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Italian Memoirs #6
That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“At villa Donnafugata, long ago is never very far away,” writes bestselling author Marlena de Blasi of the magnificent if somewhat ruined castle in the mountains of Sicily that she finds, accidentally, one summer while traveling with her husband, Fernando. There de Blasi is befriended by Tosca, the patroness of the villa, an elegant and beautiful woman-of-a-certain-age who recounts her lifelong love story with the last prince of Sicily descended from the French nobles of Anjou.
Sicily is a land of grandeur and poverty, beauty and sufferance, illusion and candor. In a luminous and tantalizing voice, That Summer in Sicily re-creates Tosca’s life, from her impoverished childhood to her fairy-tale adoption and initiation into the glittering life of the prince’s palace, to the dawning and recognition of mutual love. But when Prince Leo attempts to better the lives of his peasants, his defiance of the local Mafia’s grim will to maintain the historical imbalance between the haves and the have-nots costs him dearly.
The present-day narrative finds Tosca sharing her considerable inherited wealth with a harmonious society composed of many of the women–now widowed–who once worked the prince’s land alongside their husbands. How the Sicilian widows go about their tasks, care for one another, and celebrate the rituals of a humble, well-lived life is the heart of this book.
Showcasing the same writerly gifts that made bestsellers of A Thousand Days in Venice and A Thousand Days in Tuscany , That Summer in Sicily , and de Blasi’ s marvelous storytelling, remind us that in order to live a rich life, one must embrace both life’s sorrow and its beauty. Here is an epic drama that takes readers from Sicily’s remote mountains to chaotic post-war Palermo, from the intricacies of forbidden love to the havoc wreaked by Sicily’s eternally bewildering culture.
“At villa Donnafugata, long ago is never very far away,” writes bestselling author Marlena de Blasi of the magnificent if somewhat ruined castle in the mountains of Sicily that she finds, accidentally, one summer while traveling with her husband, Fernando. There de Blasi is befriended by Tosca, the patroness of the villa, an elegant and beautiful woman-of-a-certain-age who recounts her lifelong love story with the last prince of Sicily descended from the French nobles of Anjou.
Sicily is a land of grandeur and poverty, beauty and sufferance, illusion and candor. In a luminous and tantalizing voice, That Summer in Sicily re-creates Tosca’s life, from her impoverished childhood to her fairy-tale adoption and initiation into the glittering life of the prince’s palace, to the dawning and recognition of mutual love. But when Prince Leo attempts to better the lives of his peasants, his defiance of the local Mafia’s grim will to maintain the historical imbalance between the haves and the have-nots costs him dearly.
The present-day narrative finds Tosca sharing her considerable inherited wealth with a harmonious society composed of many of the women–now widowed–who once worked the prince’s land alongside their husbands. How the Sicilian widows go about their tasks, care for one another, and celebrate the rituals of a humble, well-lived life is the heart of this book.
Showcasing the same writerly gifts that made bestsellers of A Thousand Days in Venice and A Thousand Days in Tuscany , That Summer in Sicily , and de Blasi’ s marvelous storytelling, remind us that in order to live a rich life, one must embrace both life’s sorrow and its beauty. Here is an epic drama that takes readers from Sicily’s remote mountains to chaotic post-war Palermo, from the intricacies of forbidden love to the havoc wreaked by Sicily’s eternally bewildering culture.
301 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
121 people are currently reading
1715 people want to read
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June 26, 2018
2.5 Stars
An ok read for me but not really my type of book as its romance and was little to twee for me
This was a recommendation by a bookshop while holidaying in Italy and while the book suited the vacation it just didn't suit the reader.
The Writer Marlena De Blasi and her husband were on an assignment in Sicily in the Summer of 1995 and while staying for a few days with Tosca the owner of the Villa Donnafugata (The house of the fleeing women) De Blasi hears and is intrigued by Tosca's story.
I unfortunately was as intrigued as Marlena De Blasi as I found the story read like a fairytale and found myself having to suspend belief to get through much of this memoir.
Yes the prose is wordy and lyrical, the sense of time and place appealing and I just didn't feel for any of the characters. This one overall felt a little too romantic for me.
An ok read for me but not really my type of book as its romance and was little to twee for me
This was a recommendation by a bookshop while holidaying in Italy and while the book suited the vacation it just didn't suit the reader.
The Writer Marlena De Blasi and her husband were on an assignment in Sicily in the Summer of 1995 and while staying for a few days with Tosca the owner of the Villa Donnafugata (The house of the fleeing women) De Blasi hears and is intrigued by Tosca's story.
I unfortunately was as intrigued as Marlena De Blasi as I found the story read like a fairytale and found myself having to suspend belief to get through much of this memoir.
Yes the prose is wordy and lyrical, the sense of time and place appealing and I just didn't feel for any of the characters. This one overall felt a little too romantic for me.
December 11, 2018
NO SPOILERS - JUST MY IMPRESSIONS§
Finished: What a story! For me there should be no debate about whether a book gets 4 or 5 stars; if you cannot decide then it is only 4 stars. You have to be sure about a 5 star book. I am sure that this one gets my 5 stars. Why? Tosca, her life and what she made of it is totally fascinating. Not only her life but also Leo's and Cosimo's and Mafalda's. Extraordinary strong, wonderful people - all of them. You are missing something if you don't take the time to read of their lives, but you have to like the writing style. I have quoted enough to give you a taste. You learn about the Sicilian people. Culinary descriptions are so beautiful that even I read them with enjoyment. And you learn about the Mafia - their values, a bit of how they think and how the Sicilian people live along-side them. The ending is a BIG surprise. Don't peep in the back of the book, you will get a huge spoiler. However if you read the spoiler by mistake, you will be so confused that you need to read every word of the story so you understand how such could happen. I grew to love Tosca and Leo and Mafalda. I wish I could go live there. Nothing stays the same. By the time I would be ready to live there, it probably would not be the same....... Would I have the courage? It is doubtful they would accept me, but I am never going to forget this place!
