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Antonia and Her Daughters: Secrets, Love, Friendship and Family in Tuscany
The next volume of memoir from the author of the international bestseller A Thousand Days in Venice introduces the extraordinary Antonia, imperious matriach of four generations of strong-willed Tuscan women
The renovations to 34 via del Duomo now complete, Marlena de Blasi, the bestselling international author and "the woman with the fairy-tale life" needs to find time and space to finish a book. Lured by the offer of a simple stone cottage in the remote, mountainous region of western Tuscany, distant from the distractions of her everyday life with Fernando in Orvieto, she sets off for some much-needed solitude. But her plans to live simply, in peace and quiet, are overturned when she meets the imperious, tempestuous Antonia, the still-stunning, elderly matriarch of a large, complicated family of four generations of beautiful blue-eyed Italian women, all with stories and ideas of their own. Antonia dislikes tourists and outsiders, and so Marlena at first spars and clashes with her, before they reach an understanding. Over feasts and family dinners, walking in the dark before sunrise to harvest wild lettuces, preparing meals and exchanging recipes, the two women joust, joke, exchange confidences, and grow closer and closer until finally Antonia reveals the terrible secrets behind the vivid beauty of Il Castelleto. Evocative, powerful, and haunting, this is a compelling insight into Italy's recent past and a revealing glimpse into one extraordinary woman's story and her kitchen.
The renovations to 34 via del Duomo now complete, Marlena de Blasi, the bestselling international author and "the woman with the fairy-tale life" needs to find time and space to finish a book. Lured by the offer of a simple stone cottage in the remote, mountainous region of western Tuscany, distant from the distractions of her everyday life with Fernando in Orvieto, she sets off for some much-needed solitude. But her plans to live simply, in peace and quiet, are overturned when she meets the imperious, tempestuous Antonia, the still-stunning, elderly matriarch of a large, complicated family of four generations of beautiful blue-eyed Italian women, all with stories and ideas of their own. Antonia dislikes tourists and outsiders, and so Marlena at first spars and clashes with her, before they reach an understanding. Over feasts and family dinners, walking in the dark before sunrise to harvest wild lettuces, preparing meals and exchanging recipes, the two women joust, joke, exchange confidences, and grow closer and closer until finally Antonia reveals the terrible secrets behind the vivid beauty of Il Castelleto. Evocative, powerful, and haunting, this is a compelling insight into Italy's recent past and a revealing glimpse into one extraordinary woman's story and her kitchen.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 7, 2012
I have read many of Marlena de Blasi’s non-fiction titles about her experiences of making Italy her home. Antonia and her Daughters is the fifth book in her travel memoir series, I haven’t read the fourth book but I don’t think it would really matter what order your read them in. All you really need to know is that Marlena moved to Italy (originally Venice) to marry a Venetian man who swept her off her feet. She is a chef and writer and this is very much reflected in her stories where her descriptions of food often make my tastebuds tingle.
I suppose having read some of her earlier titles put me in the mindset of where Marlena was at in Antonia and her Daughters. Their home in Tuscany is now built, the renovations complete and now Marlena wants to work at making ‘writing’ a serious job. Unfortunately, she struggles to do this with husband Fernando willing to distract her at every whim. So, she takes the risk of moving into a lodge on her own to create a workable writing routine and honour her publishing contract by finishing another novel.
There’s tension between Marlena and Fernando and I could honestly sympathise with both of them, their need to be together but also a desire to be separate and Marlena battles with keeping her own identity that she has strived to solidify since the years of her first (abusive) marriage.
Marlena stumbles across Filippa in the woods and is invited along to dinner with her sister Luce and her mother Antonia. The dinner is filled with tension, suspicions and challenges as Marlena becomes the target of Antonia’s dispassion for ex-pats making Tuscany their home. Marlena allows Antonia to unleash her frustrations with grace despite the unease and self-consciousness bubbling underneath her strong exterior. I marvelled at her strength to remain contained and see past this older woman’s anger and into her pain. And so begins a turbulent but deep connection between the American woman and the matriarchal Tuscan woman.
