gentil, donné

I enjoyed this story of Italy during WWII told from a point of view I had never explored before. Great for foodies! The love story is a little predictable and some of the action scenes are not believeable but I actually learned a lot and read this book quickly. ( )

I enjoyed this story of Italy during WWII told from a point of view I had never explored before. Great for foodies! The love story is a little predictable and some of the action scenes are not believeable but I actually learned a lot and read this book quickly. ( )

1944 Naples. Captain James Gould is assigned to discourage marriages between British soldiers and Italian women. He begins his job with good intentions and wants to strictly follow his orders--everything black and white. The Italians are used to shades of grey, so this doesn’t go over too well. Then he meets the lovely and talented cook Livia Pertini and he decides to follow his heart. This is a tale of love in the midst of war, a fairly quick read. Oh, and there’s a volcano that erupts too—guess I should have known that since it really happened…

Every time I read a book set in Italy my heart just soars. And the descriptions of the Italian food made me want to jump right on a plane. ( )

Captain James Gould is a young British intelligence officer during World War II. He arrives in Naples to take over as “the Wedding Officer” – assigned to discourage marriages between British soldiers and Italian girls. He is young, somewhat innocent, and determined to follow all regulations to the letter. He seems to be succeeding when a young widow arrives as the new Officers’ Mess Cook. Livia Pertini has always cooked in her family’s restaurant/bar in the small village on Mount Vesuvius. Her fiery personality and sumptuous feasts soon distract James from his orders.

This is a delicious novel that begins as a romantic comedy but moves on to give the reader a lesson on the history of the area in 1944. Capella writes with humor and pathos in describing the war-time experiences of the citizens and soldiers trying to survive not only a war but a volcano’s eruption. Capella wrote about real events in and around Naples in 1944, and I’m glad he included the grittier scenes of chaos and destruction. But where he really excels is in writing about the sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes of the cuisine, and the effects of those scrumptious meals on the human spirit. For example:

He felt a sudden sense that nothing would be the same again. Eve in her garden had bitten an apple. James had eaten an oyster, sitting outside a tiny restaurant overlooking the sea by Sorrento. His undernourished heart swelled in the Italian sunshine like a ripening fig, and he laughed out loud. With a great flood of gratitude he realized that he was having the time of his life.

I was completely caught up in the story from beginning to end. I think I must have gained 10 pounds just reading about the food! It certainly made my mouth water.
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