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Across the Table
When Navy Seabee Al Dante returns to Boston in 1945 after serving in World War II, his homecoming is not what he nor his wife imagined.
Although he survived the bombing of his destroyer in the South Pacific, his injuries left him with shattered bones, a withered arm and a crushed spirit. The two-and-a half-year-old son he has never seen runs away from him in fear. His wife, only a girl when he left, has borne and nurtured their child and made her way in the world. After three years of keeping to themselves the fear and loneliness and longing they had faced alone, they no longer know each other.
But a “For Sale” sign in the window of a restaurant in their Italian neighborhood of the North End convinces Rose that if she and Al are to have any hope of overcoming their challenges, she is the one who needs to put their dreams in motion.
“I believe in us—that we have a future together. Look, we’re luckier than most. I know you look at yourself and don’t see that yet. But you will. Believe in us, Al.”
Can a restaurant called “Paradiso,” the evocative power of food lovingly prepared, and the resilience of a passionate, street-smart Italian girl rekindle a love challenged by separation, infidelity and loss? Will it sustain and nourish her family as it lives through the upheaval of the last half of America’s twentieth century?
An unforgettable story of family and forgiveness, loyalty and love.
Although he survived the bombing of his destroyer in the South Pacific, his injuries left him with shattered bones, a withered arm and a crushed spirit. The two-and-a half-year-old son he has never seen runs away from him in fear. His wife, only a girl when he left, has borne and nurtured their child and made her way in the world. After three years of keeping to themselves the fear and loneliness and longing they had faced alone, they no longer know each other.
But a “For Sale” sign in the window of a restaurant in their Italian neighborhood of the North End convinces Rose that if she and Al are to have any hope of overcoming their challenges, she is the one who needs to put their dreams in motion.
“I believe in us—that we have a future together. Look, we’re luckier than most. I know you look at yourself and don’t see that yet. But you will. Believe in us, Al.”
Can a restaurant called “Paradiso,” the evocative power of food lovingly prepared, and the resilience of a passionate, street-smart Italian girl rekindle a love challenged by separation, infidelity and loss? Will it sustain and nourish her family as it lives through the upheaval of the last half of America’s twentieth century?
An unforgettable story of family and forgiveness, loyalty and love.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
Linda Cardillo
29 books45 followersLINDA CARDILLO is an award-winning author of historical fiction and historical romance. She writes about the old country and the new, the tangle and embrace of family, and finding courage in the midst of loss.
From the time she was in high school, Linda held in her heart the dream of writing the Great American Novel. But she was also brought up to know that she had to be “practical” and make a living. After graduating from college, she found a job as a secretary at a venerable Boston publishing house (barely passing the typing test). Within a year she had moved into an editorial position for college textbooks in the sciences and social sciences. It still wasn’t the Great American Novel, but she got to immerse herself in American intellectual and social history.
After earning her MBA from Harvard Business School—where she wrote comedy for the annual student musical and performed in a platinum blonde wig while seven months pregnant—she got divorced and gave birth. She then became circulation manager for the launch of Inc. magazine and got a crash course in magazine marketing. Unfortunately, she also crashed head-on into her boss and got fired a year after the magazine’s successful start.
Around this time she got an invitation to her tenth college reunion, signed up to attend and fell in love with a man she hadn’t seen since freshman year. On an excursion to a zoo, her son got carsick and threw up. This wonderful man calmly got him out of the car, cleaned him up and took him for a walk in the fresh air, and she knew she had a keeper.
Linda and the keeper moved to Germany for a few years with their children. While living in Europe, she received an unexpected gift of love letters that became the seeds for her first novel, Dancing on Sunday Afternoons.
Linda has been married for over forty years to the keeper, a brilliant scientist and sailor, and is the mother of three children of whom she is enormously proud. She loves to cook and is happiest when the twelve chairs around her dining room table are filled with people enjoying her food. She speaks four languages, some better than others. She tries to play the piano every night—sometimes by herself and sometimes in an improvisational duet with her younger son. She does The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in ink, a practice she learned from her mother. From her mother she also absorbed a love of opera, especially those of Puccini and Verdi, whose music filled her home when she was a child. She once climbed Mt. Kenya and has very curly hair. Linda and the keeper live in Western Massachusetts.
From the time she was in high school, Linda held in her heart the dream of writing the Great American Novel. But she was also brought up to know that she had to be “practical” and make a living. After graduating from college, she found a job as a secretary at a venerable Boston publishing house (barely passing the typing test). Within a year she had moved into an editorial position for college textbooks in the sciences and social sciences. It still wasn’t the Great American Novel, but she got to immerse herself in American intellectual and social history.
After earning her MBA from Harvard Business School—where she wrote comedy for the annual student musical and performed in a platinum blonde wig while seven months pregnant—she got divorced and gave birth. She then became circulation manager for the launch of Inc. magazine and got a crash course in magazine marketing. Unfortunately, she also crashed head-on into her boss and got fired a year after the magazine’s successful start.
Around this time she got an invitation to her tenth college reunion, signed up to attend and fell in love with a man she hadn’t seen since freshman year. On an excursion to a zoo, her son got carsick and threw up. This wonderful man calmly got him out of the car, cleaned him up and took him for a walk in the fresh air, and she knew she had a keeper.
Linda and the keeper moved to Germany for a few years with their children. While living in Europe, she received an unexpected gift of love letters that became the seeds for her first novel, Dancing on Sunday Afternoons.