Irony plays a role in Antonia’s suspicions of Marlena who demanded to know what was so special about her that people would willingly share their stories for her to write and publish them. Unknowingly, Marlena becomes a solid platform for Antonia to share her life stories. The novel becomes hijacked by Antonia’s storytelling and from the second half of the book I was completely entranced as though I was sitting beside this old woman listening to the story myself. She reveals what pains her, her experience of the war, her relationships, the generations of women in her family and how she has risen above all the trauma to be a pillar of strength in their family.
It was quite horrible reading about Antonia’s experience of the war and what the Germans did to her and her family but there’s also a strong sense of hope and resilience that Marlena beautifully portrays in a non-judgemental way. It’s an emotionally moving story that had me thinking about Antonia’s life long after I closed the book.
Another wonderfully written, narrative prose by a talented travel memoirist, Marlena de Blasi.
I suppose having read some of her earlier titles put me in the mindset of where Marlena was at in Antonia and her Daughters. Their home in Tuscany is now built, the renovations complete and now Marlena wants to work at making ‘writing’ a serious job. Unfortunately, she struggles to do this with husband Fernando willing to distract her at every whim. So, she takes the risk of moving into a lodge on her own to create a workable writing routine and honour her publishing contract by finishing another novel.
There’s tension between Marlena and Fernando and I could honestly sympathise with both of them, their need to be together but also a desire to be separate and Marlena battles with keeping her own identity that she has strived to solidify since the years of her first (abusive) marriage.
Marlena stumbles across Filippa in the woods and is invited along to dinner with her sister Luce and her mother Antonia. The dinner is filled with tension, suspicions and challenges as Marlena becomes the target of Antonia’s dispassion for ex-pats making Tuscany their home. Marlena allows Antonia to unleash her frustrations with grace despite the unease and self-consciousness bubbling underneath her strong exterior. I marvelled at her strength to remain contained and see past this older woman’s anger and into her pain. And so begins a turbulent but deep connection between the American woman and the matriarchal Tuscan woman.
Irony plays a role in Antonia’s suspicions of Marlena who demanded to know what was so special about her that people would willingly share their stories for her to write and publish them. Unknowingly, Marlena becomes a solid platform for Antonia to share her life stories. The novel becomes hijacked by Antonia’s storytelling and from the second half of the book I was completely entranced as though I was sitting beside this old woman listening to the story myself. She reveals what pains her, her experience of the war, her relationships, the generations of women in her family and how she has risen above all the trauma to be a pillar of strength in their family.
It was quite horrible reading about Antonia’s experience of the war and what the Germans did to her and her family but there’s also a strong sense of hope and resilience that Marlena beautifully portrays in a non-judgemental way. It’s an emotionally moving story that had me thinking about Antonia’s life long after I closed the book.
Another wonderfully written, narrative prose by a talented travel memoirist, Marlena de Blasi.
June 4, 2019
Some good portions, but what could have been an interesting story line falls flat with me.
Not much meat to sink my teeth into .
A few highlights , but not enough story development IMO .
There is little to like about Antonia, and her daughters are not really given voices.
So, what is this story ?
Basically an irritable old woman complaining with mood swings in the writing style, and war time experiences.
The unpleasant details of her trials and tribulations, thus the plot finally thickens- in the last 35 pages or thereabouts . This author tends to redeem herself in her 3 star books at the end, but
I was hoping for a delicious tale of Italy. It could have been so much more .
Not much meat to sink my teeth into .
A few highlights , but not enough story development IMO .
There is little to like about Antonia, and her daughters are not really given voices.
So, what is this story ?
Basically an irritable old woman complaining with mood swings in the writing style, and war time experiences.
The unpleasant details of her trials and tribulations, thus the plot finally thickens- in the last 35 pages or thereabouts . This author tends to redeem herself in her 3 star books at the end, but
I was hoping for a delicious tale of Italy. It could have been so much more .
August 30, 2016
A sumptuous and luscious read. DeBlasi does not disappoint.The author travels to a small Tuscan lodge on a Villa to meet a deadline for her next book.She meets Antonia,the Villa owner.In the process of daily life & rituals,Antonia and Marlena develop a bond of friendship.Antonia reveals the stories of her life that she has carried with her.Love,life,loss death & the horrors of Nazi occupation. Marlena takes every moment of life and elevates it to memorable moment,even mouth watering.The simplest of tasks like making a bed with a crisp white sheet dried on a rosemary bush,or making a dinner with the simplest of ingredients,spaghetti tossed in olive oil with black pepper and grated cheese-she makes your mouth water and your soul hungry for a trip to Italy.All of her books are fantastic.Nothing dry abt her non-fiction.She brings things to life and full color,sensory overload.My all time favorite book-of hers- is "That Summer In Sicily"but Antonia is a very close 2nd. Marlena,keep writing! I loved taking this journey with the author and especially Antonia. I hated to see this book end.
