An emotionally raw jaunt through grief and picturesque Italy.  

 

Katy’s mother has just died, leaving Katy in a downward spiral.  The life she’s lived for 30 years now feels foreign, and nothing in her life make sense without the connection to her mother.  

 

In a depth of grief, she ventures off to Italy hoping to get a sense of the place her mother once loved.  But magically…impossibly, Katy finds her 30 year old mother… fully alive and youthful again.  

 

Serle made me love the Amalfi Coast all over.  She perfectly captures the ambiance of the region… from the delectable food to the pace of life and the enchantment you feel when visiting.  She brings the area to life in vivid detail, and I felt as though I was there in person once again.  

 

The journey to healing after grief is one I know deeply.  And while I couldn’t connect with Katy’s complete obsession over this loss (it’s a lot), I did appreciate her journey of self-discovery at the end.  The lessons she learns make it worth sticking through her continual ruminations over the (potentially unhealthy) relationship she once had with her mother.   

 

This one is best partnered with a full glass of wine and a full plate of pasta! 

 
Many thanks to Rebecca Serle, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.