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R&R: A Feast of Words
“Through an unparalleled care and understanding for people and relationships, Giuseppa paints friendship as it should be. I could not stop reading.” –J. Shep, author of The December Issue (2023) and After Me (2024)
Life flows in ways of its own choosing, not always relinquishing control to each individual. Often, we cannot change the course of events that determine health, death, and so many emotional and physical trials. Each of them could certainly defeat us if we had to face them alone. But what if we had one person, just one, that we could always count on? One person to whom being young or beautiful, rich or even right, mattered not at all?
One person that could endure distance and time, sorrow and joy, secrets and revelations, silence--or a feast of words?
Life flows in ways of its own choosing, not always relinquishing control to each individual. Often, we cannot change the course of events that determine health, death, and so many emotional and physical trials. Each of them could certainly defeat us if we had to face them alone. But what if we had one person, just one, that we could always count on? One person to whom being young or beautiful, rich or even right, mattered not at all?
One person that could endure distance and time, sorrow and joy, secrets and revelations, silence--or a feast of words?
142 pages, Paperback
Published May 10, 2024
2021 people want to read
About the author
Maria Giuseppa
1 book7 followersMaria Giuseppa, author of R&R: A Feast of Words (2024), has lived in the Chicago suburban area since arriving in the United States from her native Italy. She has followed a number of career paths all the while enjoying her role as spouse to an amazing man and mother to three awesome children. Today, in her seventh decade, she is finally returning to her first love, devoting herself to writing the stories that have been patiently waiting to be told.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 21, 2024
Maria Giuseppa’s R&R: A Feast of Words is a well-written page-turner of a novella showcasing an enduring friendship in epistolary form. I recommend it to primarily adults but feel young readers from late teens and older would appreciate it.
What stands out as a sure strength—and one of the biggest reasons for my enjoyment of the book—is the elevated and thought-provoking treatment of sundry topics as discussed by two not only intelligent but caring persons. From what makes a marriage successful to when it’s appropriate to stand on the sidelines of one’s own game, conversations ran the gamut and were never dull. Giuseppa’s fun characterization of R&R achieves this elevated treatment, but so does the absence of too-heady discussions; she avoids lofting the discussions into the cerebral without sacrificing the intellectual, nor the heart. These characters are invested in what they’re sharing with one another as the topics stem from their own experiences, but the way in which they share their ideas underscores their concern for the well-being of the other, undergirding traits of a sound friendship.
Giuseppa’s structural approach only enhances the overall narrative. At first glance, the structure appears to be epistolary, and indeed it is. Before long, however, a reader notices the fun the characters have with greetings and closings, the subtlety in the presence of Italian as it anchors the characters in traditions and their earliest memories together, the picture that is in words painted by Raffi regularly, and the progression of hand-written letters to electronic messages. These structural choices imbue the text with a unique style without over-stylizing, and manage to reiterate character traits and the duration of their friendship. The absence of dates and locations never detracts from the settings of their lives as the story of each unfolds, as they intertwine. And the blank pages—indications of an unreciprocated message—heighten a suspense I recognized as present throughout, the delicateness of which I credit Giuseppa.
Throughout an exchange that certainly tells the story of the ongoing friendship of Rachi and Raffi, I could not avoid enjoying what might come off as incidental: the vibrance of Chicago and New York, the challenges of Covid, the traditions of Italian holidays, the for-better-or-worse influence of parents, the sensations associated with a good cocktail or glass of wine, the small, personal successes that come from caring about the work we do in our fields—psychology for Rachi and restaurant designing for Raffi—and the effect of a good analogy. Giuseppa necessarily steps into the mundane without sinking into its mire; we see the details of travel plans that could not realistically be eschewed in such a correspondence without their becoming tedious. What Giuseppa highlights in her chosen details, though, evokes only fondness for setting, themes, and ultimately, relationship between R&R.
This takes me to their friendship. Yes, they can be flirtatious. Yes, they have a long history. Yes, they enjoy that there is more to learn about each other. And to this reader, yes, they are “just” friends. This imperfect but strong friendship forms a bond with the reader, and it is the fact that it is a friendship that, in part, kept me so invested in this story. With an unparalleled care and understanding for people and relationships, Giuseppa paints friendship as it should be. I could not stop reading.
