17 Fantastic Books about Italy to Inspire Your Next Italian Adventure
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| Photo by Angela Paolantonio |
'Angela Paolantonio was born in New York, but her roots are planted deep in the soil of southern Italy. Both her grandparents were born in the small hilltown of Calitri, in Campania. It’s a couple of hours east of Naples, but in some ways, it’s a century behind.
Compelled to learn about her Italian grandparents and her own roots, Angela travels to Calitri, never suspecting she’s about to be drawn deeply into her Italian family, into the rituals and lives of their neighbors, and into a love affair with both a handsome man and an ancient village.
There are many kinds of love, and Paolantonio explores several of them in this memoir—love for a place, for history (both local and personal), for family, traditions, food. And love for a man. All these loves, and the ways in which they grow and change, are skillfully woven into her story as she meets her family—and herself.
The writing is rich with sensory detail—the smells of ravioli on the stove, the sweet taste of Nocino (the traditional walnut liqueur made in the village), the singing of women as a religious procession passes her house, the touch of ancient stone or a caressing summer breeze against your skin.
I loved this book, which made me want to get on a plane to Italy. It will appeal to lovers of Italy and travelers with curiosity in their minds, some romance in their souls, and a belief in the ties of family, even those yet unmet. I think the kind of women I write for on my blog, nomadwomen.com, will love it as much as I did.'
by Donna Meyer for NomadWomen.
