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Italian Memoirs #3
Любов в сърцето на Италия
“Любов в сърцето на Италия” e част от новата и успешна поредица “Пътувай и обичай” на издателство “Слънце”. Книгата обхваща две години от живота на Марлена Де Бласи, времето в което тя и съпруга й решават да се преместят в Умбрия. Докато чакат да бъде ремонтирано и подготвено за живеене тяхното бъдещо жилище /етаж от дворец от 1500 г. на аристократичния род Убалдини в Орвието/ двамата наемат апартамент уж за кратко. Ремонтът на палацо “Убалдини” обаче продължава две години вместо очакваните няколко месеца. През това време Марлена поддържа социалните си контакти, прави планове за бизнес, организира гастрономически събития и е запленения от италианската душевност и красотата на Италия. На 300 страници са разказани истории, изпълнени с драматизъм, любов, красота и мъдрост. Читателят става свидетел на сватби, смърт, тайни връзки и изневери, на фона на една от най-романтичните и красиви области на Италия.
“Любов в сърцето на Италия” е романтична история, основана на реалността. Това е книга за радостта от живота, която ни убеждава, че щастието е възможно и без голямо богатство. Тя е пример как човешките желания могат да се осъществят без да са нужни титанични усилия или големи драми. В крайна сметка виждаме един не съвсем типичен, но постижим опит за смислен и приятен живот без огромни амбиции и мания за величие.
И както във всичките си книги, Марлена де Бласи успява да ни откъсне от нашата действителност и да ни пренесе под лъчите на галещото слънце, за да усетим уханието на прекрасно кафе и вкусна храна в италианските ресторантчета и да помечтаем заедно с героите.
За финал на книгата има приятна изненада – кулинарен речник, който съдържа интересна информация за известни и не до там известни италиански вкуснотии.
Отзиви за "Любов в сърцето на Италия"
"Де Бласи не само наблюдава живота, тя го поглъща... Книгата е наситена със здравия й апетит за живота."
Ентъртейнмънт Уикли
"В сърцето на този разказ... е несекващата любовна история на един роман в залеза на живота... Ооо!"
Филаделфия Инкуайърър
"Тя прави за Умбрия това, което Франсис Мейъс направи за Тоскана."
Bloomberg.com
"Идеално четиво за любителите на пътеписи и гастрономите, както и за всеки почитател на романтични истории, готов за сподели радостта от откривателството в една чужда страна."
Пейджис
"Поетичният писателски стил на Де Бласи, нейните медитативни вътрешни монолози, прославата на традиционните храни и включването на много рецепти от региона правят тази книга празник за любителите на пътеписите и на добрата храна, за романтиците и за всички, които обичат хубавите истории с щастлив край."
Роки Маунт Телеграм, Северна Каролина
"Де Бласи е умела, бравурна писателка; прозата й е ту сдържана, ту пищна, ту земна, а най-вече – изключително свежа... Възхитително."
Къркъс Ривю
"Живият стил и изпълненото с любов пресъздаване на звуците, картините и ароматите на Италия, както и на ексцентричните донякъде умбрийци, с които се среща Де Бласи, ще очароват онези, които обичат тази страна."
Пъблишърс Уикли
"Така се пишат добрите пътеписи. Разказът ангажира читателя със силно чувство за място и характер. Когато дочетете книгата, ще се почувствате също толкова част от италианската общност, както се чувства и Де Бласи."
Мидуест Бук Ривю
"Пленителни и изпълнени с любов описания на звуците, сцените и ароматите на Италия. "
Сидър Рапидс Газет
"Невероятно представяне на една различна част от италианската провинция и население."
Къриър Газет
"Читателят вниква в това какво се крие зад разкошните стени и красивото изкуство."
Коста Меса Дейли Пайлът, Калифорния
“Любов в сърцето на Италия” е романтична история, основана на реалността. Това е книга за радостта от живота, която ни убеждава, че щастието е възможно и без голямо богатство. Тя е пример как човешките желания могат да се осъществят без да са нужни титанични усилия или големи драми. В крайна сметка виждаме един не съвсем типичен, но постижим опит за смислен и приятен живот без огромни амбиции и мания за величие.
И както във всичките си книги, Марлена де Бласи успява да ни откъсне от нашата действителност и да ни пренесе под лъчите на галещото слънце, за да усетим уханието на прекрасно кафе и вкусна храна в италианските ресторантчета и да помечтаем заедно с героите.
