Mezza Italiana: An Enchanting Story About Love, Family, La Dolce Vita and Finding Your Place in the World

by Zoe Boccabella

Beautiful writing, gorgeous settings, mouthwatering food and heart-warming themes of acceptance and endurance make Mezza Italiana a very special journey into the soul of Italy, and into a family you'll never forget! Growing up in Brisbane in the 1970s and 80s, Zoe Boccabella knew if you wanted to fit in, you did not bottle tomatoes, have plastic on the hallway carpet or a glory box of Italian linens. though she tried to be like 'everyone else', refusing to learn Italian and even dyeing her dark hair blonde, Zoe couldn't shake the unsettling sense of feeling 'half-and-half' - half Australian, mezza italiana - unable to fit fully into either culture, or merge the two. Years later, she travels to her family's ancestral village of Fossa in Abruzzo and discovers a place that is the stuff of fairytales - medieval castles, mystics, dark forests, serpent charmers and witches. As Zoe stays in the house that has belonged to her family for centuries, the village casts its spell. She begins to realise the preciousness of her heritage and the stories, recipes and traditions of her extended Italian family become a treasured part of her life. then the earthquake hits... Beautifully written, sprinkled with recipes and laced with love, Mezza Italiana is a heart-warming journey into the soul of Italy, and into a family you'll never forget!

Genres: Italy, Travel, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Italian Literature

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2011

About the author

Zoë Boccabella is an Australian author of both non-fiction and fiction. Her books have been much acclaimed, selected for literary and popular awards and sold internationally. Zoë’s migrant ancestry and handed-down recipes influence her writing, along with subtropical Brisbane, where she was born and lives, as well as travels in Europe and Australia. With a degree in literature, film and sociology and a Master of Philosophy, she’s worked as a researcher, writer and media advisor for several levels of government, the police service, universities and freelance. Zoë also loves to cook, especially dishes from generations of women and men in her family and their varied cultural pasts, ingredients and spoken stories shared over the kitchen table.
- All books available in paperback, ebook and audiobook. -
zoeboccabella.com
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Reviews

[Wendy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

enthralling

This novel does not fit into any particular category. It is part autobiography, part travelogue, part cookbook and part philosophy. When all is considered, it is a thoughtful exploration of the author’s search for identity. It is an interesting read for all Australians, particularly those with Italian heritage.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella is more than a travel memoir, it is a gorgeously told tale of love, family, history, culture and mouthwatering food.

I was completely drawn in by Zoe Boccabella’s beautiful and vivid descriptions of her family life, her travels to Fossa, a small town in Italy, of her culture and traditions and, I especially loved hearing how she finally embraced her Italian heritage with gusto.

A tender story I delighted in listening to. Recommended.

[Brittany Wouters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unstructured and repetitive, it has nice themes, but a lot of the reminiscences are repetitive and it's really hard to keep track of everyone when there's like three women named Francesca in the storyline...

That being said, it was a really in-depth look at how generations view emigration and the familial and cultural ties that are cut, kept and formed.

2/5 because I can't believe I'm saying this, but it could have been 150 pages shorter without losing anything significant.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn Goodreads! I just wrote a long review about this book only to see it wiped. OK. Here goes again...
This was a delightful book that is part travel story, part a very personal narrative of self-discovery, that the author Zoe Boccabella (beautiful mouth in Italian) shares with us. Having been born in Australia when assimilation was at the fore, and anything that smacked of difference or Otherness was hidden, Zoe was ashamed (much to her nonno and nonna's chagrin) of her Italian half - the paternal side. This is how the title of the book, which translates as 'half Italian' originates. It's not until she's an adult and makes her first of many trips to Italy with her boyfirend (who later becomes her husband) and visits her grandparents' home town of Fossa, that Zoe begins to reconcile her two halves.

Drawing from not only her family's interesting past as some of the first Italian migrants in Queensland who made a huge impact on Brisbane with their enthusiasm and support for other migrants and their joy in Australia, but also her Australian side and, later, her roots in Italy, this book is a warm and fascinating pastiche of two cultures, generations, past and present. Full of curious facts and insights into Italy, as well as being sprinkled with delicious recipes, you don't have to be either Italian or Australian to enjoy this book.

