Love, food and Italy - a delicious novel from the author of THE FOOD OF LOVE COOKERY SCHOOL.

Italy, 1964. Maria Domenica is the eldest daughter in the Carrozza family from the tiny southern village of San Giulio. At 16, Maria's life is limited to the confines of her mother's rural kitchen (where she bakes bread every morning, the way the Carrozza women always have), and the Caffe Angeli, a place of friendship, strong espresso and famous ricotta sfolgliatelle. Her parents have high hopes for their beautiful first-born, but she has other plans.

Maria runs away to Rome but, a year later, she returns to San Giulio in disgrace - eight months pregnant with the identity of the father a mystery. Hastily, shamefully, she is married off to a neighbour's son. But she soon escapes again, this time to England, where she searches once more for a new life for herself and her daughter, Chiara.

Many years later, it is Chiara, not Maria, who finds herself drawn back to San Giulio. But she soon discovers that the simple Italian life she seeks is not as simple as it seems - particularly where the past is concerned.


Readers are loving Nicky Pellegrino!

'I could smell the fresh pasta, feel the sunshine, smell the sea breeze and feel my worries wash away. It was lovely to stumble down the cobbled paths and stroll along the beautiful scenery'

'Through Italy, through food, through heartbreak, through love, through family. Add in a pinch of karmic justice and you have the perfect read with a joyful ending!'

'Once again Nicky Pellegrino had me captivated with this amazing story. It made me laugh, made me cry. I read it in one afternoon'

'I will say that if you are a woman on the cusp of discovering who you are and what your heart desires...then you will devour this book as I did'

'Such a great escapism read, full of emotions and family drama with love'

Love, food and Italy - a delicious novel from the author of THE FOOD OF LOVE COOKERY SCHOOL.

About the Author
When Nicky Pellegrino's Italian father came to England he fell in love with and married a Liverpool girl. He brought to his new family his passion for food and instilled in them what all Italians know - that you live to eat instead of eating to live. This Italian mantra is the inspiration behind Nicky's delicious novels. When Nicky met and married a New Zealander she moved to Auckland where she works as a journalist and edits a woman's magazine.

Reviews
Full-bodied as a rich Italian red, it's a page-turner combining the missed chances of Captain Corelli's Mandolin with the foodie pleasures of Chocolat. A warming read for a winter's night. * EVE MAGAZINE *
Pellegrino takes us from 1960s Italy and Liverpool to 21st-century London, as Maria's story becomes Chiara's against a backdrop of family ties, food and secrets. * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *
If you like your stories on the sensuous side, this debut novel is for you. * GLAMOUR *
A tale of love, families, their foibles - and food * WOMAN *
An enjoyable and well-written story * TELEGRAPH & ARGUS *



Book Information
ISBN 9781409147794
Author Nicky Pellegrino
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Orion (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 26mm