Book review One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

In today’s edition book blogger Kimberly Foreman reviews a summer read set in a dreamy location. Her reviews will be published in this newspaper fortnightly on Fridays.

Genre: Drama / romance / travel fiction

With brighter, longer days just around the corner (at last), I wanted to share this beautiful and summery book with you. I read it a couple of years ago, but it has stuck with me ever since. Only a few pages in, and it was already making me emotional. I had heard some mixed reviews about this one, but I have to say—I loved it. My husband and I honeymooned in Positano, so it was lovely to read about this dreamy location. In fact, I took this picture in Ravello, on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Just look at that gorgeous backdrop!

The book was a heady delight—a mix of beautifully descriptive Italian places, the glittering azure sea, the Amalfian colourful houses, and a concoction of Italian dishes that made my mouth water just reading about them! It’s worth reading the book just for the food descriptions alone, in my opinion. Throw in a moving mother/daughter relationship, and you have all the makings of a wonderful book. Trigger warning for anyone who has lost their mother though—be warned, this book is a tearjerker. My own mother always laid claim to our Italian heritage, always telling people she had Italian blood in her veins (something I know a lot of us Gibraltarians do!) I don’t think she ever got to see Positano, though I’m sure she would have loved it. I hope she got to see it through me when I was there.

Overall, this book was delightful, evocative, touching, and thought-provoking. I rated it a full 5 stars.

“It seems impossible she is nowhere. It seems impossible but it’s true.” – p.52

“There’s something about photography I love. A whole memory, caught in a moment.” – p.169

“Everything is going to be all right. You’re okay. I’ve got you.” – p.225

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