The Book That Sparked a Global Tradition
Before the Oscar-winning film.
Before millions of wishes were tossed into the Trevi Fountain.
Before Rome became the dream destination of romantics the world over.
There was “Coins in the Fountain.”
“Coins in the Fountain” will be reissued May 26, 2026!
Join the mailing list to get early access, launch updates, and behind-the-scenes extras.
An excellent and enormously readable book. He writes beautifully and persuasively with page after page of sparkling dialogue.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 23, 1952
Entertaining, smart first novel packed with crackling Americanese about Rome, which turns out to be the Paris of post WWII Europe.
October 11, 1952
This is the book that started it all.
Before the Oscar-winning film. Before millions of wishes tossed into the Trevi Fountain. Before Rome became the dream destination of romantics and wanderers the world over. . . there was Coins in the Fountain.
First published in 1952, John H. Secondari’s luminous novel captured hearts around the world. Set in postwar Rome, the story follows four American women — Priscilla, Anita, Virginia, and Theresa — drawn to the Eternal City in search of new beginnings. They share an apartment, a love of adventure, and an unspoken hope that the fabled magic of Rome will transform their lives. As they fall in love, make mistakes, and navigate unfamiliar streets and customs, their stories reveal a world alive with possibility and heartbreak, humor and honesty.
With its breezy yet emotionally resonant prose, the novel offers a glimpse into a moment of international glamour, cautious optimism, and the quiet revolution of women discovering independence abroad. Rome itself becomes a living character — its cafés, ruins, and fountains providing the stage for joy, heartbreak, and connection.
Out of print for more than seventy years, this long-awaited reissue reintroduces a forgotten classic to a new generation. Perfect for fans of Beautiful Ruins, Under the Tuscan Sun, and The Talented Mr. Ripley, Coins in the Fountain is a nostalgic, timeless novel about the magic of travel, love, and longing.
“Coins in the Fountain” will be reissued May 26, 2026! Join the list to get early access, launch updates, and behind-the-scenes extras.
Preorder now! Book available May 26, 2026
The new edition has extras!
A new foreword by John H. Secondari’s daughter, Linda
Retro Italian cocktail recipes
Cicchetti + Aperitivi (snacks) recipes
to help you get into “la dolce vita” vibe!
368 page Paperback: $24.50. Ebook: $8.99
“Coins in the Fountain” will be available for purchase via these online retailers + select bookstores
John H. Secondari (1919–1975) was an American writer, journalist, war veteran, and television producer—best known for his bestselling 1952 novel Coins in the Fountain, which inspired the Oscar-winning film Three Coins in the Fountain.
Born in Rome, Italy, Secondari immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of five. He earned his B.A. from Fordham University in 1939 and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University in 1940. During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he commanded both a reconnaissance unit and a tank company in combat across France, Germany, and Austria. After the war, he served on the staff of General Mark W. Clark in Vienna and was discharged in 1946 with the rank of captain.
After the war, Secondari returned to Italy as a journalist and public information specialist. He worked as a reporter for the Rome Daily American, served as a foreign correspondent for CBS, and was Deputy Chief of the Information Division for the U.S. Economic Cooperation Administration’s Special Mission to Italy, part of the Marshall Plan, where he oversaw public communications and media strategy during Italy’s postwar reconstruction. His intimate knowledge of Rome and its postwar transformation provided the foundation for Coins in the Fountain, a novel that captured the city’s romance, uncertainty, and promise.
In addition to his literary work, Secondari was a groundbreaking figure in American television. He served as the founding Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent for ABC Television, and later as Executive Producer of the network’s Special Projects division. His acclaimed documentary series Saga of Western Man won both Peabody and Emmy Awards, cementing his reputation as one of the most influential television storytellers of his era.
Over the course of his career, he received more than twenty Emmy Nominations, three Peabody Awards, and Italy’s Guglielmo Marconi World Television Award. He passed away in 1975, leaving behind a powerful body of work that spanned media and continents.
About the Author
A Daughter’s Tribute
When I was nine years old, my father, John H. Secondari, died. I don’t have many memories of him, but the few I do are vivid: the clack of his typewriter echoing through the house, the time he taught me to stir risotto standing on a stool beside him, and fly-fishing at dusk as frogs chirped in the background.
For most of my life, Coins in the Fountain was a story I knew more by its impact than its pages. I knew it had inspired the 1954 Oscar-winning film Three Coins in the Fountain, and somehow—magically—it was connected to the tradition of tossing a coin into Rome’s Trevi Fountain while making a wish.
Now, after more than 25 years working in the publishing industry, bring thousands of books to life in the marketplace, I’ve undertaken the reissue of my father’s novel not just to preserve his legacy, but to reconnect with him. To read his work closely is to enter into a conversation with the man I barely had the chance to know—a conversation I’ve been waiting my whole life to have.
Coins in the Fountain is a product of its time, full of postwar glamour, American optimism, and romantic idealism. It’s also a story about women seeking new beginnings, love, and self-definition abroad—an aspect that fascinates me as both a daughter and a contemporary woman. Some elements feel timeless; others challenge modern perspectives. But that’s part of the beauty of rediscovery.
To honor the world of the novel, I’ve included something special in the new edition: a collection of vintage-inspired cocktail and cicchetti recipes, each evoking the charm and ritual of Roman afternoons, and some drawn directly from family tradition. In our home, food and storytelling were inseparable—and I wanted this edition to reflect that spirit.
This reissue is more than a literary revival; it’s a deeply personal act of remembrance, imagination, and love. I invite you to toss your own metaphorical coin, make a wish, and discover—or rediscover—the magic of Coins in the Fountain.
Cin Cin!
Linda Secondari
New York City, 2026
The Book That Inspired the Movie
Before Frank Sinatra sang. Before the Trevi Fountain overflowed with wishes. Before it became a Hollywood classic — Coins in the Fountain was a novel. This is where the story began.
In 1954, Three Coins in the Fountain became a Hollywood sensation, winning the Academy Award for Best Song and catapulting Rome’s Trevi Fountain into global legend. But the story began here — with the novel Coins in the Fountain, published two years earlier by John H. Secondari.
The author is a shrewd observer of uprooted Americans ... in this tragi-comedy of manners.
The Booklist, Oct 15, 1952
“Coins in the Fountain” will be reissued May 26, 2026! Join the list to get early access, launch updates, and behind-the-scenes extras.
Preorder now! Book available May 26, 2026
The new edition has extras!
A new foreword by John H. Secondari’s daughter, Linda
Retro Italian cocktail recipes
Cicchetti + Aperitivi (snacks) recipes
to help you get into “la dolce vita” vibe!
368 page Paperback: $24.50. Ebook: $8.99
“Coins in the Fountain” will be available for purchase via these online retailers + select bookstores