За финал на книгата има приятна изненада – кулинарен речник, който съдържа интересна информация за известни и не до там известни италиански вкуснотии.
Отзиви за "Любов в сърцето на Италия"
"Де Бласи не само наблюдава живота, тя го поглъща... Книгата е наситена със здравия й апетит за живота."
Ентъртейнмънт Уикли
"В сърцето на този разказ... е несекващата любовна история на един роман в залеза на живота... Ооо!"
Филаделфия Инкуайърър
"Тя прави за Умбрия това, което Франсис Мейъс направи за Тоскана."
Bloomberg.com
"Идеално четиво за любителите на пътеписи и гастрономите, както и за всеки почитател на романтични истории, готов за сподели радостта от откривателството в една чужда страна."
Пейджис
"Поетичният писателски стил на Де Бласи, нейните медитативни вътрешни монолози, прославата на традиционните храни и включването на много рецепти от региона правят тази книга празник за любителите на пътеписите и на добрата храна, за романтиците и за всички, които обичат хубавите истории с щастлив край."
Роки Маунт Телеграм, Северна Каролина
"Де Бласи е умела, бравурна писателка; прозата й е ту сдържана, ту пищна, ту земна, а най-вече – изключително свежа... Възхитително."
Къркъс Ривю
"Живият стил и изпълненото с любов пресъздаване на звуците, картините и ароматите на Италия, както и на ексцентричните донякъде умбрийци, с които се среща Де Бласи, ще очароват онези, които обичат тази страна."
Пъблишърс Уикли
"Така се пишат добрите пътеписи. Разказът ангажира читателя със силно чувство за място и характер. Когато дочетете книгата, ще се почувствате също толкова част от италианската общност, както се чувства и Де Бласи."
Мидуест Бук Ривю
"Пленителни и изпълнени с любов описания на звуците, сцените и ароматите на Италия. "
Сидър Рапидс Газет
"Невероятно представяне на една различна част от италианската провинция и население."
Къриър Газет
"Читателят вниква в това какво се крие зад разкошните стени и красивото изкуство."
Коста Меса Дейли Пайлът, Калифорния
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
December 9, 2008
I do love this woman's style. She writes in the most luscious way about food and the making of it, about Italians and their way of it, about adoring texture, and scent, and memory. All of her books are lovely, and this one is, too. Start with A Thousand Days in Venice though.
August 5, 2009
I love stories of people who have had courage and good fortune to pick up and transplant themselves in a foreign country but I just could not get into this book. I did not enjoy De Blasi's writing style. I felt there was an almost condescending voice to the book and it just did not hold my interest. These types of books are usually page turners for me because I can't wait to see what other misadventure the author has gotten themselves into. This story draaaaaaaaged.
February 13, 2010
This is the third book in Marlena De Blasi's stories about living in Italy. By now she had become more accustomed to the cultural differences between the US and Italy, and she and her husband Fernando are as strongly connected as ever. It was interesting to see what new adventure or stuggle was laid at their doorstep.
This book again featured long passages with descriptions about food; food preparation, eating food, the setting food was presented in, and food at the markets. Another cast of quirky characters are sprinkled throughout, and the pair valiantly tries to remain patient as the search for the perfect Umbrian living space commences.
I listened to the audio version of this book. (I'd read the first two books in teh series.) I think I like hearing it in audio format instead of reading it because all the Italian words and phrases sprinkled liberally throughout sound so much better on audio than my non-Italian speaking mind pronounced them internally. My favorite book of the series is still, 'A Thousand Days in Venice', but this one is worth the time to read.
This book again featured long passages with descriptions about food; food preparation, eating food, the setting food was presented in, and food at the markets. Another cast of quirky characters are sprinkled throughout, and the pair valiantly tries to remain patient as the search for the perfect Umbrian living space commences.
I listened to the audio version of this book. (I'd read the first two books in teh series.) I think I like hearing it in audio format instead of reading it because all the Italian words and phrases sprinkled liberally throughout sound so much better on audio than my non-Italian speaking mind pronounced them internally. My favorite book of the series is still, 'A Thousand Days in Venice', but this one is worth the time to read.
December 6, 2019
Can a book be over-written and under-written at the same time? The author loves her flowery language - calls her husband her "consort", a man's dog his "attache" -ugh. Beyond flowery her prose is not poetic, just affected. Nothing clued me into the fact that this was the third in a series of books, and she made little to no effort to let a new reader know what was going on - who is this duke? Is he a duke? Who is Flori? Why talk (a lot) about a deceased character without any info?