All the while, the plot unfolds. In a way, two separate plots unfold: Rachi’s story and Raffi’s story. As they share with each other what is going on in their lives amid the seeming standstill that affects the world, a third plot manifests, one whose antecedents predate the other two. This is the story of R&R, its past, its present, and its future.
*I will not give five stars to contemporary writing with grammatical errors, something much too common nowadays, especially in presumably edited work. I am not referring to stylistic choices or breaks in grammatical convention for a specific purpose—I understand the importance of a fragment here and there or representing a voice through incorrect grammar and/or usage. I am referring to poor writing as evidenced through grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and usage errors. Maria Giuseppa’s R&R: A Feast of Words is a pleasant showpiece of good writing.*
What stands out as a sure strength—and one of the biggest reasons for my enjoyment of the book—is the elevated and thought-provoking treatment of sundry topics as discussed by two not only intelligent but caring persons. From what makes a marriage successful to when it’s appropriate to stand on the sidelines of one’s own game, conversations ran the gamut and were never dull. Giuseppa’s fun characterization of R&R achieves this elevated treatment, but so does the absence of too-heady discussions; she avoids lofting the discussions into the cerebral without sacrificing the intellectual, nor the heart. These characters are invested in what they’re sharing with one another as the topics stem from their own experiences, but the way in which they share their ideas underscores their concern for the well-being of the other, undergirding traits of a sound friendship.
Giuseppa’s structural approach only enhances the overall narrative. At first glance, the structure appears to be epistolary, and indeed it is. Before long, however, a reader notices the fun the characters have with greetings and closings, the subtlety in the presence of Italian as it anchors the characters in traditions and their earliest memories together, the picture that is in words painted by Raffi regularly, and the progression of hand-written letters to electronic messages. These structural choices imbue the text with a unique style without over-stylizing, and manage to reiterate character traits and the duration of their friendship. The absence of dates and locations never detracts from the settings of their lives as the story of each unfolds, as they intertwine. And the blank pages—indications of an unreciprocated message—heighten a suspense I recognized as present throughout, the delicateness of which I credit Giuseppa.
Throughout an exchange that certainly tells the story of the ongoing friendship of Rachi and Raffi, I could not avoid enjoying what might come off as incidental: the vibrance of Chicago and New York, the challenges of Covid, the traditions of Italian holidays, the for-better-or-worse influence of parents, the sensations associated with a good cocktail or glass of wine, the small, personal successes that come from caring about the work we do in our fields—psychology for Rachi and restaurant designing for Raffi—and the effect of a good analogy. Giuseppa necessarily steps into the mundane without sinking into its mire; we see the details of travel plans that could not realistically be eschewed in such a correspondence without their becoming tedious. What Giuseppa highlights in her chosen details, though, evokes only fondness for setting, themes, and ultimately, relationship between R&R.
This takes me to their friendship. Yes, they can be flirtatious. Yes, they have a long history. Yes, they enjoy that there is more to learn about each other. And to this reader, yes, they are “just” friends. This imperfect but strong friendship forms a bond with the reader, and it is the fact that it is a friendship that, in part, kept me so invested in this story. With an unparalleled care and understanding for people and relationships, Giuseppa paints friendship as it should be. I could not stop reading.
All the while, the plot unfolds. In a way, two separate plots unfold: Rachi’s story and Raffi’s story. As they share with each other what is going on in their lives amid the seeming standstill that affects the world, a third plot manifests, one whose antecedents predate the other two. This is the story of R&R, its past, its present, and its future.
*I will not give five stars to contemporary writing with grammatical errors, something much too common nowadays, especially in presumably edited work. I am not referring to stylistic choices or breaks in grammatical convention for a specific purpose—I understand the importance of a fragment here and there or representing a voice through incorrect grammar and/or usage. I am referring to poor writing as evidenced through grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and usage errors. Maria Giuseppa’s R&R: A Feast of Words is a pleasant showpiece of good writing.*
May 10, 2024
Debut author Maria Giuseppa has created a lengthy, languorous letter exchange between a man and a woman trapped in their separate lairs during the Covid era in R&R: A Feast of Words.