I do confess, however, that as a half and half myself, who also grew up during the same period, I really related to Zoe's story. Instead of embracing my mother's and grandmother's rich Israeli and German heritage, I not only 'lost' my first language (Hebrew), but regret, like Zoe, that I didn't learn more when I had the opportunity. The fact I am also, like Zoe's husband, and Italia-phile may have helped and I am reading all things Italian, studying the language and history and have even set my latest novels in Venice (a fantasy version, but basically true to the former Republic nonetheless).

But, as I said above, you don't have to have those experiences or upbringing to enjoy this book. It has everything - romance, drama, pathos and tragedy as well as many humorous anecdotes. An easy, lovely read, that I can warmly recommend.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part homage to a family and part love story to Italy, Boccabella's tale of discovering her heritage is an interesting read for those with a fondness for Italy.

Like the author I live in Brisbane, and having spent time in Italy I found I related on a number of levels. However, not being Italian myself, there was much to learn about the culture and identity.

Unfortunately I found many parts of the book repetitive, a little dull and I simply couldn't get past Boccabella's bitterness at initially turning her back on her culture and the jealousy she felt towards her boyfriend's hearty embrace of that very same culture.

I also found the book's blurb misleading as I expected a story of an earthquake and a society's recovery from it yet this is only dealt with in the very first and last chapters of the book. Obviously I'm glad this wasn't the case as that would have been an entirely different story. I just wish I had not been lead to the book under false pretenses.

Other than that I would certainly recommend Mezza Italiana to anyone interested in travelling to Italy or with familial connections to the region.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have ever lived in two countries, especially through migration, then this book will be a meaningful read. Zoe Boccabella writes of her personal journey through that emotional tug of war: the conflict between the need of belonging to ones adopted country and the longing to connect with ones country of origin. Mezza.. half. In her case it is Australia's Gold Coast and the Abruzzi region of Italy. She writes enchantingly of her travels and discoveries as she reconnects to an Italian past.

[Denise Tannock]

I loved this book with its warm and moving anecdotes

[Susan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just over 5 years after putting this on my To Be Read shelf I have finally read it. While there ought to be joy at finally reading it, it also made me a little sad. The joy in which Zoe speaks of her Nana and Nonna is my joy and sadness and it made me miss my Grandmother more. She was of German/Australian stock, a second generation born in Australia who lived through the Great Depression and World War 2 Brisbane. Apart from calling Italians eye-talians I do not recall her speaking of them with malice. That was directed to the American's in Brisbane when she was trying to get around while heavily pregnant with my mother.

While my family 'home' is here in South East Queensland, I can fully understand the feelings of Zoe and her relationship to Fossa. Its where you feel your roots are planted. I felt incredible sadness as Zoe describes the earthquake destruction of Fossa. I hope it is repaired enough to be able to be visited again, and that life there returns to normal. But having said that as Zoe points out, those who have immigrated often retain the traditions of the time in which they left their mother country, were as the mother country has moved on. Consider tomato day and the making of the passata. Its up to the 'new' Australians to decide what needs to be kept and how to assimilate into a new society. No doubt, should I - a fourth generation Australian, move to Italy, I would be considering what of my traditions to keep and carry on with, and what of the new, I should adopt and replace the old.

[Gretchen Bernet-Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir well presented and sumptuously written, featuring family life, love, food and many many things Italian. I enjoyed learning about Zoe Boccabella's upbringing in Brisbane, Australia, and how it differed from mine. I do have an Italian friend and was privileged to be part of their family gatherings so I have a little bit of understanding on what Zoe writes about. She weaves traditions and a modern outlook through her memories but always comes back to family meals. The recipes are mouth-watering and the ingredients picked fresh from their own veggie gardens. Even the chapter headings are intriguing e.g. "The Serpent Charmers of Cocullo". My favourite chapter is "Tomato Day and the Dancing Cassatas" because Zoe's big Italian weddings are wonderfully descriptive. Let's not forget the cooking recipes, my favourite dish is "Melanzane Fritte Alla Calabrese" English translation Fried Eggplant Calabrian-style. My only gripe about this copy of Mezza Italiana which I borrowed from the library is not the actual book itself but the fact that someone has broken the spine thus weakening the binding and had the audacity to write occasional translations in the margins. There are no photographs in this book but Zoe has written others and if you visit her website https://zoeboccabella.com/ you will see quite a wide selection. Grazie e arrivederci.