Through page 215: I can't out the book down. It is a story about one Sicilian woman and the people with whom she made her life. Actually it isn't the things that happened to her but rather the coices she made throughout her life that I find so gripping. What she herself made out of her life is what is interesting. And I like how it is written. Here is another quote:
"Think about the frescoes in the dining hall. About the fragments within the allegories that are empty. Those blank spaces. They are empty because there wasn't enough of the original design left for the restorer to re-create those portions with authenticity. The restoring artist would have had to paint his own figures and hence, dishonor the intrinsic value of the work. It is quite the same with a life. There are blank spaces that I cannot fill."
Maybe this sounds strange when one is speaking of one's own life, but as the speaker goes on you understand exactly. The thoughts, in all their simplicity, are beautifully expressed.
Through page 161:So what do you think of the following quote? Do you find it intriguing?
"Mountains on an island are doubly rmeote, my dear. Twice removed.But also twice as predictable. Almost everything that happens, happens over and over again. You know...that my mother and father lived much as he and I do. Together, yet not at all together. It's quite common here where the protection, the maintenance and the passing-on of the patrimony takes precedence over all other matters. Certainly over something as evanescent as love. Stones and earth and buildings," she raises a thin, white sapphire-braceleted wrist to take in the palace behind her, "these are lasting things. These are what count."
No! Well then don't read the book. But then you will also miss the story of what has happened in these people's lives.
Through page 152: The book is very plot driven. It is about all the people that we meet in the first chapter. So I really cannot say much. Some of the dialogue is in Italian - which is annoying b/c I don't know Italian. I thought I would quote a bit so you understand HOW the author writes. I had to find something that intrigues but doesn't tell you what happens.
"I knew that someday I would be loved by a man like Brasini. Or was it that I knew that I couldn't love a man if he wasn't like Brasini? All of which led me to the truth that there were two types of men in the world. Those like Brasini and those who were not like Brasini. Those who would take your face in their hands and kiss you like in the films and those who would never in ten million years take your face in their hands and kiss you like in the films. But the sort of man who wouldn't do it, well, it wasn't his fault. He just couldn't do it. Just like my father couldn't be kind. Some men were never gong to grow blond hair and werre never going to hold a woman's face in their hands and smile at her as though she was an angel. And no matter what the woman did or said or looked like or was, she couldn't make him take her face in his hands and kiss her like in the films. Now as I said, I was about eight that morning in the market when this epiphany struck me. I might have been seven. But that is what helped me to not feel hurt even knowing my father didn't want me. And it also helped me to recognize you. You're definitely a Brazini, sir. I knew that by the time I was ten, maybe eleven. But what I am trying to say is that once I'd understood the Brasini theory, I slipped myself off the hook about my father not wanting me....."
"I think it is improbable that a child of eight - even a Tosca of eight - could find her way through such an emotional forest."
"It is not improbable at all. That children don't always say what they know doesn't mean that they don't know it..... "
I am not sure that this kind of writing will appeal to all. I like it. And my curiosity about the various people I first encountered is slowly being answered. You learn about who these people are and why they are who they are. This is a marvelous love story and a Sicilian tale that is true.
Through page 79: It is very hard to tell you bits b/c then you will know the story. As the title indicates, it IS a love story. And much, much more. By knowing Tosca's true life story you begin to understand who she is, why she has made her beautiful, wonderful little paradise of a crumbling castle into what it is. The people there in this castle in 1995, the central characters, have been with her since she was nine. The love depicted is beautiful. Mind you, she is still only nine. Wait till you meet Leo! And Cosimo and Agata and...... Wait till you too fall in love with this place. I really wish I could transport myself there. To protect the identity of the real people the author has changed names and exact places. When you read the book you will see why. Hmmm, would I fit there?
Through page 15: GRRRRR - I just copied several paragraphs and then the computer lost them!!!!! Am I annoyed? YES! I am not going to copy them again. What I wanted to say by these paragraphs was that each sentence arouses your curiosity. Who are these people in this crumbling castle? Who is this Tosca ,and what is her relationship with that cleric? No, he isn't her husband.... And what has happened to her husband, and how has she been able to set up this wonderful place for those who have been left stranded? All are friends since they have worked side-by-side for many years in the nearby village. What a wonderful place for retirement! It is not a "home", but an active willage in its own right. I am already enchanted, and we haven't even begun the story about Tosca!
How have I missed this book and this author?! I am not interested in culinary subjects, but I think the author's other autobiographical books are more focused on that. She has recently come out with another book entitled Amandine: A Novel.
Think to stumble upon the villa Donnafugata hidden in the mountains of Sicily, to meet Tosca, the patroness of the villa, who pours out the story of her life and romance with the last prince of Sicily and the couple's conflict with the Mafia. Think to stumble upon this monastery today, housing a peaceful, tightly knit society of widowed Italian women.