The two letter writers are of Italian descent, she named Rachelina and called Rachi by her correspondent, and he is Raffaele, whom she addresses as Raffi. The two have been acquaintances since their youth, he a close friend of her now deceased husband Matt, and she an observer of his several failed marriages. R and R write to each other often, beginning with conventional paper texts and later by email. In their communications it becomes readily apparent that they are closely aligned in thought and feeling, both revealing knowledge and understanding of the other that seems to surge past mere friendship. As close friends who need each other’s contact and approval, they have a further need – to express their moods both clearly and subtly through mutually recalled memories and current life interests. One such interest is their enjoyment of fine food; he is an experienced taster, and she is a well-acknowledged home-based chef. This commonality inspires him to suggest a collaboration on a recipe book, to which Rachi happily agrees. Then the idea takes a stronger hold, as they decide to travel together to Portugal and Italy to sample the foods whose flavors they so appreciate. Emailing allows for faster, tighter connection - but then comes news from Rachi that may make old resentments spoil their seemingly positive partnership.
Giuseppa is a native Italian who has made the United States her home for many years, pursuing various career paths and marriage to “an amazing man” with whom she has “three awesome children.” Looking back and meshing her own life experiences with those of her central characters in this lively letter exchange, she proves her talents as a wordsmith as well as her intellectual and empathic strengths as an artist who can look inside the people she depicts and bring their smallest proclivities and emotions to light. Readers will find themselves enwrapped in the plot lines that emerge as they absorb the perspectives of Rachi and Raffi, recalling too the rigors of the Covid restrictions and the introspection that it evinced for many stuck in limited lifestyles. Once the book’s climax has been reached – in the final email exchange – Giuseppa’s audience will be hoping for further novel works from this imaginative creator.
Quill says: The ins, outs, ups, and downs of a relationship are depicted with loving care by Maria Giuseppa in this epistolary portrait of two romantic souls discovering themselves in the words of each other.
The two letter writers are of Italian descent, she named Rachelina and called Rachi by her correspondent, and he is Raffaele, whom she addresses as Raffi. The two have been acquaintances since their youth, he a close friend of her now deceased husband Matt, and she an observer of his several failed marriages. R and R write to each other often, beginning with conventional paper texts and later by email. In their communications it becomes readily apparent that they are closely aligned in thought and feeling, both revealing knowledge and understanding of the other that seems to surge past mere friendship. As close friends who need each other’s contact and approval, they have a further need – to express their moods both clearly and subtly through mutually recalled memories and current life interests. One such interest is their enjoyment of fine food; he is an experienced taster, and she is a well-acknowledged home-based chef. This commonality inspires him to suggest a collaboration on a recipe book, to which Rachi happily agrees. Then the idea takes a stronger hold, as they decide to travel together to Portugal and Italy to sample the foods whose flavors they so appreciate. Emailing allows for faster, tighter connection - but then comes news from Rachi that may make old resentments spoil their seemingly positive partnership.
Giuseppa is a native Italian who has made the United States her home for many years, pursuing various career paths and marriage to “an amazing man” with whom she has “three awesome children.” Looking back and meshing her own life experiences with those of her central characters in this lively letter exchange, she proves her talents as a wordsmith as well as her intellectual and empathic strengths as an artist who can look inside the people she depicts and bring their smallest proclivities and emotions to light. Readers will find themselves enwrapped in the plot lines that emerge as they absorb the perspectives of Rachi and Raffi, recalling too the rigors of the Covid restrictions and the introspection that it evinced for many stuck in limited lifestyles. Once the book’s climax has been reached – in the final email exchange – Giuseppa’s audience will be hoping for further novel works from this imaginative creator.
Quill says: The ins, outs, ups, and downs of a relationship are depicted with loving care by Maria Giuseppa in this epistolary portrait of two romantic souls discovering themselves in the words of each other.
May 22, 2024
Author Maria Giuseppa’s R & R: A Feast of Words is a debut novella written through the lost art of letter writing. Even when there’s a modern switch to email, the honest and reflective content between two old friends, Chicago therapist Rachele and New York architect Raffaele, divulges their triumphs and failures as well as past secrets and future hopes. Their closing lines could tell a story on their own. Readers must ask themselves whether or not Rachi and Raffi’s constantly loyal and sometimes flirtatious relationship is truly one of platonic intentions or more romantic in nature. As readers, we find ourselves rooting for one or the other, and the author does not disappoint (yes, you read that right).