February 8, 2013
Having read four of Marlena de Blasi's four previous books about living and cooking in Italy, I couldn't wait to read her current one. I must say that "Antonia and Her Daughters" was a disappointment. It's definitely not up to par with the other ones. Her books are always delightful and lush. You salivate at the descriptions of the food that is produced. In this book, you get this but the bulk of the story is about a woman named Antonia who is still beautiful at eighty-two. She has secrets and doesn't trust Marlena. There are four generations of this family all blue-eyed and beautiful, all women.
I felt that the tale dragged on for too long. Also, most of what she writes now about Tuscany, the culture, the food, is repetitious to what has appeared before, so it has become padding.
I felt that the tale dragged on for too long. Also, most of what she writes now about Tuscany, the culture, the food, is repetitious to what has appeared before, so it has become padding.
October 8, 2013
Not as good as I thought it would be. The descriptive parts of the story were very good but did not care much for the story itself.
July 2, 2019
Po zbrodniach Josefa Mengele i pseudo thrillerze psychologicznym, szukałam czegoś lekkiego, wakacyjnego. Liczyłam na chwilę wytchnienia we włoskim klimacie. Jeśli tego samego oczekujecie po tej pozycji, nic bardziej mylnego. Włoskie jest tu tylko jedzenie, dużo ziół i oliwy i zdecydowanie za mało pomidorów. I to tyle włoskości w Toskanii. Opowieść mogłaby wydarzyć się wszędzie gdzie są góry, lasy i łąki.....Myśląc o tej książce już po lekturze, mam wrażenie, że akcja została osadzona właśnie w tym miejscu świata, tylko po to, aby się lepiej sprzedała....
Pierwsza część zupełnie zbędna: spacery na łonie przyrody, przynudzanie o samotności i rozterki życiowe podstarzałej pisarki, która nie umie się zdecydować co woli. Druga część trochę lepsza - przynajmniej akcja nieco przyspiesza, ale historia jakich już wiele napisano i pewnie jeszcze wiele powstanie. Nic tej opowieści nie wyróżnia, jej znajomość nie wnosi niczego świeżego, ani odkrywczego do czytelniczego doświadczenia, szczególnie jeśli temat jest już czytelnikowi znany.
Rozczarowująca, przereklamowana, żadna.
Pierwsza część zupełnie zbędna: spacery na łonie przyrody, przynudzanie o samotności i rozterki życiowe podstarzałej pisarki, która nie umie się zdecydować co woli. Druga część trochę lepsza - przynajmniej akcja nieco przyspiesza, ale historia jakich już wiele napisano i pewnie jeszcze wiele powstanie. Nic tej opowieści nie wyróżnia, jej znajomość nie wnosi niczego świeżego, ani odkrywczego do czytelniczego doświadczenia, szczególnie jeśli temat jest już czytelnikowi znany.
Rozczarowująca, przereklamowana, żadna.
December 21, 2020
Power. Beauty. Pathos. Tragedy. Acceptance. Famous for her memoirs, in Antonia and Her Daughters, Marlena de Blasi uses her extraordinary descriptive ability to bring to life for us someone else's story and share, in her own inimitable way, the love, tragedy, and suffering of some of the darkest days in Italy in recent history. De Blasi also reveals her own amazing courage as she faces not just rejection but the outright hostility of others who reject her as an interloper in their country. de Blasi leads by example in this book as she works through this rejection and hostility to make it to the other side to find love and acceptance. This is a book with which to take your time and honor the brave and powerful Antonia by savoring the open and violently honest emotions shared in this story.
May 11, 2021
A complex book with many layers. The reader is seduced by the Italian food and lifestyle stories only to be punched in the gut by the horror of Antonia’s wartime experiences. Told with great intimacy. A book that left me thinking long after I finished it.