There is an apartment to be purchased and renovated, yet I never got much of a sense of the place beyond the ballroom - are there bedrooms, bathrooms?
As noted before every character is beyond eccentric and they all adore her. She spies on a violinist and he "happens" to be the hired musician who shows up at her party. She offers food tours and disdains anyone who has an allergy or dietary preference. Her "consort" is a shadow of a character, she repeats that he has a "trout" smile, in the opening chapter seemed cruel, and I was waiting to hear that he was abusive. It is a great skill to be frustratingly vague about so many details - stories are begun and just fade away, and then we get great detail about how everyone smells...
I finished this book only to find out if/how the apartment was renovated, other wise I would have tossed it after the opening chapter!
There is an apartment to be purchased and renovated, yet I never got much of a sense of the place beyond the ballroom - are there bedrooms, bathrooms?
As noted before every character is beyond eccentric and they all adore her. She spies on a violinist and he "happens" to be the hired musician who shows up at her party. She offers food tours and disdains anyone who has an allergy or dietary preference. Her "consort" is a shadow of a character, she repeats that he has a "trout" smile, in the opening chapter seemed cruel, and I was waiting to hear that he was abusive. It is a great skill to be frustratingly vague about so many details - stories are begun and just fade away, and then we get great detail about how everyone smells...
I finished this book only to find out if/how the apartment was renovated, other wise I would have tossed it after the opening chapter!
January 26, 2019
This book was an enjoyable read - well written and often poetic.....and my favorite so far of her series, still there is something a bit off about it. The characters are too eccentric and surely not entirely representative of Italy, but perhaps it makes for good reading? Plus we have a main character who celebrates her artistic side with exotic clothes and foolish and whimsical decisions and then complains about being taken advantage of and being shunned by the townspeople. Hint, not everyone likes or welcomes ex-pats with open arms, or should they be expected to. After all, it is their country. I'm not a big fan of Italian food, other than the basics (pasta and pizza), so I couldn't get too excited about the recipes, but IMO she would do well to spend a little less on bread and wine and a bit more on some lovely Italian sandals and some classic clothes - think Audrey Hepburn, not Cindi Lauper - work boots and homemade skirts from leftover drapery materials are just not Italian style.
December 13, 2012
Given that I didn’t love her first memoir (A Thousand Days in Venice), it’s no surprise that I didn’t love this book either. It was a bit hard to get into, but once I got about half way through I enjoyed it. Marlena and her husband moved from Venice to Tuscany (book #2) and now to Umbria. There was a bit of ‘assumed knowledge’ from the second book and at times it was a bit schmaltzy, but it was nice reading about the friends and experiences they had.
December 22, 2008
I have not enjoyed this one as much as her earlier books. While she still has a wonderfully "delicious" way with words (cooking is her forte), this story of people and place just didn't engage me as much. I was also distracted by the reader when she imitated the voices of Italian men...she sounded more like Count Dracula than an Italian!
October 24, 2016
I just could not get into this book! Maybe it was due to the voice of the narrator, it just grated on me and I tried three times to start over and get engaged, since I love the subject matter of anything Italy! But, not this!
July 12, 2017
Marlena de Blasi paints pictures with words and draws emotions like no other. An entertaining Memoir.
April 10, 2022
Absolutely loved this book. The best ‘life in Italy’ I’ve read to date. The path to their home in their ballroom, the wonderful local characters, the wisdom and attitude summed up by ‘let life shape itself’. Now to backtrack and catch up on the preceding 2 books of Chou and Fernando’s adventures.
July 31, 2011
This review was first posted @ The Australian Bookshelf
Marlena and Fernando move on from San Casciano for a new adventure in Orvieto, Umbria. After months and months of house-hunting they fall in love with house with the ballroom on Via del Duomo. The people of Orvieto offer unique socialcultural norms and expectations and once again Marlena is known as ‘The American,’ the outsider. Her desire to create a warm social network is hindered because that is not the way things are done in Orvieto.
I love hearing about the intricacies of the Italian culture which seems to shape and change as Marlena introduces us to different towns and hence different people. The bureaucracies and shrewdness of the Italians is always entertaining if not very frustrating as Marlena goes through the motions with the hopes of having her new home restructured and restored to a liveable state. Marlena’s fieriness shines through and Fernando calms her and with a new understanding and perspective she develops an acceptance for the local ways of business. Marlena and Fernando make new friendships and rekindle old ones with the fatherly Barlozzo continuing to play a major role in their lives. When Marlena coordinates a dinner party at her new home and goes against the grain of how things are done in Orvieto she learns a big lesson in social etiquette. I did enjoy the fairy-tale ending of the successful ballroom feast and the beginning of a new life for Marlena and Fernando in Orvieto as their newest residents.