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it and it reminded me of my Italian Australian friends. I have passed the book onto one of them.
There were some things that I found odd. Zoe got quiet annoyed and jealous of her partner sometimes instead of being pleased and happy about his discovery and enthusiasm of Italy.
I also have never heard anyone use the term for coffee "Expresso" instead of "Espresso" before.. it came across condescending. And why not go into the cafe and get a coffee on her own? Didnt go because boyfriend did'nt like coffee and then complained about missing out.
I was born in London and grew up here in Sydney since the age of two. If I go back I am considered Australian and looked down on by some. I cannot expect to be accepted as English, even though I feel in myself still English in many ways. I think it is the same for a lot of people, not just Italian heritage.

[Gloria Carusi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe, thank you for writing such a wonderful book. My husband was from Celano in Abruzzo
It bought back many memories of the things he told me about his youth, his love of Italy but also his love of Australia the country of opportunity. Yes he also suffered the racism. He told me of someone who helped find the train to Cairns when he arrived in Brisbane, I wonder if that might have been your Nonno Anni. Grazie mille.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

#22. Loved this gentle, evocative book. Thanks to Janene from my Italian language and culture class for the loan. Memories not just of Italy but of the lives of my 'migrant' relatives. My Mezza Italiana daughters will love this book!

[Rocky Suppa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little hard to read but ended up being entertaining

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could relate to so much to Zoe's story being a second generation Italian Australian and her descriptive language just makes me want to visit Italy even more.

[Gina Carluccio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Thanks Zoe. Just throughly loved it!

[Kar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very boring book. It did not develop the characters at all.
I do not recommend it.
It is written at a very low level.

[Maureen D. Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable

The story had a slow start, but became very interesting and I could relate to a lot of her feelings about her heritage being mezza italiana myself.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a hard book to categorise. It is part memoir, part Italian travel guide and has recipes.

Overall I enjoyed going on the journey with the author.

[Miryana Begovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story of being different and finding yourself.
One I could highly relate to.

[Rose Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe Boccabella provides some great insights into the children of migrants. She explores the theme of growing up in a migrant family with all the turmoil of trying to belong to the Australian culture in which she was to grow up. Her rejection of her parent's Italian roots was a description of the experiences of many first generation Australian children and probably describes what inevitably continues to occur today .. the children of migrants torn between two cultures, struggling to find a place to belong. Her description of the beautiful province of Abruzzo in Italy was heart warming together with authentic recipes and anecdotes. A great read. I was sorry to come to the last page.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mezza Italiana by Zoë Boccabella recounts the author’s return to her ancestral town in Abruzzo, where she begins to reconcile the two halves of herself, Australia and Italian. (Mezza Italiana means half-Italian.)

Boccabella grew up in Australia, not too keen on having a funny-sounding last name and generally begrudging of her Italian heritage. But then at the urging of her mother, she traveled to her ancestral town, Fossa in the mountains of Abruzzo, with her boyfriend who more eagerly embraced her culture than she did.

That initial experience inspired Boccabella to return years later with her now-husband and spend a longer stretch of time in the family’s homestead; while there, she experiences village life from a new perspective, allowing her to draw connections between past, present, and her own future.

There were a few tangents throughout the book that perhaps could have been edited out, but those side bits simply reminded me of walking down my own southern Italian village’s street, where you can get wildly off-course and off-schedule if you so desire. But overall, Boccabella’s writing style is casual yet polished, making Mezza Italiana at true joy to read.

This memoir held my attention from start to finish, and I do hope there is a sequel, thus the four stars.

