readers Digest , The International Herald-Tribune , The St Louis Post-Dispatch , the Boston Globe , and many other publications. She and her husband run Royal Oak House (royaloakhouse.org) on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. International products have separate terms, are sold from abroad and may differ from local products, including fit, age ratings, and language of product, labeling or instructions. New Mint Condition Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon Guaranteed packaging