As usual, I became absorbed in Marlena’s narrative prose and sensual insights into food, culture and love. Like most of De Blasi’s work you cannot rush through this novel as that is not the purpose, instead just pick it up at leisure and delve into a snippet of her life and mouth-watering recipes. I recommend An Umbrian Love Story to anyone who wants to experience a talented writing style and you love food and travel and memoirs.
Marlena and Fernando move on from San Casciano for a new adventure in Orvieto, Umbria. After months and months of house-hunting they fall in love with house with the ballroom on Via del Duomo. The people of Orvieto offer unique socialcultural norms and expectations and once again Marlena is known as ‘The American,’ the outsider. Her desire to create a warm social network is hindered because that is not the way things are done in Orvieto.
I love hearing about the intricacies of the Italian culture which seems to shape and change as Marlena introduces us to different towns and hence different people. The bureaucracies and shrewdness of the Italians is always entertaining if not very frustrating as Marlena goes through the motions with the hopes of having her new home restructured and restored to a liveable state. Marlena’s fieriness shines through and Fernando calms her and with a new understanding and perspective she develops an acceptance for the local ways of business. Marlena and Fernando make new friendships and rekindle old ones with the fatherly Barlozzo continuing to play a major role in their lives. When Marlena coordinates a dinner party at her new home and goes against the grain of how things are done in Orvieto she learns a big lesson in social etiquette. I did enjoy the fairy-tale ending of the successful ballroom feast and the beginning of a new life for Marlena and Fernando in Orvieto as their newest residents.
As usual, I became absorbed in Marlena’s narrative prose and sensual insights into food, culture and love. Like most of De Blasi’s work you cannot rush through this novel as that is not the purpose, instead just pick it up at leisure and delve into a snippet of her life and mouth-watering recipes. I recommend An Umbrian Love Story to anyone who wants to experience a talented writing style and you love food and travel and memoirs.
April 21, 2009
Rich, delicious descriptions of a beautiful part of Italy. I enjoyed the author's approach to her new surroundings and the process of making her own place in Orvieto. It started slow for me, probably because I haven't read her two previous books chronicling her time in Venice and Tuscany, but it picked up by the second section and got better and better.
The simple life she describes, particularly as it relates to meals, is very appealing to me as a contrast to this hectic American existence of ours. Even when we try to live simply here, it seems to get difficult and complicated. Although I think the "simple" life has complications of its own. Waiting over two years (!) for construction to begin on their residence-to-be was beyond ridiculous in my mind and not at all "simple," cultural differences or no.
For more book reviews, visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
The simple life she describes, particularly as it relates to meals, is very appealing to me as a contrast to this hectic American existence of ours. Even when we try to live simply here, it seems to get difficult and complicated. Although I think the "simple" life has complications of its own. Waiting over two years (!) for construction to begin on their residence-to-be was beyond ridiculous in my mind and not at all "simple," cultural differences or no.
For more book reviews, visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
July 25, 2010
An okay travel memoir, with vibrant descriptions of the Italian landscapes, the food and the people. I tried one of the recipes in the back of the book -- walnut foccacia -- and it came out pretty good as well.
I only have two major complaints.
1) It was too long. The book reads more like a series of vignettes than one story. She could have stopped after about 250 pages, instead of dragging it out to more than 300.
2) Because the book is too long, you get sick of her charmed life after a while. Marlena's biggest problem is adjusting to a new town while she's waiting for her house to be renovated -- and even then, she seems to get along with the locals just fine. Marlena: I'm glad you're in Italy with your true love, meeting interesting rustics, living in ballroom and gorging yourself on good food. But I'm stuck in Georgia. So stop rubbing it in.
I only have two major complaints.
1) It was too long. The book reads more like a series of vignettes than one story. She could have stopped after about 250 pages, instead of dragging it out to more than 300.
2) Because the book is too long, you get sick of her charmed life after a while. Marlena's biggest problem is adjusting to a new town while she's waiting for her house to be renovated -- and even then, she seems to get along with the locals just fine. Marlena: I'm glad you're in Italy with your true love, meeting interesting rustics, living in ballroom and gorging yourself on good food. But I'm stuck in Georgia. So stop rubbing it in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2011
I bought this book in a bookstore in Orvieto, just a few steps from the Palazzo of the title. It was an enchanting memoir of the author, the city, and the people she meets and becomes friends with. Make me want to go back to Orvieto some day, a town I was in love with even before reading her book.