Linda has been married for over forty years to the keeper, a brilliant scientist and sailor, and is the mother of three children of whom she is enormously proud. She loves to cook and is happiest when the twelve chairs around her dining room table are filled with people enjoying her food. She speaks four languages, some better than others. She tries to play the piano every night—sometimes by herself and sometimes in an improvisational duet with her younger son. She does The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in ink, a practice she learned from her mother. From her mother she also absorbed a love of opera, especially those of Puccini and Verdi, whose music filled her home when she was a child. She once climbed Mt. Kenya and has very curly hair. Linda and the keeper live in Western Massachusetts.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 15, 2020
Reading "Across the Table" by Linda Cardillo really is like sitting down across a table with a cup of tea or a glass of wine with the three generations of women in the story and hearing about their lives. I came to care about these women and the ups and downs of their life paths. Down to earth and uplifting, this book warms the heart!
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 14, 2020
A beautifully-written generational saga of Boston-Italian restaurant owners that takes the family from the war years through the turbulent sixties and beyond. Wonderful characters who ring true to life throughout. I highly recommend this one!
June 11, 2022
transported me to childhood Thanksgivings
If you can read this without getting hungry you might not be Italian! I relived Thanksgivings of youth with all the courses and all the family. Great strong female characters that reminded me of those in my life. Can almost smell the gravy and taste those famous cannolis. Salud!
If you can read this without getting hungry you might not be Italian! I relived Thanksgivings of youth with all the courses and all the family. Great strong female characters that reminded me of those in my life. Can almost smell the gravy and taste those famous cannolis. Salud!
September 15, 2020
Across the Table takes the reader on an unforgettable journey with three generations of Dante women, starting with Rose, the matriarch by the story's end; Toni, Rose's daughter, and Vanessa, Rose's granddaughter. There are secrets and heartaches which threaten to tear the family apart as they struggle to maintain a thriving restaurant, called Paradiso in Boston's North End.
The story spans 70 years and explores the challenges of marriage, raising children, and tending to aging parents. The bond between mother and daughter resonated the most with me throughout the book. How does one hold onto family traditions while living in the modern world? Read Across the Table and discover how these three amazing women find the will and courage to face their deepest fears.
The story spans 70 years and explores the challenges of marriage, raising children, and tending to aging parents. The bond between mother and daughter resonated the most with me throughout the book. How does one hold onto family traditions while living in the modern world? Read Across the Table and discover how these three amazing women find the will and courage to face their deepest fears.
June 2, 2010
i picked this up because the blurb caught my eye. I really enjoy stories with strong family dynamics, and this was everything I hoped it would be.
The story of Rose, from a young woman just married to an old grandmother, was totally fascinating. Cardillo really pulls the reader in. This novel was totally engaging - I felt like I was sitting across from Rose, listening to her tell me about her life. It was fabulous.
I'm not quite sure why she decided to move from Rose to her daughter during the last quarter or so of the book, however. At that point it seemed superfluous.
The story of Rose, from a young woman just married to an old grandmother, was totally fascinating. Cardillo really pulls the reader in. This novel was totally engaging - I felt like I was sitting across from Rose, listening to her tell me about her life. It was fabulous.
I'm not quite sure why she decided to move from Rose to her daughter during the last quarter or so of the book, however. At that point it seemed superfluous.
July 6, 2010
Having had the wonderful opportunity to attend one of Linda's book events, the minute she started reading an excerpt from one of her chapters, I was instantly compelled to purchase her book and am currently reading it. Linda's fluid writing style mixed with a touching personable doorway into cherished family stories captivates her audience and warms the heart in ways unexplainable. A brilliant writer, dedicated to her craft of writing heartfelt and gripping novels and a lovely woman - her books are worth the read and hope you will find the same appreciation for them as I have.
May 23, 2011
What a delightful read! If you enjoy stories of women, the strength of family and the importance of food (good foood) in our lives, thake the time to read this book. Rose faces many challenges but endures over and over. I especially enjoyed how the theme of food was woven through this book. It made me smile as I recalled special meals with my family as we are now spread out from Florida to Maine and do not have the opportunity to spend those happy times together. This is a fun book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
July 8, 2010
This is a story about families. Their love, struggles and their bond. The descriptive writing makes you feel like you are part of their world. You feel Rose's love for her family and Toni's pain to become her own woman. When you read Linda's stories you feel like you are a inside the story. You become a part of her characters world. It is a must read and you won't want it to end.
May 18, 2015
I don't know..... I felt like I was reading someone's journal outlining just the basics. The story was nice yet I wanted more description - I didn't feel like I was there. I didn't connect with the characters.
The 2nd book - yuck. I'm not even going to finish it. It's too confusing to keep track of all the characters and I have yet to connect with any of the characters.
The 2nd book - yuck. I'm not even going to finish it. It's too confusing to keep track of all the characters and I have yet to connect with any of the characters.
September 4, 2010
I've always had an affinity for Italians, and wished I had been born one. This trip through a Boston's Little Italy family was a joy from the first page to the end. Now, I have to have a cappucino and think about what to make with my garlic-capered cod and broccoli rabe.
January 24, 2011
I enjoyed the stories in this book because they are so focused on family and their dynamics. The characters are likable and so it is easy to get drawn into the storylines. I think you'll also like this book.
May 9, 2011
I loved this multiple generation tale of american Italian family and thier restaurant. It was really good reading.
January 2, 2016
Unfortunately
I didn't finish before library book time limit due. Pleasant, not page Turner, I didn't renew it, a third done. Hmmm
I didn't finish before library book time limit due. Pleasant, not page Turner, I didn't renew it, a third done. Hmmm
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews