Recipe for Life

by Nicky Pellegrino

Escape to Italy with this sumptuous story of secrets and friendships under Mediterranean skies.

A recipe for life should be a simple thing: love and happiness, family, friends and a little food. But life is rarely straightforward...

Alice wants to make the most of life - after all, she knows how fragile it can be - and knows she never feels more alive than when she's cooking.
Babetta has spent a lifetime tending the garden of her tiny house on the Italian coast, supplying food to feed a family now grown and gone.

One summer these two women are brought together in a crumbling Mediterranean villa, with the shared language of food. There, under the heat of the Italian sun, or the shade of the pomegranate tree, secrets will be spoken, fears and hopes shared. But life's lessons are not learnt easily.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Italy, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Food, Roman

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I was born and grew up near Liverpool, England. For a while I worked as a magazine journalist in London but then 21 years ago I came on holiday to New Zealand and met my future husband Carne Bidwill at a wedding. Now we live together near a beach in Auckland with our dogs Charlie the standard poodle and Lucy the pointer. I spend my time writing novels, working as a freelance journalist, riding my two horses, growing veges in my garden, cooking, trying to get other people to cook for me, eating and reading. There isn't much time for anything else except a little light housework.
My all-time favourite book is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and my book of 2013 was LIfe After LIfe by Kate Atkinson.
I have a website www.nickypellegrino.com

Reviews

[Maria Lavrador · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro docinho, mesmo apropriado para se ler durante as férias de verão. História simpática sem ser lamechas, passada num cenário paradisíaco que nos faz ter vontade de nos metermos num avião e ir conhece-lo ao vivo

[Edel Waugh Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this highly enough.I just adored it. The characters were engaging . The description of the food-mouth watering!!!! This is the second book I have read by this author and I have ordered all her other books since reading these two over the past three days. What a joy they were with characters you care for and descriptions of Italy that make you want to pack a bag and head straight there. It was a joy to read this book and I will be re-reading it many many times in the future.It takes you on a whirlwind of emotions and gently comes to an end . I was sad to have to close the last page.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amid a rash of books about Italy and food, I still think Nicky Pellegrino does it best. This one isn't perfect - I did get a little irritated by the alternating chapters for Alice and Babetta. But I then got tied up in the story and raced through it, tasting every mouthful of the wild asparagus with peccorino shavings, basking in the sun in the woven chair with Babetta with Sky the dog at my feet, working in the steamy kitchens at Teatro with Alice, feeling the heat of the bonfire after weeding the terraces at the Villa Rosa... This is a lovely novel that explores the lives of strong women, the bonds of friendship, families and love... perfect for those times when you just want to enjoy a book, not be challenged by it, and emerge the other end feeling satisfied.

[Lauren Herbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delicious story. Really well written and easy to read. It's not a gripping story but I was gripped none the less, finishing it in three days. Lovely book

[Marjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk boek !

[LANEY Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a glorious book! Loved every single page of it and that’s not something I can say about every book I’ve read. Every little paragraph was a joy to read. I keep a very small selection of books and generally pass on my books after reading but this is definitely a keeper. Thank you! ❤️

[Helena Rodrigues (Aromas de Cor ~ Livrólicos de Cá e de Lá) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um daqueles livros que não se consegue deixar de lado, uma leitura agradável, uma história de várias vidas e lugares que se interligam num tema comum a comida!

[Любопитка · Rating 4 out of 5]

Очаквах нещо близко или подобно на чиклит литературата – нещо леко, изпълнено с вкусни рецепти и положителни развръзки. В действителност прочетох една доста убедителна и реална история за живота на две коренно различни жени. И да, има много вкусове и аромати, трудна е за четене на празен корем.

Историята основно се развива под жаркото слънце на Италия и има дъх на пица и паста с босилек. Далеч е от захаросана и блудкава история. Повече прилича на нещо, което в действителност се е случило или се случва в момента.

Хареса ми колко живи и изпълнени със странностти са всички герои, неуверени и уязвими. Няма нищо необикновено или специално в образите им и точно това прави книгата толкова близка и приятна. Човек вижда смисъла в дребните, ежедневни неща, които могат да донесат радост и да покажат любов. Сбит разказ с акцент върху определени моменти от живота на основните герои. Идеално за дългите, дъждовни следобеди или в несигурното време на социална дистанцираност. И макар на пръв поглед толкова обикновена историята успя да грабне мисълта ми и често се сещах за героините и съдбите им. Искаше ми се да има още от историята, но пък отвореният край ми позволи сама да я продължа както ми се иска.

https://prezprozoreca.wordpress.com/2...

