All the Way to Italy

Book Details:

Book Title: All the Way to Italy: A modern tale of homecoming through generations past
Author: Flavia Brunetti
Category: Adult Fiction, 222 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction (can fit into YA Fiction as well)
Publisher: Ali Ribelli Edizioni
Release date: April 21, 2018
Tour dates: April 23 to May 18, 2018
Content Rating: PG for the occasional use of "for God's sake" and a few religious references (though very mild). No violence, no swear words, and no sex scenes.

Book Description:

Until her dad died, Little considered herself a Californian. Now, thanks to half a letter, a symbol she can’t quite remember, and writer’s block, she finds herself back in Italy, the country of her birth. In a headlong rush to return to her beloved San Francisco, Little will journey throughout Italy, hoping to find the answers she needs to move on with her life so she need never look back. She’ll enlist the help of the woman who raised her, Sira, her father’s sister; but Sira has secrets she’s kept for decades, and Little underestimates the power of the country she fled years before.

In this powerful story of mixed cultures in a world trying to globalize, one girl’s struggle to leave her home behind will lead her back to the women in her family and the memories each of them has safeguarded through the generations. From war-torn Italy to the belpaese of today, All the Way to Italy is a tale for those in search of a balance between wanderlust and the necessity to come home, a reminder that although we may be fragments, we are never a lost cause.

To follow the tour and read reviews, please visit Flavia Brunetti's page on Italy Book Tours.

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Review:

Little has grown up in San Francisco, but is a native of Italy.  For a good portion of her childhood she was raised by her Aunt Sira in the States.  Little and Sira packed up and left Italty after an incident happened concerning her mother and father that caused Little's mother to leave them.  Now, Little's father has died and Sira has asked Little to come back to Italy.  Little reluctantly returns to her home knowing that she must help sift through her father's things.  Little's return also brings back partial memories, things she can't piece together from her time with her mother and father-a symbol, an argument.  Little tries to piece together what secret her father was hiding and what made her mother leave; however, the one person who could tell her is no longer alive and Sira is keeping her mouth shut.  Little embarks on a trip around Italy trying to figure out the secrets her family has kept, but may unlock more within herself.

A journey of self-discovery and family secrets, All The Way to Italy is a fascinating adventure.  With poetic writing, some of the first lines drew me in: "She wanted to tap the man's shoulder and ask him if a place can ever shake off the people who had belonged to it, or if those tendrils would feed her nostalgia forever..."  I was also immediately curious about Little; we never find out her real name and her situation is unique.  Sira was an immediate favorite with her sage advice and marvelous attitude.  Through Sira, there are glimpses of what Little's father was like along with amazing stories of the siblings during WWII.   However, Sira is reluctant to give up her brother's secret, setting Little on a trip around Italy.  With Little's adventures, we get a very intimate view of some wonderful places around the country that are usually left out of the travel guides.  I loved Little's description of Rome as " a city that had adapted to modern times without losing its antiquity."  Through Little's trip, Little does not figure out anything about her family, although she does discover more about herself and what she would like to do in life.  I do wish the story line with Little's mother, Delila was fleshed out a little more as well as some of the historical sections.  There are a few hops back through time to when Sira and Little's father were children during World War II and it seems like there was a lot of potential to build the context of the mystery with Little's father.  Overall, a heartwarming and beautiful story of finding your way.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

About the Author:

Photo credit: Roberta Perrone

Born just outside of Rome, Flavia Brunetti grew up bouncing back and forth between Italy and California, eventually moving back to the Eternal City and confirming her lifelong commitment to real gelato. Flavia holds a Master of Arts degree in Government and Politics from St. John’s University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from John Cabot University. Today she travels the world working for an international humanitarian organization and spends her free time writing and wandering around her beloved Roma in constant search of bookstores and the perfect espresso. You can find her city blog on Rome at whichwaytorome.com and her portfolio of published writing at flaviinrome.com.

Connect with Flavia: Website ~ Blog on Rome ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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