Before the Oscar-winning film. Before millions of wishes were tossed into the Trevi Fountain. There was Coins in the Fountain.

First published in 1952 and out of print for more than fifty years, John H. Secondari’s luminous debut novel returns in a long-awaited reissue introduced by the author’s daughter.

In postwar Rome, four American women arrive searching for something they cannot quite name. Priscilla, Anita, Virginia, and Theresa share an apartment above the rooftops of the Eternal City, each hoping that distance from home might offer a new version of herself. Against a backdrop of cafés, fountains, ruins, flirtations, and moonlit piazzas, they chase romance, independence, reinvention, and the dangerous belief that a change of scenery can change a life.

But Rome is not simply a dream. As the women fall in and out of love, test convention, and confront the gap between fantasy and truth, their friendships deepen while their desires pull them in unexpected directions. With warmth, wit, and emotional insight, Secondari captures the thrill and ache of Americans abroad in a world still recovering from war and learning how to hope again.

Breezy, romantic, and quietly sharp, Coins in the Fountain is a rediscovered midcentury gem about love, travel, friendship, and women claiming autonomy before the world had fully given them permission.

This special reissue includes a new foreword and a curated selection of midcentury-inspired Italian cocktail and snack recipes.

Perfect for readers who love classic women’s fiction, postwar settings, Roman holiday glamour, expat stories, and rediscovered literary gems. For fans of Beautiful Ruins, Under the Tuscan Sun, The Enchanted April, and stories where travel becomes transformation.