November 15, 2016
I was on a de Blasi OCD binge for a while and read EVERYTHING. I cannot pick my favorite and some may find her style and voice a bit insipid, but I love her style, language, and descriptions of all things Italian (including the food).
June 27, 2013
If you like Italy, you will love her books.
October 10, 2022
I feel I must first share my love of travel memoirs. Frances Mayes is my absolute favorite. Each time I read a new travel memoir, I hope that it will equal Mayes’s works.
I enjoyed this book. It sparked a cooking and baking frenzy in my kitchen that I’m super excited about. De Blasi helped me embrace my inner chef. She also gave me a way to remember my brief time in Orvieto nearly 2 decades ago. Tales of the Orvietani and this idiosyncrasies and zest for life. These are all wins for the book.
Where I struggled was the timeliness of the book. The stories didn’t hold up as well in 2022 as they did in 2006. There was a story about the “emasculation” of Soccer. It was joked about and had an odd ring of toxic masculinity. In the context of the time, it makes sense, all these years later, not so much. De Blasi also complains a lot in the stories. Particularly about the hold ups to the repairs on her Palazzo. This works in the overall theme of the book and shows her growth and acceptance, but there were times it was too much.
In the grand scheme, what I enjoyed about the book outweighed the parts I didn’t. Plus, the fact that I was making homemade meals and pies because of the author’s joy for cooking and baking inspired me; that’s a win.
I enjoyed this book. It sparked a cooking and baking frenzy in my kitchen that I’m super excited about. De Blasi helped me embrace my inner chef. She also gave me a way to remember my brief time in Orvieto nearly 2 decades ago. Tales of the Orvietani and this idiosyncrasies and zest for life. These are all wins for the book.
Where I struggled was the timeliness of the book. The stories didn’t hold up as well in 2022 as they did in 2006. There was a story about the “emasculation” of Soccer. It was joked about and had an odd ring of toxic masculinity. In the context of the time, it makes sense, all these years later, not so much. De Blasi also complains a lot in the stories. Particularly about the hold ups to the repairs on her Palazzo. This works in the overall theme of the book and shows her growth and acceptance, but there were times it was too much.
In the grand scheme, what I enjoyed about the book outweighed the parts I didn’t. Plus, the fact that I was making homemade meals and pies because of the author’s joy for cooking and baking inspired me; that’s a win.
January 10, 2022
(3.5 stars) The author continues her memoirs with her time in Umbria. She and her husband have been searching for a home with little luck, when they finally find a broker who may be able to help them. He brings them to a palazzo in Orvieto. The apartment is upstairs, where the palazzo’s former ballroom resided. While the location and outside are marvelous, the room actually has no floor and will require significant work to renovate. Thus begins their journey of negotiations with the two families who own the palazzo and waiting, in the meantime in a temporary location that is marvelous with the exception of having no real kitchen and hidden mold. Told with humor and the colors of the countryside, we see how they manage to make things work and the author finds a location to test her recipes for her magazine and book work and makes some new friends in a rather closed community. The book ends with the feast that she always imagined for their new home.
December 21, 2020
I'm always surprised with Marlena de Blasi that her next book (whatever it is of hers I'm reading in whatever chronological order read) is as thrilling, touching, sensuous, and mesmorizing as any of the others before. I find all of her books to be magical - de Blasi has a unique ability to plumb a deep well of emotion and reveal the richness of life. In The Lady in the Palazzo, Ms. de Blasi reveals the abyss of lonliness not belonging that can beset expatriots unless one has done the inner work to be at home with oneself. Just as with all of de Blasi's other books, as I closed this book I thought "This one is my favorite." As a writer, de Blasi has enriched my life by sharing hers and I am grateful.
August 29, 2021
I received this book a number of years ago and always said that I was saving it for my eventual trip to Italy to enjoy as I was in that country. When my Italy trip was canceled die to COVID, I decided I waited long enough to read this book.
I will admit that it was hard to get into at first. However, you are rewarded for continuing on and not giving up. I started rationing pages during the last few chapters to make it last longer. The characters and the way that life in Orvieto is described are perfection (although I can see how the ex-American author could be easily and frequently frustrated by both...I know I would be)!