Full of rich descriptions of the landscape, festivals, and above all, the food, Mezza Italiana is a delight for all senses, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel memoirs and books about Italy, especially southern Italy.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of books written about Italy and it's easy to think 'here we go again', but once in a while a book comes along that is different and this is one of them.

Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella is a book with heart, evident in the meticulous care Boccabella has taken to capture stories of her family, her childhood, and her current life when she travels to Italy to stay in the house that has belonged to her family, (for the record, how fascinating to have access to an abode your ancestors have inhabited over hundreds of years.)

Boccabella has been brave in directing her gaze not only on her surrounds but most importantly on herself and she handles the way she does this with sincerity.

I found her descriptions to be particularly emotive. I have been to Italy and her descriptions of the sounds of village life brought back memories.

Perhaps the blurb may lead one to think there may be more about the Abruzzo 2009 earthquake in the book but I think Boccabella was right to constrain the earthquake to the prologue and epilogue.

An Italian friend of mine who is from Rome read Mezza Italiana and she was impressed with Boccabella's accurate and unsensationalised dealing of the Mafia.

Not having any Italian heritage myself, Mezza Italiana opened my eyes to the quandary descendants of migrants can face by being 'half and half' between birth or ancestral culture. It was interesting to learn about an issue which I had no previous knowledge of.
I would highly recommend it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mezza Italiana by Zoë Boccabella recounts the author's return to her ancestral town in Abruzzo, where she begins to reconcile the two halves of herself, Australian and Italian. (Mezza Italiana means half-Italian.)

Boccabella grew up in Australia, not too keen on having a funny-sounding last name and generally begrudging of her Italian heritage. But then at the urging of her mother, she traveled to her ancestral town, Fossa in the mountains of Abruzzo, with her boyfriend who more eagerly embraced her culture than she did.

That initial experience inspired Boccabella to return years later with her now-husband and spend a longer stretch of time in the family's homestead; while there, she experiences village life from a new perspective, allowing her to draw connections between past, present, and her own future.

There were a few tangents throughout the book that perhaps could have been edited out, but those side bits simply reminded me of walking down my own southern Italian village's street, where you can get wildly off-course and off-schedule if you so desire. But overall, Boccabella's writing style is casual yet polished, making Mezza Italiana at true joy to read.

This memoir held my attention from start to finish, and I do hope there is a sequel, thus the four stars.

Full of rich descriptions of the landscape, festivals, and above all, the food, Mezza Italiana is a delight for all senses, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel memoirs and books about Italy, especially southern Italy.

[Debbie Terranova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zoe Boccabella has written a delightful account about finding her identity and of coming to terms with heritage, culture, and the burden of family expectations.
After experiencing racial prejudice and bullying at school, the author rejected her Italian-ness in order to be like all the rest. While she adored her grandfather, she swept the traditions of the old country under the carpet in order to fit in. After years of his urging her to visit the family home in Fossa in the mountainous centre of Italy and of her making excuses not to go, she finally makes the trek along with her Australian partner, Roger.
In the town of her ancestors she discovers her roots, and Roger falls in love with Italy.
This is a memoir that will stay with you long after the book is finished. It is well-written, funny in parts, and thoughtful. Her experience of being half-Australian and half something else applies to many people in this country. After all, every Australian who is not indigenous has a migrant past.

[Gavin Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mezza Italiana is totally intoxicating, with wonderful descriptive writing that resonates across all cultures, especially anyone with an interest in Italy. Reading it was like escaping to Italy, experiencing romantic, gastronomic, historic and modern Italy all in one book.

A very special book.

Gavin

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book although I was a little flat at the end. I knew it was building up however it just left me feeling very sad.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, emotive, and with much that I could relate to, being half-Italian myself. By the end, though, I found it started to get a bit repetitive. Good solid holiday read.

[Angela Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book so well written that it enabled the reader to see the beautiful landscape of Italy as well as clearly picturing the reproach on her Nonna's face. "Nonna not Nanna!"

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The travel writing elements and family and cultural memories were interesting. But it was a little sad in the end.