September 27, 2019
A wonderful story with great recipes. This book of hers is thus far my favourite.
March 20, 2021
Read in 2012 updatjng.
March 23, 2021
Beautifully written, heartbreaking at times, but with delicious recipes, this is the story of strong Tuscan women who lived and died during the German occupation of Italy.
December 30, 2020
For those who loved the other de Blasi books--"A Thousand Days in Venice", etc.. Antonia is a challenge at 83 , but her history, love of her daughters, food, and life in general---wonderful.
May 20, 2012
Having read and loved Marlena de Blasi's other 'Italy' books, I longed to read this one and share her next adventure -and I am so glad I did. De Blasi has this wonderful capacity to include the reader in her life, to open her door, take you by the arm, and welcome you into her adopted country, relationship with Fernando, house, bedroom, and most certainly, her kitchen. She also takes you along when she visits other people and we become privy to their lives and the role they'll inevitably come to play in de Blasi's. In her previous books, these encounters have been brief and tended to further our understanding of de Blasi and her relationship with her Venetian. This is where Antonia and her Daughters differs from de Blasi's previous books. While the sense of the author and her warm and empathetic personality are evident, this story is very much as the title suggests: about an amazing 83 year old woman, Antonia, and her three gorgeous daughters. It is also about the next generation of this family, very much a matriarchal one dominated by the tempestuous, intelligent and intense Antonia who feels, when she meets de Blasi, that she has found a worthy sparring partner. And believe me, Antonia doesn't hold back. It's testimony to de Blasi's comprehension of human nature that she seeks to understand Antonia's barbs, her attempts to challenge her as well as her overt xenophobia, not simply relate it to us. That she patiently allows this woman to open herself to her and thus us by a slow retelling of her history, is superbly and sympathetically done. It is also incredibly respectful and honest. The story unfolds in typical Italian fashion, over laden tables, groaning with delicious repasts that have been lovingly prepared by the females. Between meals, walks, arguments and other episodes, Antonia's tale and that of generations of Italian women (and those of other cultures) is revealed. Like an onion being peeled, we gradually get to the core of what makes Antonia the feisty, formidable and utterly fascinating creature that she is. When the reveal comes, the heart of the story/person exposed, it is powerful, emotional, tragic and beautiful.
From war time Italy through to the invasion of contemporary tourists and expats from Europe and America in contemporary times, who seek to interpret or worse, impose themselves and their ways on the Italian landscape and culture, this story spans many years, subjects and profound emotional states and how we recover (or not) from heart-ache and how the past inflects the present. It's about memory, love, loss, family, friendship, the brutality and beauty of human nature; it's about how we cope in extraordinary circumstances - how these can bring out the best and worst within us. It's about cultural differences and similarities and what we can do to both sustain and bridge these. Beautifully written, the book has a haunting melodic quality that not only transported me to the Tuscan hills, but reminded me of the exquisite prose of Shirley Hazzard. The depth and richness of some of the dialogue makes you want to linger over it in the way you would a fine wine or, appropriately, a wonderful meal. I reached for my quote book a few times, wanting to remember lines such as : "Solitude untethered by love is loneliness..." or "there are no miracles to be had from geography" (though I couldn't help but think that Elizabeth Gilbert - author of Eat, Pray, Love - might beg to differ!). These are just a couple out of a book that is filled with philosophical and practical gems. Furthermore. The end of the book contains recipes - so not only are our minds and heart nurtured by this book and the stories contained within, but our bodies as well. Thank you, yet again, Marlena de Blasi. Bellissimo!
From war time Italy through to the invasion of contemporary tourists and expats from Europe and America in contemporary times, who seek to interpret or worse, impose themselves and their ways on the Italian landscape and culture, this story spans many years, subjects and profound emotional states and how we recover (or not) from heart-ache and how the past inflects the present. It's about memory, love, loss, family, friendship, the brutality and beauty of human nature; it's about how we cope in extraordinary circumstances - how these can bring out the best and worst within us. It's about cultural differences and similarities and what we can do to both sustain and bridge these. Beautifully written, the book has a haunting melodic quality that not only transported me to the Tuscan hills, but reminded me of the exquisite prose of Shirley Hazzard. The depth and richness of some of the dialogue makes you want to linger over it in the way you would a fine wine or, appropriately, a wonderful meal. I reached for my quote book a few times, wanting to remember lines such as : "Solitude untethered by love is loneliness..." or "there are no miracles to be had from geography" (though I couldn't help but think that Elizabeth Gilbert - author of Eat, Pray, Love - might beg to differ!). These are just a couple out of a book that is filled with philosophical and practical gems. Furthermore. The end of the book contains recipes - so not only are our minds and heart nurtured by this book and the stories contained within, but our bodies as well. Thank you, yet again, Marlena de Blasi. Bellissimo!
