Italy is one of those places that I have always wanted to go. The food. The history. The gorgeous scenery. Just about everything about it appeals to me. So when I was offered a book about a man who returns to Italy to get back to his best self, I was more than tempted.

Marco Gentile was born in Acerenza, Italy and he spent his childhood running through the hills around the town. Moving to Canada later in life, he becomes a lawyer and ultimately the CEO of an automobile manufacturer. But when a vital decision about the future of the company leaves Mark wondering about his moral compass and the courage of his convictions, he asks for and receives the blessing of his wife and daughter to resign his job and return to his childhood home in Southern Italy to get in touch with the man he really is. It is through this ethical dilemma that Mark will ultimately choose the direction in which he wants to go moving forward and it is by returning to a place that has always nurtured him that he can face the decisions he needs to make.

There is quite a long, drawn-out section at the start of the book about Mark's professional life and his ascension to the role of CEO of the automobile company. It is, in many ways, a fictional resume for Mark and unfortunately, it is about as compelling to read as most resumes are, which is to say, not terribly. Once Mark makes the decision to resign his position and to travel back to Acerenza, the pace of the book picks up, as did my interest. The description of the slower pace of life in this small village is appealing and Mark's reconnection with people he used to know as a child is nice. But the description, the hospitality and easy comraderie, and Mark's ponderings about the future go on just a bit too long. Mid-life crises can certainly drag and decisions can continue to be deferred indefinitely in real life but in a book the author risks losing the reader. And I have to admit I was among the casualties. The charm wore off and I was left feeling apathetic toward the character and his dilemma about how to balance the two important aspects of his life, wishing he'd just do something soon. The combination of the business focused part at the beginning and the soporific pace at the end combined to make this less than satisfying for me. It had potential; it just didn't meet it for me. ( )

Finding Marco by Kenneth C. Cancellara

(For review from Phenix Publicity)

Giveaway details following the review.

Synopsis:

As a young boy, running through the mountain valleys of Italy, Mark Gentile dreams of success-the kind of success that happens in a boardroom, far away from the country life. So after graduating from law school, Mark quickly climbs the corporate and legal ladder, eventually becoming CEO of a leading auto manufacturer. But after butting heads with company leaders, Mark fears he has compromised his ethics. With his wife's blessing, Mark returns to Acerenza, his birthplace in southern Italy. While enjoying the leisurely pace of the new life he's found in his old home, however, Mark must make a decision: Should he abandon his roots for a second time and satisfy his innate hunger for the struggles and rewards of corporate life? Or should he embrace his native land and create a more balanced life for himself and his family?

Thoughts:

Mid-life crisis usually means fast cars and younger women for most men, but not Marco Gentile. When Marco feels his ethics are being challenged, he quits his corporate job and returns to his childhood home in Italy to find himself and decide what his future is going to look like. In Finding Marco, author Kenneth Cancellara relies on his own experiences in Acerenza, Italy. Being raised in Italy, the author has first hand knowledge of the customs and every day life that his character, Marco could experience. That made the book seem a lot more authentic and heart felt.

You could tell that the author was really invested in this book and his characters. The character development was shown through the events in Marco's life and how he dealt with them as well as his family. The book at times took on the tone of being almost an autobiography of this period of time in the characters life. The main theme of the book is self-discovery and finding out what is truly important in life.

I give this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Finding Marco by Kenneth C. Cancellara
Published by Synergy Books
ISBN-13: 978-0-9842358-6-5
ISBN-10: 0-9842358-6-8
At the request of Phenix & Phenix Publishing, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from book jacket): As a young boy running through the mountain valleys of Italy, Mark Gentile dreams of success-the kind of success that happens in a boardroom, far away from the country life. So after graduating from a prestigious Canadian law school, Mark quickly climbs the corporate and legal ladder eventually becoming CEO of a leading North American auto manufacturer.
But after butting heads with company leaders, Mark fears he has compromised his ethics and decides to resign to determine the next phrase in his life. With his wife's blessing, Mark returns to Acerenza, his birthplace in southern Italy. In the small village, he seeks out his childhood friends, spends time among the grapevines at his family's vineyard, and recalls his mischievous adventures as a young boy named "Marco". While enjoying the leisurely pace of the new life he's found in his old home, however, Mark must make a decision" Should he abandon his roots for a second time and satisfy his innate hunger for the struggles and rewards of corporate life? Or should he embrace his native land and create a more balanced life for himself and his family?
My Thoughts and Opinion: I accepted this book for review thinking that being of Italian heritage and having vacationed in Italy years ago that I would thoroughly enjoy this plot. From when I started accepting books for reviews, I set my threshold at a minimum of 100 pages to read to determine if a book pulled me in. Unfortunately, that was not the case and I quickly saw that this book was not a good match for me. This is my opinion, and only my opinion, but I found that the first 100 pages of the story line seemed to drag and had a very dry writing style. Therefore, I had to put this novel aside.
My Rating: 1 ( )