Finished: What a story! For me there should be no debate about whether a book gets 4 or 5 stars; if you cannot decide then it is only 4 stars. You have to be sure about a 5 star book. I am sure that this one gets my 5 stars. Why? Tosca, her life and what she made of it is totally fascinating. Not only her life but also Leo's and Cosimo's and Mafalda's. Extraordinary strong, wonderful people - all of them. You are missing something if you don't take the time to read of their lives, but you have to like the writing style. I have quoted enough to give you a taste. You learn about the Sicilian people. Culinary descriptions are so beautiful that even I read them with enjoyment. And you learn about the Mafia - their values, a bit of how they think and how the Sicilian people live along-side them. The ending is a BIG surprise. Don't peep in the back of the book, you will get a huge spoiler. However if you read the spoiler by mistake, you will be so confused that you need to read every word of the story so you understand how such could happen. I grew to love Tosca and Leo and Mafalda. I wish I could go live there. Nothing stays the same. By the time I would be ready to live there, it probably would not be the same....... Would I have the courage? It is doubtful they would accept me, but I am never going to forget this place!
Through page 215: I can't out the book down. It is a story about one Sicilian woman and the people with whom she made her life. Actually it isn't the things that happened to her but rather the coices she made throughout her life that I find so gripping. What she herself made out of her life is what is interesting. And I like how it is written. Here is another quote:
"Think about the frescoes in the dining hall. About the fragments within the allegories that are empty. Those blank spaces. They are empty because there wasn't enough of the original design left for the restorer to re-create those portions with authenticity. The restoring artist would have had to paint his own figures and hence, dishonor the intrinsic value of the work. It is quite the same with a life. There are blank spaces that I cannot fill."
Maybe this sounds strange when one is speaking of one's own life, but as the speaker goes on you understand exactly. The thoughts, in all their simplicity, are beautifully expressed.
Through page 161:So what do you think of the following quote? Do you find it intriguing?
"Mountains on an island are doubly rmeote, my dear. Twice removed.But also twice as predictable. Almost everything that happens, happens over and over again. You know...that my mother and father lived much as he and I do. Together, yet not at all together. It's quite common here where the protection, the maintenance and the passing-on of the patrimony takes precedence over all other matters. Certainly over something as evanescent as love. Stones and earth and buildings," she raises a thin, white sapphire-braceleted wrist to take in the palace behind her, "these are lasting things. These are what count."
No! Well then don't read the book. But then you will also miss the story of what has happened in these people's lives.
Through page 152: The book is very plot driven. It is about all the people that we meet in the first chapter. So I really cannot say much. Some of the dialogue is in Italian - which is annoying b/c I don't know Italian. I thought I would quote a bit so you understand HOW the author writes. I had to find something that intrigues but doesn't tell you what happens.
"I knew that someday I would be loved by a man like Brasini. Or was it that I knew that I couldn't love a man if he wasn't like Brasini? All of which led me to the truth that there were two types of men in the world. Those like Brasini and those who were not like Brasini. Those who would take your face in their hands and kiss you like in the films and those who would never in ten million years take your face in their hands and kiss you like in the films. But the sort of man who wouldn't do it, well, it wasn't his fault. He just couldn't do it. Just like my father couldn't be kind. Some men were never gong to grow blond hair and werre never going to hold a woman's face in their hands and smile at her as though she was an angel. And no matter what the woman did or said or looked like or was, she couldn't make him take her face in his hands and kiss her like in the films. Now as I said, I was about eight that morning in the market when this epiphany struck me. I might have been seven. But that is what helped me to not feel hurt even knowing my father didn't want me. And it also helped me to recognize you. You're definitely a Brazini, sir. I knew that by the time I was ten, maybe eleven. But what I am trying to say is that once I'd understood the Brasini theory, I slipped myself off the hook about my father not wanting me....."
"I think it is improbable that a child of eight - even a Tosca of eight - could find her way through such an emotional forest."
"It is not improbable at all. That children don't always say what they know doesn't mean that they don't know it..... "
I am not sure that this kind of writing will appeal to all. I like it. And my curiosity about the various people I first encountered is slowly being answered. You learn about who these people are and why they are who they are. This is a marvelous love story and a Sicilian tale that is true.
Through page 79: It is very hard to tell you bits b/c then you will know the story. As the title indicates, it IS a love story. And much, much more. By knowing Tosca's true life story you begin to understand who she is, why she has made her beautiful, wonderful little paradise of a crumbling castle into what it is. The people there in this castle in 1995, the central characters, have been with her since she was nine. The love depicted is beautiful. Mind you, she is still only nine. Wait till you meet Leo! And Cosimo and Agata and...... Wait till you too fall in love with this place. I really wish I could transport myself there. To protect the identity of the real people the author has changed names and exact places. When you read the book you will see why. Hmmm, would I fit there?
Through page 15: GRRRRR - I just copied several paragraphs and then the computer lost them!!!!! Am I annoyed? YES! I am not going to copy them again. What I wanted to say by these paragraphs was that each sentence arouses your curiosity. Who are these people in this crumbling castle? Who is this Tosca ,and what is her relationship with that cleric? No, he isn't her husband.... And what has happened to her husband, and how has she been able to set up this wonderful place for those who have been left stranded? All are friends since they have worked side-by-side for many years in the nearby village. What a wonderful place for retirement! It is not a "home", but an active willage in its own right. I am already enchanted, and we haven't even begun the story about Tosca!
How have I missed this book and this author?! I am not interested in culinary subjects, but I think the author's other autobiographical books are more focused on that. She has recently come out with another book entitled Amandine: A Novel.