September 5, 2015
Marlena de Blasi's memoirs are full of motley, colorful characters but perhaps none quite like the unforgettable Antonia. While this book has the hallmarks of de Blasi's style – hunger-stoking descriptions of feasts (Tuscan recipes included) and lyrical writing - most of the book is devoted to Antonia and her family's heartbreaking story.
In a much lighter note – Marlena herself through conversation with the intractable Antonia – explains the appeal of her books and why they resonate with so many.
"I don't write stories for you, signora. Not for Italians. For the others. I write them for the outsiders. The ones like me. The ones who long to wander over the old stones, watch the light. Those who, even for a while, want to be in the Italy they dream of."
In a much lighter note – Marlena herself through conversation with the intractable Antonia – explains the appeal of her books and why they resonate with so many.
"I don't write stories for you, signora. Not for Italians. For the others. I write them for the outsiders. The ones like me. The ones who long to wander over the old stones, watch the light. Those who, even for a while, want to be in the Italy they dream of."
July 20, 2013
A fascinating story about a Tuscan woman and her life before and after WWII. She was a spikey character and although her story was fascinating I found that I didn't warm to her at all. I found it incongruous that her biting tongue could be so overlooked and that everyone loved her so much!! The story portrayed a woman who wielded power over the domestic sphere but appeared to be a much loved tyrant who vehemently guarded secrets. I still gave it a good rating because it was a good read and left me wondering???
August 21, 2013
A telling of a family in Tuscany, basically the story of the matriach of the family named Antonia. Parts of her story has been told in another book, so that is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I might have otherwise. Antonia is a strong woman who is not in favor of outsiders moving to her part of Italy, especially Germans. they bring back bad memories. I did enjoy learning some more of the family structures in Tuscany.
September 7, 2016
This is a true story - Marlena and Antonia's. I want that.
October 14, 2016
Tuscany life
What a lovely read! The daily interactions and detail of this book completely took me away. I so enjoy her story telling and detail!
The delicious recipes are such a bonus! Life is food!! Thank you for this heartfelt delicious, sometimes heartbreaking, tail of life and love.
What a lovely read! The daily interactions and detail of this book completely took me away. I so enjoy her story telling and detail!
The delicious recipes are such a bonus! Life is food!! Thank you for this heartfelt delicious, sometimes heartbreaking, tail of life and love.
October 9, 2013
I have enjoyed all of this author's books; they feel like long letters written to me by a friend in another country. This one shed light on life in occupied Tuscany in WW II, and the fall out of the same.
July 26, 2014
I grabbed this book at the library because I took a trip to Italy four years ago and we never made it to Tuscany. The numerous bread and olive oil mentions made it hard to read this book on an empty stomach.
probably-not
May 22, 2012not much excitement around it
June 14, 2012
Gave up after about 70 pages....not my cup of Chianti.
March 23, 2013
I liked the way the story unfolds. I felt a little antaganistic towards Antonia in the beginning, but like always Marlena shows us her beauty and i fell in love with her too.
April 29, 2013
Enough. Not like the others.
October 21, 2013
It's a real story. The first part is just OK. But, while reading the seconde one I couldn't put it down.
Read
December 7, 2015Very enjoyable. Lots of lovely sounding dishes and plenty of Italian words to learn. My favourite is festina lente. Make haste slowly
January 5, 2016
Absolutely beautiful book. Take some family secrets, mix with memories and dose with fresh Italian herbs.
Marlena makes you smell the countryside and makes you hungry for more.
Bellissima!
Marlena makes you smell the countryside and makes you hungry for more.
Bellissima!
July 2, 2016
AND yet another.................
September 10, 2016
Not the best by Marlena. Nonetheless, it is a story worth reading about.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews