The Promise: An Italian Romance

by Lisa Clifford

I know this is my final leaving because it's so different from my many other leavings. This time, I actually want Paolo to find someone else – perhaps a lovely Florentine girl who he can marry, someone who will make him happy by giving him children and a family of his own. He deserves it after waiting for more than a decade for me to make up my mind…'Lisa Clifford was sixteen when she arrived in Florence for the first time, keen to experience life beyond her Australian convent-school and work out what she wanted to do with her future. Falling in love with a local called Paolo was not part of the plan… The Promise is the story of Lisa's love affair with Paolo, and of her love for Florence and the Tuscan mountains – the landscapes, the people and the food. But far from settling into a contented life in Italy, Lisa soon realised that being an independent and ambitious Australian girl made it difficult to fit in with the age-old traditions of an Italian family. She was torn between her desire to stay with Paolo, and her need to return home – to her family, to the relaxed Australian way of a life, and to a career. Should she stay, or should she go? Written with humour and passion, The Promise is about loss and heartache and growing up. Above all, it is a story that proves love does find a way – and that some promises are made to be broken.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2007

Reviews

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Lisa Clifford in October and have to confess that I hadn't heard of her books before she joined us on a Tuscan Garden Tour - This book is deservedly popular because you can so feel with the author as she balances her love of home in Australia with a thriving career in radio and journalism, against her enduring love for a delightful Italian man who clearly adores her but can't help but think like an Italian! Not a stereotype Italian of course but nonetheless influenced by his upbringing to expect lunch as well as dinner on the table! So it is a bit of a cliffhanger as to how many times she can leave and still come back to open arms ....!

[Michelle Rossiter · Rating 5 out of 5]

In all honesty, this book blew me away. I thought it may be a fluffy love story as it had been left in my apartment by a previous tenant... but Clifford somehow managed to both sweep me up in her romance and yet conceal their intimacy at the same time. I am the type who has always found real life can be more interesting than any fiction. The book also hit close to home for me as a fellow Australian living abroad. I thought it may be a cautionary tale about falling in love overseas and it many ways it was... but by the end of the book I was uplifted.

[Emma Brookes · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books and read it every year

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am genuinely confused by this book. Is it a memoir, an Italian history textbook or a romance novel? I was drawn to this book at the store because of the complex and romantic love story that I was lead to believe it would be, but I was disappointed. My understanding was that it was a romance novel based on a true story so my review will reflect that. The confused genre subsequently made the story lack depth and I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. If it was a memoir, it shouldn’t have been packaged as “ an Italian romance”. If it was a romance novel, the intimates of their relationship needed to be explored and her deeper thoughts and feelings should have been expanded on. As silly as it sounds, I didn’t feel like they were in love enough because there was no effort in the story telling of their relationship. It should have been in present tense with more dialogue or shared moments and less focus on the historical facts and cultural information of Italy. Towards the end of the book I hated Paolo and Lisa and didn’t root for their relationship because there wasn’t a solid foundation to cling to that should have been built for the reader, at the beginning of their journey. If it was a true story that was an attempt at a romance novel it should have been dramatised and fictionalised to create an escape to a romantic fantasy rather than a retelling of events. But if it was a memoir it should have abandoned the packaging of a romance novel and delved into the personal struggles. There were so many important themes that could have been explored but were drowned out by unnecessary things. Femininity, cultural shock, complex love, longing, generational trauma, youthful thinking, personal growth and so much more could have been expanded on. You could definitely tell Clifford was a news reporter, the book was far too factual to be a romance novel. The beginning dragged, the middle disappointed and the ending felt rushed. The truth of the story is lovely but the entirety of the book and the way it was written was not well thought out and I found myself hating it at the end despite really wanting to like it

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the true story about a young Australian girl who goes to Florence by herself to live after high school. She meets and falls in love with a local medical student and spends the next 15 years falling in and out of love with Florence and fighting her relationship with him. She struggles with what it would mean to marry an Italian and give up her homeland. It is well written, and I loved all of her details about cultural differences, especially in regards to relationships. Suprising observations about the relationship that Italians have with their food and their mothers. This book was given to me by a friend who lived in Florence for four years and became friends with the author.

[Nsikan Akpan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this book was a very special experience for me because I will be going to Florence for a writers retreat next month and will be working with Lisa Clifford (the author) personally! It was cool reading about how she met her love and adapted to the wonderful Italian culture, which is what I will do one; it was like I was learning from her experience. However, learning isn't always fun as there were moments where Clifford gave a lot of historical facts that some readers wouldn't care to know, but since I plan to make Italy my home, it didn't mind too much. Reading this book has made me all the more excited to meet Clifford and immerse in the Italian culture.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I qute enjoyed this book. I found it hard to believe that a love affair like Lisa and Paolo's could survive all those years with the long separations and no contact - it must have been meant to be. It is unreal that neither of them managed to find anyone else. To think of those years when they could have been together instead they were separated but I can guess it was a big decision to make to stay on in Italy.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful true story of love between an Australian woman and an Italian man, and the never ending tug of yearning for home (Australia) versus living in Florence with the love of her life. This book gives the reader an insight into the differences between cultures, and how two people manage to bridge the gap through acceptance and love.

[Margery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading Lisa Cliffords story.....her book The Promise is the true account of her early whirlwind life transitioning from one side of the world to the other, the pain and bliss of love in a, then foreign country, yes I can relate. Hope the book is made into a movie (it happened for Frances Mayes) also now living in Italy.

[Lesley Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book when doing a writers retreat in Florence. I enjoyed being swept up in the life everyday life the story created. I felt like I was being invited into a personal life and began to understand (as I walked the streets of many mentioned locations) that I could prefectly understand the feelings and the envelopment of the two cultures combining.

[Indi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Insight into falling inlove with someone from the other side of the world. Great read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great story of culture and adjusting to life in Italy.

[Donna Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A love story,appealing for its exploration of culture, set in Italy.

[Narelle]

I absolutely loved this book!

[Kerin Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book exploring the complexities of culture and love. It was well written uplifting story.

[Dixii · Rating 5 out of 5]

The heart wants what the heart wants!! I love this book. I hope that their love for each other is still as strong as it was in the book. A beautiful love story!!

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. Such an interesting read, such an interesting path that her life took... I couldn't put it down. Led me to want to read more about Italy's history.

[Marg · Rating 4 out of 5]

She lived my dream. Such a young age to be so independent. This book is fabulous

[Sharon Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting autobiography. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this an absorbing read, it did not grip me at the start but it gathered pace for me nearer the end. The author portrayed the complexity of the mother son relationship in Italy and I wonder if it is still the same , given this book was written nearly 20 years ago.
It is an amazing love story and anyone who has a partner from another country , as I have, will be able to relate to the tug of home which can affect them from time to time
Thoroughly recommend The Promise and I will be checking out to see other books by the author Lisa Clifford

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written almost 20 years ago, one can understand the difficulties of adapting from a life in Sydney, Australia to one in Italy especially when you're young. I felt annoyed at some of her difficulties but I would probably have felt the same. The world has become smaller now with the Internet and in many ways easier to connect with family and friends around the world and that makes all the difference.

[Jenny Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

June Dally-Watkins daughter goes to Florence at 16 and gets an Italian boyfriend. His family welcomes her an treats her like a daughter. She can’t accept the Italian way of love and keeps leaving him and returning to Sydney. At first I was really annoyed that Lisa could treat these people so badly. Eventually enjoyed the description of Italian culture and could relate to a lot of it in my own family.

[Maria Cesarello · Rating 5 out of 5]

By reading Lisa Clifford’s experience of Florence, I found myself thinking about my love for this city: the richness of the Florentine lifestyle and everything else about this city. I also found myself reminiscing, smiling and laughing while reading Lisa’s wonderful story.

[Denise Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Italy, Tuscany and a true Italian love story you will love this. A great insight into two cultures, and how overtime we can unite.

[Bronwen Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow, but interesting to learn about Italian life and demanding Italian men. Women did everything

[Kirrily]

Great book