I can't wait to read more books by Marlena de Blasi. . . hopefully from a train heading to check out the towns (and people) she writes about.
I will admit that it was hard to get into at first. However, you are rewarded for continuing on and not giving up. I started rationing pages during the last few chapters to make it last longer. The characters and the way that life in Orvieto is described are perfection (although I can see how the ex-American author could be easily and frequently frustrated by both...I know I would be)!
I can't wait to read more books by Marlena de Blasi. . . hopefully from a train heading to check out the towns (and people) she writes about.
March 31, 2021
The lady doesn’t get inside the palazzo until 95% through the book! There is no real impression of Orvieto conveyed, despite its duomo being one of the most incredible churches in all of Italy. The main impression I got from the book was how hard it would be for any outsiders to feel at home in Italy. The author is a warm person, but only individuals on the fringes of society were open to talking to her or her husband. It seems a lonely existence. Not terribly appealing. It is like a reality check for anyone with a dream about living in Italy!
Nicely written, but meandering. The author did a good job with the materials she had to work with, but they were Spartan and a bit dull ...
Nicely written, but meandering. The author did a good job with the materials she had to work with, but they were Spartan and a bit dull ...
October 4, 2022
I chose this book because of my love of Italy. It is the story of a couple, the man an Italian citizen and his wife who is from America. It is a sweet story of their moving to Umbria and their trials and tribulations in seeing it to fruition. Marlena De Blasi does a great job showing us the joys in ordinary life through her stories of the locals with whom the couple interact. It did take a bit of getting used to Ms. De Blasi's writing style as she is very wordy. Normally, I would not like this, however, the more I delved into the book, the more I appreciated her lengthy descriptions. I very much enjoyed this tale in both its simplicity of story and complexity of language.
March 18, 2022
There is some beautiful, descriptive writing about the joys and challenges of an American woman and her Venetian husband living in the hilltop town of Orvieto in the Italian region of Umbria which borders Tuscany. De Blasi does not introduce her characters well, possibly because they were introduced in her previous books about Venice, Tuscany, and Sicily. It was a tedious read at times, but the poetic writing in places made it well worth the effort.
August 25, 2022
3.5 Marlena de Blasi, author and her husband are looking to buy a home in Orvieto an old Italian city rising above the cliffs of Umbria. This project has become a major challenge but they are determined to find the right place but when they do it takes two years before they can have renovations done and move in. Meanwhile they get to know neighbors while renting a property and Marlena doing her cooking and writing her book. Making many friends along the way and sharing good and bad times.
November 2, 2017
I must've put on at least 5 lbs by the time I finished reading this wonderfully entertaining book. I was inspired to visit many Italian bakeries for fresh bread and cheese and I drank more than my usual share of red wines.
Beautiful characters, places, foods and traditions.
I loved Marlena's writing; it was captivating and kept me engaged in every aspect of the stories she told.
Beautiful characters, places, foods and traditions.
I loved Marlena's writing; it was captivating and kept me engaged in every aspect of the stories she told.
May 23, 2018
This book is delicious! Umbrian love story filled with food, scenery and beautiful character. The writing is magic , before I knew it I was sitting under the stars eating puntarelle , wild grasses , boiled shined with anchovy sauce,scottadita , tiny lamb chops grilled over a hot grapevine fire .....
October 31, 2018
Another version of the same story: an American discovers how wonderful life is living in a small town in Italy with all the diverse characters and amazing food. The only real difference was the way the author managed to keep the age of her two main characters a secret until later on in the novel - quite cleverly done.
If you like reading about Italy and food, then this is a good read for you.
If you like reading about Italy and food, then this is a good read for you.
May 7, 2020
This lovely tale made me want to go to Umbria and enjoy their lifestyle, fresh foods and wines. Mrs. Di Blasi doesn't always end a sentence and start a new one in proper fashion but her story telling is marvelous. The reader feel like he/she is traveling and experiencing real life as she experiences it.
February 13, 2021
I read this for a book club event with JourneyWomen. It was not really my kind of book so I'll be interested in seeing what others in the book club thought of it. There was just too much description and not enough 'action' to keep my attention. But an interesting insight into the daily life of a small hamlet in Italy.
February 25, 2022
Another delightful bit of escapism from Marlena de Blasi. She writes so vividly about food and place and the wonderful characters she befriends it make you want to book the next flight to Italy. Hers is an Italy though not easily found on the usual tourist agendas. One far richer and fulfilling and made even more so by her love of the place and the people.
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