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.
- If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you? I thought this one was going to be particularly difficult to answer, but my absolute favorites pop up immediately (though it is hard to keep it to 3!): The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and Beach Music by Pat Conroy.
- Favorite travel spot? Like the question above, there are so many, but if I have to pick just one: Il Giardino di Ninfa, and Sermoneta, the little town right next to it (one of the reasons both these places are in All the Way to Italy!).
- Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time? I don’t think this counts as a ritual, but I have a really hard time writing without eating, even if it’s just nibbling on something. White chocolate-covered raisins, and the little Reese’s bites, are my kryptonite.
- What is your next project? I have two ideas in my head at the moment: one is the story of Little a few years on, when she’s grown up and has moved to a new country; the other is the story of Sira when she was younger. So let me answer this question with a question: if you’ve read All the Way to Italy, which one of those two stories would you most next want to read?
- How did you do research for your book? Some of the research did itself and was the inspiration to actually write the book: growing up between Rome and California, hanging out in a lot of airports growing up, falling back in love with Italy, meeting so many people who had also become enamored with the country. The rest of the research process was mostly sitting down and compiling everything, stitching the ideas together—organizing and editing was the hardest part for me!
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| 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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