1 rating (5.00 avg)
1 review

Jim Stier

Add friend

Jim’s Bookshelves

to-read‎ (1)

currently-reading‎ (1)

read‎ (0)

did-not-finish‎ (0)

Stats | More…

Jim is Currently Reading

Jim Stier is currently reading

The Hazelnut Grove

by Paula Read (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Reading for the 3rd time

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Jim Stier said: " Estate agents listen to the comments couples make to each other during a showing and get a sense of how serious the potential buyers are about making the place a home for themselves. This is especially true when the house is possesses a rare architec Estate agents listen to the comments couples make to each other during a showing and get a sense of how serious the potential buyers are about making the place a home for themselves. This is especially true when the house is possesses a rare architectural style or rests upon some unique property or exotic location. Too much of “That has to go.” or “This is the first thing I would change.” suggests buyers who are bent on having their way with a house, ignorant of the structure’s stubborn character and its resistance to change. Those type of buyers become sellers in 18 months, presenting a second opportunity at commission for the agent. If instead, the couple starts talking of the changes the home will require in lifestyle, a somewhat longer commitment to the home seems likely.
It’s unclear how much success the estate agent predicted for The Hazelnnut Grove’s main characters, Luke and Sarah, who buy the large, stone house in Piedmont, Italy. Likewise, the English couple initially gives readers few hints about willingness to adapt to their new purchase, soon to be named Cascina Cannella (Cinnamon Farmhouse). Removing old paint and plaster reveals more of the home’s character, just as the resulting sweat, bruises and frustration reveal more about the generally industrious character of Sarah and Luke.
A crude septic system and interior stonework in need of repointing merely began problems for the couple. A profoundly territorial neighbor, nicknamed Il Cavitto (nasty one) is a constant source of irritation. Sarah and Luke push back, not so much by diplomatic and legal means, but more with the skills acquired restoring their house.
The reader can almost smell the musty corners of early encounters with the house, cough on the dust kicked up by endless scraping and sense the exhaustion Sarah and Luke must have felt after each day of work. While it may not always be apparent what motivates the couple to carry on this work, the author is clear about what nourishes them in the literal sense. Luke’s culinary skills were passed on to him by his father’s Italian family, and are described in detail down to the cloves of garlic, basil, sun dried tomatoes and even spirited discussion of the correct pasta. This is Italy, after all and everything stops for meals. If, in reading The Hazelnut Grove you do not find the restoration of a century-old farmhouse your perfect recipe for retirement, you will get a taste of Italian culture and learn to make a fine ricotta and spinach gnocchi. ...more "

progress:

(100%)
"fun read" — Feb 17, 2021 08:08AM

Jan 23, 2021 07:32AM · see review