Home To Italy by Peter Pezzelli
Home to Italy
By Peter Pezzelli
SUMMARY:
When her father's best
friend returns to Abruzzo, Lucrezia, a beautiful widow, finds herself drawn to
this handsome American who is also haunted by tragedy, and together they embark
on a passionate relationship that heals the pain of the past and gives them
both a second chance at love. In this delightful, moving novel, Peter Pezzelli
brings to life the earthy sensuality of Italy's Abruzzo region— the smell of
just-baked bread wafting through the village piazza; the shopkeepers sweeping
the sidewalks first thing in the morning; groups of cyclists dotting the
mountain roads—and spins a story of May-December romance as sharp and delicious
as the olives of Villa San Giuseppe.
MY REVIEW:
This is a lovely, easy read and
feel-good book. The perfect read for anyone seeking an escape to the Italian countryside.
It is a story about the trials and tribulations of
life. Marriage, love, work, friends and family. Sometimes death and tragedy. It
is about new beginnings and starting over. Grief settles heavily over Peppino, our
main character, an immigrant living in America. We have an immediate empathy
for him. After the death of his beloved wife, Anna, he decides to return to the
family ‘mulino’ in Villa San Giuseppe, a small village in the Abruzzi mountains
near Sulmona, a place where he was born and spent his formative years.
An important thread running
through the book is Peppi’s passion for cycling. From being a boy in Italy he
had loved to race on his bicycle with his best friend Luca and other cycling
enthusiasts in a group. Together, they had won many races. Once we fast forward
the years in between, Luca still cycles but is no longer the leader of the
group.
“The group of
cyclists was assembled by the fountain when Luca finally rode on the piazza.
Years ago, when he was young, he would have been the first one there. Still, he
was greatly respected by all for the racing exploits of his youth.”
There is such a heart-warming
moment in the story when on one Sunday morning, the group encounter an older rider
cycling towards them up the hill. Luca pauses and gazes through his dark
sunglasses at the newcomer.
“There was something so
familiar about the rider, something about his posture as he rolled up the
group.”
Luca realises instantly that
this is non-other than his childhood friend Peppi. He has returned ‘home to
Italy.’ Peppi’s prowess as a racing cyclist is still remembered in the village.
The two men instantly re-connect and rekindle their childhood friendship. Peppi
is welcomed into the family and introduced to their daughter Lucrezia who manages
the family business making confetti, the delicious sugared almonds sold all
over Italy.
The first race of the Giro
D’Italia was organized in 1909 and the prologue,
a short time trial is a race that features in the story. The cyclists
compete on the open road, an arm’s length from the crowds who line the
pavements. The real fans, the ‘tifiosi’ line the steep mountain roads,
running along with the cyclists, screaming in their ears, exhorting them to pedal
harder.
“For three or four miles the cyclists tear apart their hearts and lungs
in a desperate attempt to show the cycling world that they have come to Italy
ready to race. It is basic and brutal. It is not for nothing that they call it ‘La
corsa di Verita,’ the race of truth.”
To me, the relevance of cycling in the book is more about friendship, endurance
and the sense of achievement and I feel the author uses the analogy to justify
the primal instinct that is satisfied from cycling.
Or it is just a connection to that instinct? It's the challenge, the exertion,
the risk, pushing oneself out of the comfort zone in a physical way. Stirring
and satisfying one’s sense of adventure at the same time.
Why I recommend
this book
Even from the first chapter,
the author evokes the atmosphere on a parallel with the storytelling.
“After the
funeral, they all went back to the house. It was a cold bleak day with a raw
north wind that drove a slow procession of dark clouds through the early
November sky.”
For anyone who likes Under
the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, this book has the same evocative landscapes,
colourful characters and a strong message that when tragedy, heartbreak or
misfortune strikes, we must have the strength of resolve, like Peppi to get
moving again in a positive direction. To spend time with people you care about and do
things that make you feel better.
Peter Pezzelli captures the
essence of Italian family life which
is so charming and alluring. This is the foundation stone of Italian culture
and is characterized by loyalty and closeness. Italian cultural traditions place the highest priority on the
family,
“I had lots of
cousins,” says Peppi to a fellow
passenger on the train. “So there always lots of people in our home. I never
felt lonely, at least not until the war came and suddenly everyone began to
disappear.”
Eating and celebrating together plays a
significant role in creating social cohesion and a real sense of belonging. As
one would expect, there are many paragraphs devoted to food and each meal is meticulously described. I would expect no less from any Italian author! From
the pasta alla chitarra (variety of pasta typical of Abruzzo) to the ‘secondo
piatto’ of tripe boiled and served in a zesty tomato sauce to the main course
of roasted lamb served with artichokes and fennel.
“There is a no
more powerful reminder of days past than the aroma and flavour of the food one
loves.” All in all, the meal was a staggering performance.”
There are many Italian
phrases used in the book which readers may or not know. Nothing too complex but
it adds authenticity to the book. Greetings are part of Italian life. Not only
will readers engage with this delightful story but recognise familiar place
names like Sulmona and Pescara.
AUTHOR BIO:
Born and raised in Rhode
Island, Peter Pezzelli grew up in the town of North Providence. After
college, Peter travelled for several weeks in Italy before coming home to begin
training to be an administrator in his family’s nursing home business. He did
not begin dabbling on the side with a writing career until later in his
twenties when his girlfriend (and future wife) bought him an electric
typewriter for his birthday.
https://www.peterpezzelli.com/
BOOK BLURB:
Published by Kensington
Books in 2004
Kindle version £1.49 Paperback
available on Amazon £8.20
OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR:
The Glassblowers Apprentice
Italian Lessons
Villa Mirabella
Every Sunday
Francesca’s Kitchen
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