Think to stumble upon the villa Donnafugata hidden in the mountains of Sicily, to meet Tosca, the patroness of the villa, who pours out the story of her life and romance with the last prince of Sicily and the couple's conflict with the Mafia. Think to stumble upon this monastery today, housing a peaceful, tightly knit society of widowed Italian women.
October 24, 2016
Is it a true story, as author Marlena de Blasi, says? It reads more like a fairy tale to me, and a gorgeously lyrical one at that. The pages drip with luscious descriptions. I read it while I was in Sicily, but I would have enjoyed it just as much, if I’d read it at home.
January 5, 2012
1/5/2011 This morning, after 80 years of living and reading many books I just finished the most captivating and personally emotionally penetrating book I have read in all those 80 years. I am so moved by it that I must try to express my feelings in my so inadequate words.. Hopefully someone will take me seriously and also read and experience what I am experiencing. I could even go so far to say that it has the power to change my view of life and my actions to events within my own life. The book is “THAT SUMMER IN SICILY” BY Marlena De Blasi.
My favorite reading is travel, mysteries and spiritual journeys. This book has all of this plus the power of description that allows me to be a participant rather than a viewer. My emotions become entangled with the living characters within the story. Is it fantasy or did the author really live this journey? I do not know. So many words imply it really happened but another part of my brain says, “is that possible”. Either way it is real in my mind. This book is definitely a reread and takes the position on my bookshelf and in my life as my choice as the best book I have ever read. .
My favorite reading is travel, mysteries and spiritual journeys. This book has all of this plus the power of description that allows me to be a participant rather than a viewer. My emotions become entangled with the living characters within the story. Is it fantasy or did the author really live this journey? I do not know. So many words imply it really happened but another part of my brain says, “is that possible”. Either way it is real in my mind. This book is definitely a reread and takes the position on my bookshelf and in my life as my choice as the best book I have ever read. .
February 23, 2012
The subtitle of this book is A Love Story. It is not really a story of love. It is a story of lust, of want, of need. And while love is present in this tale, these other emotions supersede the notion of love. The idea that a man would trade an animal for a child, adopt and raise her with his own children, and while still married, claim to have fallen in love with her when she becomes of age is not my idea of a true love story. That premise aside, I found the author’s excessive use of Italian annoying, her style of writing at times both wordy yet unclear, the narrative disjointed, and the story as a whole, disappointing. Supposedly a true story, the author in a disclaimer says she has invoked poetic license and changed many things. Would that she had changed it into a better book.
September 23, 2011
I tried, I really did. This is my second Marlena de Blasi book and I just don't enjoy her books. I can't even tell you what it is. I should enjoy them...Italy, food, scenic descriptions, quaint villas, etc. But I don't. I couldn't finish this book. Just moving on...
October 2, 2008
Memoirs can be tricky things. How good is a person’s memory, especially if the events that are in the distant past? It can extremely be tricky if a writer is recording someone else’s memories. Memoirist and food writer Marlena De Blasi has all of these issues to deal with in her fourth adventure, That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story.
De Blasi’s tale takes place in Sicily’s interior. In 1995, she and her husband Frenando stumble upon an unusual villa occupied primarily by older women in Sicily’s mountain region. The couple is made to feel welcome at Villa Donnafugata, which is the ruin of a castle and where the meat of the story takes place.
Villa Donnafuguta’s patroness is Tosca, who seems to act more like a man than a woman. Tosca came to live in the castle after her father sold her to Sicily’s last prince, Prince Leo. Coming from abject proverty, Tosca had a difficult time adjusting to the riches and splendors of the palace. However, she was treated and educated as if she was the Prince’s third daughter.
Over the course of the years, Tosca falls in love with Prince Leo. She may have been sent to him to be his la puttanina, his whore, but the handsome prince also falls in loves with Tosca. On her eighteenth birthday, the couple begins their romance which last until the prince is killed by the Mafia. After the prince’s death, she leaves the castle for Palmero, only to return years later to make a home for herself and other women in her life.
That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story is well-paced and flows well. It does, however, contain three major faults that justify a three-star rating. First, while the writing is fine, there is no plot. There is a surprise ending, but there is no foreshadowing of the event. Second, the story is not compelling. The characters are flat and lie on the page. Third, Tosca’s love story with Prince Leo is not shown; it’s told by Tosca. This style did not engage me.
That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story had lots of potential, but it didn’t live up to my expectations of masterful storytelling.
De Blasi’s tale takes place in Sicily’s interior. In 1995, she and her husband Frenando stumble upon an unusual villa occupied primarily by older women in Sicily’s mountain region. The couple is made to feel welcome at Villa Donnafugata, which is the ruin of a castle and where the meat of the story takes place.
Villa Donnafuguta’s patroness is Tosca, who seems to act more like a man than a woman. Tosca came to live in the castle after her father sold her to Sicily’s last prince, Prince Leo. Coming from abject proverty, Tosca had a difficult time adjusting to the riches and splendors of the palace. However, she was treated and educated as if she was the Prince’s third daughter.
Over the course of the years, Tosca falls in love with Prince Leo. She may have been sent to him to be his la puttanina, his whore, but the handsome prince also falls in loves with Tosca. On her eighteenth birthday, the couple begins their romance which last until the prince is killed by the Mafia. After the prince’s death, she leaves the castle for Palmero, only to return years later to make a home for herself and other women in her life.
That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story is well-paced and flows well. It does, however, contain three major faults that justify a three-star rating. First, while the writing is fine, there is no plot. There is a surprise ending, but there is no foreshadowing of the event. Second, the story is not compelling. The characters are flat and lie on the page. Third, Tosca’s love story with Prince Leo is not shown; it’s told by Tosca. This style did not engage me.