[Giedre Balciute · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šią knygą išsirinkau skaityti prieš kelionę į Italiją, o baigiau jau Lietuvoje. Bet jos skaitymas mintyse tarsi pratęsė mano kelionę. Aš vėl tariausi reginti Italijos vaizdus, uodžianti kvapus ir besimėgaujanti skoniais.

Knygoje labai daug dėmesio skiriama maistui ne atsitiktinai – juk pagrindinę jos veikėją (tiksliau vieną iš dviejų pagrindinių) gyvenimo klystkeliai nuveda į darbą virtuvėje.

Knygos veiksmas buvo lėtas – ilgai atrodė tarsi nieko nevyktų, bet skaityti nebuvo nuobodu. Aš mėgavausi gyvais itališko maisto ir gyvenimo Italijoje aprašymais, tarsi žiūrėčiau gražų mielą romantišką filmą. Knyga išlaikė mano susidomėjimą nuo pradžios iki pabaigos, kuri buvo man gana netikėta, bet visiškai logiška.

Tikrai puikus skaitinys norintiems ko nors lengvo, o ypač ketinantiems vykti į Italiją ir besidairantiens knygos pakeleivės.

Įvertinu knygą aukščiausiu balu, lygindama ją su kitomis skaitytomis tokio žanro knygomis.

[Maluquinha dos livros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro que mistura um livro de receitas e um guia turístico de Itália! Gostei bastante, apesar de ser um livro fora do que habitualmente leio - tenho variado as leituras e sabe bem. A história vai alternando entre duas personagens femininas, de idades diferentes, mas sempre com uma forma simples de narrar os acontecimentos. Ainda assim, é uma história doce, cheia de pinceladas de gastronomia e de descrições de paisagens fantásticas. É um livro que inspira e que me proporcionou momentos de boa leitura.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boek leest makkelijk weg en laat je dromen over zomers in Italië! Het verhaal is niet erg inspirerend maar al de vermeldingen naar eten maakt het goed.

[Sonia189 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Será mais 2.5
Gostei de alguns elementos e de algumas ideias, mas acho que a escolha de percurso para as personagens foi muito mal aproveitada.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!! I couldn't put it down!!

[LindyLouMac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first title by this author that I have read and I doubt it will be the last as I believe they are all set in Italy. Although I am already here living the dream it was a pleasure to lose myself in the setting for this delightful novel for a few hours. A very relaxing read and the sights and smells felt almost real, it is obvious that the author knows those sights and smells for herself and is passionate about Italy.
The story is told by the two main female characters, Alice and Babetta in alternating chapters. Alice a young British girl has had a traumatic incident in her life which has caused her to drop out of university and for her whole life to change direction. She wants to make the most of her life but seems somewhat confused as to how to go about this. The other protagonist is Babetta the typical Italian mama figure who has spent her life tending to her family’s needs. Babetta is feeling lost as her husband seems to have lost his zest for life. leaving her feeling useless. One summer these vastly different women are brought together, thanks to the beautiful Villa Rosa. Despite not being able to communicate easily, cooking and growing fresh food enables these two women to build a special relationship.
If you are passionate about Italy then there is no doubt you will enjoy this story. There is a lot of romance but there is also so much more as our protagonist discovers that life’s lessons are certainly not learnt easily.


More information can be found on LindyLouMac's Book Reviews
http://lindyloumacbookreviews.blogspo...

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 Stars

Ok - possibly an unpopular opinion, given the average rating of this book, but I really just didn’t like it.

The writing was great, and I loved the clever way Pellegrino showed the passage of time, e.g. “over the next decade”. The writing was technically good, hence me rounding up to 3 stars instead of down to 2.

I just didn’t like some of the characters.

I didn’t like Alice - she was just so beige and frustrating. She did things because other people were doing things. She slotted into other people’s lives like some sort of human cuckoo e.g. the two “ready made girls” of Charlie’s. She was so bland. She had a 10 year relationship with someone who she didn’t love because it was convenient and he had a garden. I just wanted to take her and shake her.

There’s also the rape at the beginning of the story. I felt that was an unnecessary plot aspect. I don’t feel it came across as it affecting how Alice acted and behaved and it just felt out of place to me.

