That Summer in Sicily That Summer in Sicily

That Summer in Sicily

A Love Story

    • 4.3 • 22 Ratings
    • $13.99

Publisher Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“At villa Donnafugata, long ago is never very far away,” writes bestselling author Marlena de Blasi of the magnificent if somewhat ruined castle in the mountains of Sicily that she finds, accidentally, one summer while traveling with her husband, Fernando. There de Blasi is befriended by Tosca, the patroness of the villa, an elegant and beautiful woman-of-a-certain-age who recounts her lifelong love story with the last prince of Sicily descended from the French nobles of Anjou.

Sicily is a land of contrasts: grandeur and poverty, beauty and sufferance, illusion and candor. In a luminous and tantalizing voice, That Summer in Sicily re-creates Tosca’s life, from her impoverished childhood to her fairy-tale adoption and initiation into the glittering life of the prince’s palace, to the dawning and recognition of mutual love. But when Prince Leo attempts to better the lives of his peasants, his defiance of the local Mafia’s grim will to maintain the historical imbalance between the haves and the have-nots costs him dearly.

The present-day narrative finds Tosca sharing her considerable inherited wealth with a harmonious society composed of many of the women–now widowed–who once worked the prince’s land alongside their husbands. How the Sicilian widows go about their tasks, care for one another, and celebrate the rituals of a humble, well-lived life is the heart of this book.

Showcasing the same writerly gifts that made bestsellers of A Thousand Days in Venice and A Thousand Days in Tuscany, That Summer in Sicily, and de Blasi’ s marvelous storytelling, remind us that in order to live a rich life, one must embrace both life’s sorrow and its beauty. Here is an epic drama that takes readers from Sicily’s remote mountains to chaotic post-war Palermo, from the intricacies of forbidden love to the havoc wreaked by Sicily’s eternally bewildering culture.

GENRE
Travel & Adventure
RELEASED
2008
May 20
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
320
Pages
PUBLISHER
Random House Publishing Group
SELLER
Penguin Random House LLC
SIZE
1.3
MB

Customer Reviews

RobbyGordonRocks ,

Don't pass up this book!

This book is a must read. Marlena de Blasi shines with her fourth Italian memoir and first set in Sicily. The storyline reads like a fairy tale one only wishes he or she could experience. Tosca's life experiences drew me in to her character in such a dramatic way. Her vivid accounts of her life were unexpected and refreshing. Simply being there to hear her recount her life must have been unbelievable. de Blasi's books always keep me hooked like no other author and this is no exception.

The Best Women's Travel Writing 2011 The Best Women's Travel Writing 2011
2011
Seasons in Basilicata Seasons in Basilicata
2009
The Best Travel Writing 2010 The Best Travel Writing 2010
2010
Spirit of Place Spirit of Place
2012
Seven Seasons in Siena Seven Seasons in Siena
2011
My Venice My Venice
2013
The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club The Umbrian Thursday Night Supper Club
2015
Antonia and Her Daughters Antonia and Her Daughters
2012
Amandine Amandine
2010
The Lady in the Palazzo The Lady in the Palazzo
2008
A Thousand Days in Venice A Thousand Days in Venice
2013
A Thousand Days in Tuscany A Thousand Days in Tuscany
2004
Four Seasons in Rome Four Seasons in Rome
2007
Fresh Water for Flowers Fresh Water for Flowers
2020
This Is Happiness This Is Happiness
2019
Lies and Weddings Lies and Weddings
2024
All the Ways We Said Goodbye All the Ways We Said Goodbye
2020
Lady in Waiting Lady in Waiting
2020