That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story had lots of potential, but it didn’t live up to my expectations of masterful storytelling.
May 24, 2020
“That Summer in Sicily - A Love Story” by Marlena De Blasi is a beautifully written memoir!
The heart of this book is the TRUE love story told to the author by the owner of a villa, in the mountains of Sicily, where Marlena and her husband, Fernando stayed while on holiday. Marlena retells the story with beautiful prose. As you read, you see it all as if you were there when it took place so many years ago.
The love story, which spans 50 plus year, is one of contradictions: severe poverty and abundant wealth, forbidden love and unleashed passion, blissful happiness and tragic sorrow. You feel the passions between the lovers, the heat and the sparks that fly between them in the best moments and the worst.
I bought this book at a $5 a bag bookstore closing sale! I put it down several times. I'm so glad the little voice in my head convinced me to add it to my very full bag!
For those of you that love historical fiction and/or romance this is the book for you. I highly recommend‼️❤️📚
The heart of this book is the TRUE love story told to the author by the owner of a villa, in the mountains of Sicily, where Marlena and her husband, Fernando stayed while on holiday. Marlena retells the story with beautiful prose. As you read, you see it all as if you were there when it took place so many years ago.
The love story, which spans 50 plus year, is one of contradictions: severe poverty and abundant wealth, forbidden love and unleashed passion, blissful happiness and tragic sorrow. You feel the passions between the lovers, the heat and the sparks that fly between them in the best moments and the worst.
I bought this book at a $5 a bag bookstore closing sale! I put it down several times. I'm so glad the little voice in my head convinced me to add it to my very full bag!
For those of you that love historical fiction and/or romance this is the book for you. I highly recommend‼️❤️📚
January 22, 2016
3.5 ***
This nonfiction work is subtitled: A Love Story. It’s part travel, part biography, and definitely a love story. It’s jump-off point is a villa in the hills of Sicily that the author and her husband came across on their travels. They wound up staying there for months, and the author, in particular, was completely taken by the owner’s story. Most of the book focuses on Tosca relating the story of how she came to be the ward of Prince Leo and how she inherited the property that she turned into the Villa Donnafugata (Villa of the Fleeing Woman). There is definitely love here. Love of a landscape and of a cultural heritage, love of learning, love of a man and woman, love of life! Her descriptions are luscious; and you can practically taste the food. I got completely caught up in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but my rating is affected by the fact that I had an ARC (advance reader’s copy), so there were numerous editing errors. Also, I would hope that a regular publication might have some photos of the area. I normally round down a half star, but in this case I think I’ll round up to 4 stars.
This nonfiction work is subtitled: A Love Story. It’s part travel, part biography, and definitely a love story. It’s jump-off point is a villa in the hills of Sicily that the author and her husband came across on their travels. They wound up staying there for months, and the author, in particular, was completely taken by the owner’s story. Most of the book focuses on Tosca relating the story of how she came to be the ward of Prince Leo and how she inherited the property that she turned into the Villa Donnafugata (Villa of the Fleeing Woman). There is definitely love here. Love of a landscape and of a cultural heritage, love of learning, love of a man and woman, love of life! Her descriptions are luscious; and you can practically taste the food. I got completely caught up in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but my rating is affected by the fact that I had an ARC (advance reader’s copy), so there were numerous editing errors. Also, I would hope that a regular publication might have some photos of the area. I normally round down a half star, but in this case I think I’ll round up to 4 stars.
December 8, 2016
Anos.
Foram anos que tive este livro parado na estante.
E para quê?
Para agora pegar nele. A pensar que era um romance fofinho e afinal ver que se trata de um livro de não ficção.
Mas não foi isso que não gostei nele.
Simplesmente havia algo na escrita desta autora com o qual não simpatizei.
Ela escreveu e eu li. Mas o que eu li não conseguiu cativar-me. Sentia-me uma estranha a olhar para o lar de alguém. Senti-me desapegada desta leitura.
E infelizmente, fiz algo impensável. Pulei para as últimas páginas e li o final.
Foram anos que tive este livro parado na estante.
E para quê?
Para agora pegar nele. A pensar que era um romance fofinho e afinal ver que se trata de um livro de não ficção.
Mas não foi isso que não gostei nele.
Simplesmente havia algo na escrita desta autora com o qual não simpatizei.
Ela escreveu e eu li. Mas o que eu li não conseguiu cativar-me. Sentia-me uma estranha a olhar para o lar de alguém. Senti-me desapegada desta leitura.
E infelizmente, fiz algo impensável. Pulei para as últimas páginas e li o final.
January 26, 2011
This was one of the most amazing love stories I have ever read. Thank you Marlena for giving us the haunting portrait of Tosca, a timeless glimpse into Sicilian life as told by a Sicilian. I was mesmorized and enchanted by this worman of great character. Now knowing the conclusion, I must re-read the book with very different eyes. Early details and characters have much more meaning now that Tosca's story has unfolded through Marlena's exquisite wordsmithing.
July 11, 2011
I think I have had enough of Marlene De Blasi. Her total self involvement is getting rather annoying. What was sweet when she wrote her first book about love in Italy has gotten very old...as she must have gotten too. The red lipstick and letting down of hair and wearing grand dresses just doesn't cut it anymore. OK, I'm done!
February 1, 2009
This is a beautifully written book about loving and living. It captured me immediately and held my attention througout -- what a story she has to tell! I would love to have the opportunity to discuss this book with others as I found it meaningful on a range of levels.
May 4, 2017
Marlena de Blasi and her husband Fernando chose to take a path in the hills and mountains of Sicily, less traveled by most writers, which ends up being more like "The Road to Damascus". Marlena attempts to cleverly add a touch of humor when addressing her own life events, revealing a few slightly embarrassing moments, as well as lovingly displaying her passion for food. From start to finish, That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story by Marlena de Blasi was more about a tragic and misguided type of love rather than the romantic notion set in some sort of fairy-tale. The story-line more narrative in structure and overly wordy at times, transports the reader into painful as well as awkward memories experienced by the main characters. The tragedy of this particular love story set in Sicily leads the reader to assume all Sicilians are carbon copies of the individuals who have lived between the pages of this book. The delusional, self-centered, and beautiful Tosca appears all knowing, speaking in detail of her past (as well as others), offhandedly grants Marlena an audience into her private life. In a letter, only after doling out her long winded escapade, does Tosca readily admit to having lied (stretching the truth because she is, of course, a Sicilian) to Marlena. In the letter, to either clarify or clear her conscious, does Tosca retraces the steps made by the prince and others, thereby readjusting her story's time-line.
April 2, 2012
This book was amazing! I'm kind of starting to get irritated by Marlena's writing style, but I'm glad she was able to tell this story about Tosca, Leo and the rest of the gang. I really fell in love with these people. I especially loved the ending. First I couldn't believe my eyes that the ending was such, but I'm glad it was. I wish I could meet these people and just hug them for dear life. I loved Leo's socialist concept and thought him to be a revolutionary. I love this book so much, I want to read it twice. It's so much more than just a love story.
But I do have to say that I first couldn't grasp the thought of what Leo did...which was literally buying a nine year old child. I didn't know what to believe, thought disgusting things would occur. I didn't think it was right that she was to grow up to become his lover and live under the same roof as his wife Simona. I was astonished that Simona was so gracious towards Tosca...that she even picked out her clothes and bowed down to her for being able to love him the way she wasn't able to. But then I grew to love Leo and Tosca's special relationship. Once I learned that Leo and Simona's marriage was basically coerced and a business deal, I began to understand and even feel remorseful towards Leo. I felt he sacrificed a lot for his family and to me he was courageous. Actually I feel Leo was born to just be a sacrifice for all the people in his life...in order to protect the people he loved and cared about, or to make their lives a lot better. I hope he never felt less of a man, but more of a man...for all those sacrifices he made.
It's amazing to me how these people like Mafalda the sister, Charlotte Leo's youngest daughter, Agata (Tosca's maid), Tosca's student who became a teacher and died during Marlena's stay, the prostitute Tosca met and saved her life in Palermo, the priest who was Leo's best friend for so long, etc. etc. etc. all ended up in the villa, all those years later. It's an amazing concept of a microcosmic society...and I wish I could be part of it. Tosca made a great life for herself and shared it with great people...she's a lucky woman.
But I do have to say that I first couldn't grasp the thought of what Leo did...which was literally buying a nine year old child. I didn't know what to believe, thought disgusting things would occur. I didn't think it was right that she was to grow up to become his lover and live under the same roof as his wife Simona. I was astonished that Simona was so gracious towards Tosca...that she even picked out her clothes and bowed down to her for being able to love him the way she wasn't able to. But then I grew to love Leo and Tosca's special relationship. Once I learned that Leo and Simona's marriage was basically coerced and a business deal, I began to understand and even feel remorseful towards Leo. I felt he sacrificed a lot for his family and to me he was courageous. Actually I feel Leo was born to just be a sacrifice for all the people in his life...in order to protect the people he loved and cared about, or to make their lives a lot better. I hope he never felt less of a man, but more of a man...for all those sacrifices he made.
It's amazing to me how these people like Mafalda the sister, Charlotte Leo's youngest daughter, Agata (Tosca's maid), Tosca's student who became a teacher and died during Marlena's stay, the prostitute Tosca met and saved her life in Palermo, the priest who was Leo's best friend for so long, etc. etc. etc. all ended up in the villa, all those years later. It's an amazing concept of a microcosmic society...and I wish I could be part of it. Tosca made a great life for herself and shared it with great people...she's a lucky woman.
January 30, 2015
I have this thing for Sicily. I am fascinated by the place, the culture, the history, and the people. Marlena de Blasi’s book, That Summer in Sicily, looked like just the thing to satisfy my obsession – even if only in part. And she calls to life a wonderful, magical portrait of rural Sicily invoking all the senses. I, too, felt “grateful to be inside this dream of Sicily”. You can almost smell the freshly baked bread, the pastries and tarts, the fragrant garden in the early morning mist. You can hear the chants and laughter of the women in Tosca’s castle, and feel the sun, the prickly leaves of the yews lining the gravel paths. It is a glorious and magical world. Just as Marlena “accidentally” find this castle, she also becomes a witness to Tosca and Leo’s beautiful love story. Tosca’s attempt to preserve something of a world long gone, of traditions that shaped the country, is moving. But 2/3 through the book I lost interest. I wanted to read more about Marlena and Frernando’s journey, about the charm of a castle for destitute women in “modern day” Sicily. Maybe in time I will read the rest, or return to the sensuous descriptions of food, landscape and community. It will keep my dream of Sicily alive.