I also didn’t like Charlie. He cheated on Alice, left her for the woman he cheated on her with, then pops back in her life and tells her how to live it and then leaves again when she won’t do as he says. Then he marries and starts a family with someone else and that doesn’t last - probably cos he’s a bit of a tool. And in the end he and Alice end up together. Why??

Overall a frustrating and disappointing read. Would I read another Pellegrino book - maybe - hopefully those characters will have a little more appeal…

[Mekerei · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale is also set in Triento (from The Gypsy Tearoom). Some of the characters are also in this tale, but you don't have to read The Gypsy Tearoom before this tale.

This is a tale of a girl named Alice and how she stops living her life after she is raped. It takes her many years to come to turns with living again. Triento is an important part of Alice's life.

I really enjoyed this tale, especially the descriptions of food; they are mouth watering. Nicky Pellegrino once again writes a charming, warm hearted tale about food and friendship. Again four stars!

[Mª João Monteiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito giro! Achei que a autora era leve e sem complicações mas este livro encheu-me as medidas e fez-me chorar. Oscila entre duas protagonistas, uma delas narradora, de idades e em tudo diferentes entre si, cruzando-se em Itália. Apresentam-nos várias perspetivas da vida feminina, cruzando receitas e formas de rodear as questões que a vida traz. A única coisa que me desagradou um pouco foi o final romântico de uma das protagonistas, que achei um pouco frouxo. DE resto, gostei muito. A capa da edição portuguesa, com uma parede azul (linda) choca com a «vila rosa» onde se passa a maioria da ação...

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it in one day :) compulsive, easy reading for when you just want to enjoy a book and get lost in a story. And not predictable either which makes a great change. Like all Nicky Pellegrino's books, it's full of strong female characters who know a thing or two about life (or need to learn!) and mouthwatering descriptions of the Italian food they cook. You will want pizza or pasta after this book I guarantee :)

[Angela Peixoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great mixture of romance, food and HEA the Nicky Pellegrino's way

[Carla Geraldes · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5.
Não consigo dar mais :(

[Kiwiflora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an early Nicky Pellegrino novel, 2010, and it is such a lovely piece of escapism, especially with the possibility of going to Italy so far off the programme for the foreseeable. Never mind! You can jump into this, starting off in the gloom and pressure cooker environment of London and ending up in the deliciousness of the south of Italy, with a bit of movement between the two as the story unfolds. It wouldn't be a Nicky-novel if food and the cooking of it wasn't a lead character, a bit of romance thrown in the pot, and some life lessons and wisdom added to the mix.

Her formula works a treat, so why mess with it. Here we have Alice, early 20s, newly flatting with her oldest friend the beautiful exotic contrary Leila. Alice has a boyfriend, Charlie, but this is a bit rocky, and things get worse when Alice is raped in her bed, prompting the move to London and Leila's flat. Then she needs to find a job. A waitressing job in a local cafe turns into a move to an Italian restaurant owned by Tonino, a gifted chef and restaurateur who sees talent and potential in young Alice. He sends her to his home town in Italy for the summer to immerse herself in food - the growing and harvesting of, the cooking of and eating of. In one of those amazing coincidences that only happens in a novel such as this, Leila's mother has just bought a beautiful old home in the area, long neglected and abandoned save for the elderly Babetta and her husband Nunzio.

Plenty of ups and downs happen over the course of the next few years in the lives of all the characters - Alice, Babetta, Nunzio, Tonino, his parents Rafaella and Ciro, brother Lucio, Leila and even Charlie. Food is at the centre of it all as is connections with one another, as well as the growing and nurturing of new life, new loves, new enterprises - the recipe for life. All the characters could be real people, people you know or meet in your life, likeable and relatable, dealing with problems and issues that the reader can easily relate to. And of course happy happy ending.

[Maria Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Como foi fácil imaginar-me a serpentear pela linha de costa italiana numa vespa azul bebé!

O que mais me agrada nos livros de Nicky Pellegrino é a sua capacidade de transportar o leitor, para os locais, por ela descritos. Conseguimos sentir a massa fina das pizzas, da pasta, o tomate fresco e todos os tipos de queijo italiano. É como se estivéssemos no mercado a negociar com os feirantes, o preço do presunto e dos melhores e frescos legumes!

Sinto-me encantada e recomendo a leitura, a quem procure alhear-se de uma rotina monótona e com vontade de viajar até às encostas do sul da Itália.

O enredo simples, deixa-nos respirar de alívio sem descrições rigorosas e mistérios enfadonhos. Uma leitura finíssima, leve e frutada.

[Ilse · Rating 3 out of 5]

het 2de boek van Nicky Pellegrino dat ik lees en dit boek heeft dezelfde thema's als het eerste.

De liefde voor Italie en de liefde voor koken :)

Zelf vind ik dat ook wel een leuke combinatie, dus het boek sprak me wel aan.

Maar toch, bleef ik wat op mijn honger zitten in dit boek. Oke beide thema's komen uitgebreid aan bod, maar ik had absoluut geen klik met het hoofdpersonage. Ik denk dat het een hele lieve vrouw is, maar ze kabbelt maar rustig door op de golven van het leven, maar neemt nooit zelf enige verantwoordelijkheid voor haar eigen leven.

maar de setting van villa rosa, maakt mij verliefd op het huis, op de sfeer en dus vermoed ik dat ik ooit deel 2 van dit huis nog wel eens ga lezen :)

[Marta Filipa Figueira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história de encontros e reencontros. Um regresso ao cenário que nos é apresentado num livro anterior da autora "A filha do pescador" e é agradável revisitar esses espaços familiares, bem como tocar de novo a vida de personagens que já conhecemos.
A receita do amor nem sempre é fácil de concretizar, mas o tempo e as circunstâncias da vida, talvez no sentido de apurar sentimentos, encarregam-se de premiar as nossas personagens principais e vale a pena mergulhar nesta história e descobrir o que o futuro lhes reserva.
A amizade como um dos ingredientes principais para nos sentirmos amados.
E como em todos os livros da autora, ficamos com água na boca com toda as iguarias que descreve e com uma vontade crescente de ir a Itália e fazer por lá uma viagem gastronómica.

[Novelle Novels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so heart warming and well written but it only gets 4 stars as it flits between the two leading characters babette and Alice too quickly. The story leads you over many years and you really grow with the ladies and where life takes them. Villa Rosa and Italy are the heart of this book and you grow to love it and feel like you are really there which is a sign of the authors amazing description. There are other strong characters that support the leading ladies and are essential for the way it develops.

[Cheryll · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I fell in love with all the characters. The short chapters made the book easy to pick up and put down without loosing the flow of the story. I was reminded of The Seven Sisters book when the statue of Christ was referred to. I felt for Alice. I imagine being raped is something you would never 'get over'.
The font size was perfect as was the number of pages.
I will definitely be hunting out more of Nicky's books. I so enjoyed listening to her author talk in Wanganui recently. A lovely lady and great speaker :)

[Carla Marques · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este livro tinha tudo para ser uma excelente leitura, mas a verdade é que não me deixou lembranças dele.
Estive que estar a pensar que história é que era pois já não me lembrava dela e acabei a leitura à 4/5 dias.
Sei que gostei da história e até me entusiasmei, mas ao mesmo tempo não me prendeu.
Opinião completa em: https://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.co...

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had all the ingredients for a book I should have loved - food, italy, love but fell very short for me. Setting the scene was just too laborious, the beginning dragged on unnecessarily with too much backstory that added little relevance to the narrative. I loved the parts set in Italy as well as the parallel story of the old Nonna but the ending fell flat after all that teasing. I was really expecting some passion at some point so was left rather unsatisfied!

[Krisz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Az idős hölgy szálát olvastam el először - és azt kell mondjam, csak ezt érdemes. Az ő története egész jól van megírva, és érdekes. Ez ****.
Aztán villámolvasással Alice is megvolt, hát, nem szerethető, vernyogó, gyenge leány, semmi érzelmet nem éreztem iránta, és ez baj, amikor az olvasó azt se bánja, ha kinyírják a hőst, csak legyen már vége a könyvnek. Ez *.
5 csillag átlaga 2,5 és jó kedvemben felfelé kerekítek, mert a borító tetszik.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipe for Life by Nicky Pellegrino is a lovely, heart-warming story with engaging, well-drawn characters and a beautifully comforting atmosphere. The themes of food, family and self-discovery are handled with warmth and charm, making it an easy and enjoyable read. While the ending felt a little disappointing and slightly rushed, it didn’t take away from the overall pleasure of the journey. A gentle, uplifting novel that fans of feel-good fiction will still very much enjoy.