This is a universal story set in recent Covid days with all its social restrictions. Subtle reminders of isolation are woven into the lines, while the impacts of loneliness –on families, friends, and within ourselves– are described with images and feelings that all readers can relate to in some way. Additional themes of faith, honor, and tradition (vs. change) are layered throughout the tale, as Rachi and Raffi peel away at each other’s confidentiality while exposing their own flaws and private memories. While reading, I kept asking why I wanted to turn the page again. What was it about these characters that intrigued me? It might have been the authenticity that I liked so much (an Italian phrase, dish, geographical reference). It might have been the intellect shown through impressive analogies (I feel that a new phase is coming, but it seems to be hidden beyond a dense fog. I have no idea what is on the other side. I want to look forward to something) and analytical comments (The one thing I have come to realize is that the man I wish I was, the one I think I am, the one I sometimes pretend to be, are not the same as the one I really am). In the end, Rachi and Raffi are not perfect, but they are real. Readers will enjoy these characters in all their humanity, good and bad, and will want to invite them in for a meal for further conversation and delight.
R&R: A Feast of Words is highly recommended for its character depth and timely themes. I look forward to Giuseppa’s next book!
This is a universal story set in recent Covid days with all its social restrictions. Subtle reminders of isolation are woven into the lines, while the impacts of loneliness –on families, friends, and within ourselves– are described with images and feelings that all readers can relate to in some way. Additional themes of faith, honor, and tradition (vs. change) are layered throughout the tale, as Rachi and Raffi peel away at each other’s confidentiality while exposing their own flaws and private memories. While reading, I kept asking why I wanted to turn the page again. What was it about these characters that intrigued me? It might have been the authenticity that I liked so much (an Italian phrase, dish, geographical reference). It might have been the intellect shown through impressive analogies (I feel that a new phase is coming, but it seems to be hidden beyond a dense fog. I have no idea what is on the other side. I want to look forward to something) and analytical comments (The one thing I have come to realize is that the man I wish I was, the one I think I am, the one I sometimes pretend to be, are not the same as the one I really am). In the end, Rachi and Raffi are not perfect, but they are real. Readers will enjoy these characters in all their humanity, good and bad, and will want to invite them in for a meal for further conversation and delight.
R&R: A Feast of Words is highly recommended for its character depth and timely themes. I look forward to Giuseppa’s next book!
May 11, 2025
As I near the age her characters most likely are, I start to see things about my future after reading this book. It makes me value my past more, especially my past relationships and my traditions as a German in America. The book does a wonderful job presenting a positive importance on valuing relationships that have endured, despite the rough patches, and on holding on to traditions that made us happy as children. Bravo to Giuseppa. I did reread this book because I wanted to absorb more. Well worth two reads.
January 2, 2025
I don't regret reading this little novella, but i dont think it will stick with me much. For the fact it revolves around the pandemic, I'm sure I'll remember that premise.
I like when a friendship is allowed to be that and nothing more, especially with older characters who have been friends for decades.
But the characters themselves I didn't really care about. They definitely felt like real people, but perhaps people a bit too uppity for my taste.
I like when a friendship is allowed to be that and nothing more, especially with older characters who have been friends for decades.
But the characters themselves I didn't really care about. They definitely felt like real people, but perhaps people a bit too uppity for my taste.
April 19, 2025
Most inspiring book I've read all year.
February 9, 2025
I guess the right word is thought or maybe care. The thought or care that Giuseppa put into every letter is what made this book stand out to me. I have never read a book of letters, and it did not detract. It pulled me in. The story unfolds the same way a regular book does, but I got a more intimate glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The characters both looked back, which was interesting to see them explore their past, and lived their present life, which was neat because in their present they are carrying their past: deaths, divorces, estrangement, birthd, new traditions, and more. Every letter thoughtfully depicted a reflection or story that was so well said it usually got me thinking. So I really appreciated this book. I think the way Giuseppa puts ideas is great and prompts thinking. And I loved the story. And Rachi!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews