I don’t know why, but Rebecca Serle’s books hit me in a place that few others do. She deals with grief and love and choices and desires, and bends the concept of reality slightly, which might not work for everyone, but it definitely works for me. I loved her last two books, The Dinner List and In Five Years, and both had me in tears.
Katy’s mother Carol was her everything—best friend, confidante, advisor. To Katy, Carol knew everything about everything, and was always quick with a gift, some advice, a drink, food, a hug, whatever. Carol’s death has shaken Katy to her core, so much so that she’s not sure what she wants from the rest of her life, or even her marriage, now that her mother is gone.
Carol and Katy were supposed to take a trip to Positano, a place Carol had immensely fond memories of from her youth. Katy decides to take the trip—alone—in the hope that her mother’s memories will buoy her, point her in the right direction for the rest of her life. And there, Katy finds Carol—the Carol of 30 years earlier, at the crossroads of her own decisions. Katy learns things about her mother that she never knew, as well as herself.
Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced a lot of loss in my life, but Serle’s books resonate so much with me. In addition to the gorgeous imagery (not to mention all the food!), Serle imbues this book with love, regret, passion, grief, uncertainty—all such real, palpable emotions.
To Ariele Stewart and Atria Books, I say molto grazie for the advance copy of One Italian Summer in exchange for an unbiased review. You'll want to get your hands on it when it publishes on 3/1. (And for audiobook lovers, Lauren Graham narrates the audio version.)
No comments:
Post a Comment