After having the chance to live in Italy for 3 years, the charm of the country, its people and its food will live in me forever. The author shared this quote by Goethe "See Naples and die" -- she didn't die but started to live. When you visit Italy, you enter another time. Life is slower and fuller. As a result, you learn to appreciate things more, when you slow down and start to really live.
When visiting Italy, Naples is not at the top of most people's lists. It is famous for crime and it is not as picturesque (a/k/a dirty, trash filled) as many other locations. However, it is where pizza was born and who can't appreciate that fact!
One of the first people she meets is the mother of a young man sent to show her around. This woman was 56 years old and not the stereotypical Italian mother that we picture standing at a stove cooking all day. She wore tight white jeans and high heeled boots with a rhinestone studded belt. Rhinestones are definitely a fashion necessity that I learned about during my time there. This made me laugh when I read it from the memories of ladies at the baseball games in our town of Nettuno. These ladies take care of themselves from top to bottom. It made me rethink my clothing when going out and about in town. It was important how you looked no matter what errand you may be running!
The food..... oh how I enjoyed the descriptions of the food that the mother was cooking for the family. One ingredient that is common in all of the recipes is love. The time and effort put into each dish reflects the love of the mother for her family. I'm hungry just thinking about all of the things she prepared! You'll have to read it yourself to find out just what she cooked!
This was an ARC from NetGalley and is now available on Amazon. Everyone interested in Italy should read it without a doubt!
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