April 7, 2016
This book is unbelievable as fiction and the claim that it is an actual memoir is just ridiculous. I normally love books with lots of food and scenery descriptions but I just found this silly and boring. It is not terribly well-written and even though it is quite short, it felt like the story was dragging on. I noticed that the Kirkus review said something along the lines of "people who like this author will like this book", which is usually code for "this book isn't very good unless you are a die hard fan of the author". I wish I had seen that before I picked this up.
April 27, 2016
This is a work of nonfiction: a memoir within a memoir and set entirely in secretive Sicily. It's enchanting, captivating, and I'm suffering from a terrible book hangover. The bulk of the book is Tosca's story--a woman born into a peasant family between world wars, her fairy-tale adoption by a prince, and the subsequent life she leads. It's a wonderful story, a great summer/vacation/beach read, and I really adored this read!
July 12, 2014
Loved, loved this book! It was hard to set down. A wonderful, atmospheric tale told beautifully. I read at the end of my Kindle version of the book that the author is a food and wine writer. No surprise...it's a delicious story, redolent with local flavours and dishes as well as a touch of romance. I'm gettin' my ticket for Sicily! "Buona se." Highly recommend!
January 9, 2016
Because of my love for wild and smart creatures who go on living as they please, this book was easy and enjoyable to read.
The language of Marlena de Blasi is excellent. I learned new words and expressions.
It was inspiring and romantic. Now I want to visit Sicily and have experiences there.
The language of Marlena de Blasi is excellent. I learned new words and expressions.
It was inspiring and romantic. Now I want to visit Sicily and have experiences there.
September 22, 2019
It started as a promising read - I have thus far enjoyed her other books - but I honestly could not get myself to finish the boring story of prince Leo and Tosca.
I did enjoy De Blasi’s description of the surroundings, food, smells etc but it was not enough to keep going.
I did enjoy De Blasi’s description of the surroundings, food, smells etc but it was not enough to keep going.
November 4, 2015
A fairy tale
Sadly this costly book offers little substance or history about Sicily. It reads as a fictional narrative and as fiction, there are few words of wisdom.
Sadly this costly book offers little substance or history about Sicily. It reads as a fictional narrative and as fiction, there are few words of wisdom.
August 28, 2025
Lo primero que quiero destacar de aquí es la romantización de una relación de, como mínimo, manipulación, por parte de los personajes. Por mucho que no se mencione, al ser contada desde los ojos de una Tosca que no lo ha considerado nunca así, la mente de Leo está enferma por haberse como mínimo fijado en una niña que se ha criado como hermana de sus propias hijas.
Leo es un personaje vacío, que no sabe lo que quiere, que se quiere presentar como un príncipe azul de 18 años cuando esa es la edad que le saca a la protagonista. De ahí el rechazo de la hija mayor, que se percató de cómo su padre prefería a una niña, no como hija, sino como novia, antes que a ella.
El resto de personajes sí que parecen interesantes, aunque todos giran, naturalmente, en torno a la historia de la narradora, Tosca, por lo que no sabemos apenas nada de Charlotte, de Cosimo, etc. Es genial que la protagonista consiguiera salir de aquella casa en la que se crió, y considero que Mafalda, otro personaje admirable, no tenía razón en enfadarse, pues por qué debería aquel terrible padre probar a una niña de 9 años que ha pasado de tener que cocinarle a vivir en un palacio junto a las princesas. Ella tenía potencial y es genial que lo acabara usando en crear una casa para mujeres que quisieran vivir en comunidad.
Un punto a favor es cómo se muestra la vida en la isla de Sicilia durante el tiempo de la historia, tanto el aislamiento en la Segunda Guerra Mundial como la vida en el campo, la ciudad y el palacio, así como qué tenían que hacer las personas pobres para sobrevivir, como Mafalda, que no tenía problema en moverse para conseguir trabajo, y que había acabado por acostumbrarse a esa vida compartida con nadie.
No es un libro que te vaya a cambiar la vida, pero te va a dar otra perspectiva de todos los puntos antes mencionados, así que, si estás dudando: sí, léetelo.
Leo es un personaje vacío, que no sabe lo que quiere, que se quiere presentar como un príncipe azul de 18 años cuando esa es la edad que le saca a la protagonista. De ahí el rechazo de la hija mayor, que se percató de cómo su padre prefería a una niña, no como hija, sino como novia, antes que a ella.
El resto de personajes sí que parecen interesantes, aunque todos giran, naturalmente, en torno a la historia de la narradora, Tosca, por lo que no sabemos apenas nada de Charlotte, de Cosimo, etc. Es genial que la protagonista consiguiera salir de aquella casa en la que se crió, y considero que Mafalda, otro personaje admirable, no tenía razón en enfadarse, pues por qué debería aquel terrible padre probar a una niña de 9 años que ha pasado de tener que cocinarle a vivir en un palacio junto a las princesas. Ella tenía potencial y es genial que lo acabara usando en crear una casa para mujeres que quisieran vivir en comunidad.
Un punto a favor es cómo se muestra la vida en la isla de Sicilia durante el tiempo de la historia, tanto el aislamiento en la Segunda Guerra Mundial como la vida en el campo, la ciudad y el palacio, así como qué tenían que hacer las personas pobres para sobrevivir, como Mafalda, que no tenía problema en moverse para conseguir trabajo, y que había acabado por acostumbrarse a esa vida compartida con nadie.
No es un libro que te vaya a cambiar la vida, pero te va a dar otra perspectiva de todos los puntos antes mencionados, así que, si estás dudando: sí, léetelo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2025
Druga książka tej autorki,którą przeczytałam jest jeszcze lepsza niż poprzednia.Jest niesamowita.Czyta się ją jak dziewiętnastowieczną powieść obyczajową,a jest to książka na faktach.Jest książę, służba,młoda dziewczyna,pałac,a wszystko dzieje się w XX wieku.Jest też mafia sycylijska,która rządzi.Książka ta to jedna z najpiękniejszych powieści o miłości jaką w życiu przeczytałam,ale nie jest to romans,a raczej powieść biograficzna,obyczajowa,przepiękna i bardzo wzruszająca.Wiele razy miałam łzy w oczach. De Blasi całkowicie przesiąknęła Włochami.Nikt by nie pomyślał,że to Amerykanka.
Myślałam,że długo będę czytać tę książkę jak poprzednio,a przeczytałam bardzo szybko,tak wciągnęła i oczywiście żałowałam,że tak szybko się kończy. Marlena staje się jedną z moich ulubionych autorek.
Oprócz ciekawej tematyki,gdzie poznajemy Sycylię z jej mieszkańcami,czujemy całą atmosferę tamtych czasów i miejsc.Język powieści jest jak zwykle piękny i kwiecisty, i najważniejsi są ludzie, a nie jedzenie, jak w poprzedniej książce. Okładka w podobnym stylu,co poprzednia, wysmakowana i stylowa.Więcej nic już nie mogę napisać,tę książkę trzeba po prostu przeczytać.
Myślałam,że długo będę czytać tę książkę jak poprzednio,a przeczytałam bardzo szybko,tak wciągnęła i oczywiście żałowałam,że tak szybko się kończy. Marlena staje się jedną z moich ulubionych autorek.
Oprócz ciekawej tematyki,gdzie poznajemy Sycylię z jej mieszkańcami,czujemy całą atmosferę tamtych czasów i miejsc.Język powieści jest jak zwykle piękny i kwiecisty, i najważniejsi są ludzie, a nie jedzenie, jak w poprzedniej książce. Okładka w podobnym stylu,co poprzednia, wysmakowana i stylowa.Więcej nic już nie mogę napisać,tę książkę trzeba po prostu przeczytać.
May 31, 2017
Let me start by saying that I listened to the audiobook and sadly, the author/narrator's voice was extremely difficult to hear and understand as it was very high pitched and too soft, almost falsetto like. I almost gave up before finishing disc one, but the storyline was interesting so I stuck with it. I love Italy so I was curious where the story would go.
The writer's style is very descriptive and keeps your interest. I wasn't sure if this was fiction or non-fiction, and I wasn't sure what century we were in at times either. Sicily, mafia, the clan, princes and peasants and of course the puttana are all connected. The story takes twists and turns that are rather unexpected.
Give it a try but please pick up the actual book and forget the CD.
The writer's style is very descriptive and keeps your interest. I wasn't sure if this was fiction or non-fiction, and I wasn't sure what century we were in at times either. Sicily, mafia, the clan, princes and peasants and of course the puttana are all connected. The story takes twists and turns that are rather unexpected.
Give it a try but please pick up the actual book and forget the CD.
December 14, 2018
I really liked the first half of this book as the author sets the scene in Sicily. Then she starts in on the saga of this woman they meet, and the rest of the book is her story. At first, I was swept along, but after a time the melodrama began to wear on me. Realizing now that both the subject and the author felt free to embroider this increasingly over the top tale, I find it more irritating than ever. So if you take it as a fairy tale sort of story, fine, you might not be skimming and rolling your eyes by the end as I was. Oh, and I do think "The Tiny Malfalda" would be a good name for a pug.
September 29, 2021
I want to like this book but I’ve read this author before and her style is just too flowery for me.
I adore Italy and Sicily is one of my favorites to explore. Although her part of the story supposedly takes place in 1995, it seems like a pre-World War movie. I’ve travelled in rural Sicily and yes, locals can be reticent and warm simultaneously, but they certainly don’t look and act like she describes, which is like a costume drama with everyone in traditional braids, singing thru daily life, and all having deep, soulful eyes that recall Arab ancestry which is somehow mystical.
I rolled my eyes more than once.
I adore Italy and Sicily is one of my favorites to explore. Although her part of the story supposedly takes place in 1995, it seems like a pre-World War movie. I’ve travelled in rural Sicily and yes, locals can be reticent and warm simultaneously, but they certainly don’t look and act like she describes, which is like a costume drama with everyone in traditional braids, singing thru daily life, and all having deep, soulful eyes that recall Arab ancestry which is somehow mystical.
I rolled my eyes more than once.
August 20, 2025
This memoir, drama, fairytale is a story of love—love of the island and its beauty, its mountains, its culture, its people, its traditions and ancient beliefs. The author is sent on assignment to write about the people and culture of the inner mountain communities of Sicily. She travels with her husband and finds her assignment difficult due to the unwillingness of the locals to talk with strangers. Eventually, the author and her husband are directed to a sort of run-down castle/Agri turismo. It is here that she meets Tosca, the mistress of the property and Cosimo a priest who brought Tosca as a child to live with Prince Leo as his ward. Tosca’s life story is the love story, drama, and fairytale told to the author.
February 5, 2017
Tosca relates the story of her life to a journalist she has allowed to stay at her estate. The story begins with Tosca as a child who is traded to a Prince, by her father, for a horse. Tosca is raised and educated with the daughters of the family. As a teenager she realizes she is in love with the prince. The story continues through her life up to the time the journalist comes to stay with her. Years after she told her story she writes a letter to the journalist to tell her parts of the story that she originally left out.
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