When the need of a fresh start brings you to Napoli…

Synopsis

A tender and funny novel that combines the best of Scottish and Italian culture with the joys of female friendship and a cast of characters reminiscent of Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.

When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart stands her up on their wedding day, leaving her alone on a plane eloping to the tropical location of his choosing, their dream – now feeling like just her dream – of their bairn filled future disappears in a heartbeat (or the time it takes for her to listen to the rambling drunken voicemail he left calling off the wedding).

In Naples, Elena is recently widowed and struggling to keep her husband’s family’s beloved and centuries old mozzarella factory afloat, whilst running her language school and bringing up their son. At risk of losing both businesses- and adding even more disruption to their life – she advertises a job and hopes for the best.

The stars seem to align and Elena and Lucy, each suffering from a very different sort of loss and loneliness, set about trying to lift the struggling business and each other.

A charming, tender and funny novel about the power of female friendships, the importance of letting go and the joys of eating pasta!

My review

After years being together with Stewart, Lucy is ready for the next step. But when their private wedding on location ends up with Lucy being stood up, she feels that her whole world is falling apart. All her dreams for the future have fallen into pieces, and the life she used to live, isn’t that inspiring at all anymore. So when she reads an advertisement for a teaching job in Napoli, Italy, she feels like this is a sign. Once arrived in Napoli, Lucy is staying with Elena and her son Stefano. Elena used to have big dreams for the family’s mozzarella factory, and her own dream of running a language school. But being widowed way too early, Elena cannot manage it all on her own. So she is more than happy with the arrival of Lucy. Especially as, even if different, the women share the sense of loss. And even if they don’t know it yet, them being together may be the cure to heal their pain and sense of loneliness. Because there is nothing that (new) friendship and female comradery and unity cannot heal…

I am easy to convince to read a book. Just give me a great blurb, and I am sold. Or make it even easier for yourself, and put in the title something that I feel connected to, and I am already hooked. So of course, with Napoli in the title, I just had to read this book!

Although I have to admit that at the start of the book, the first few chapters, I got very angry. Not at Lucy, as she hasn’t done anything wrong at all. But I got angry at Stewart. I just don’t understand why people cannot be honest about their feelings; no matter how difficult it must be. And to make it even worse, he doesn’t even have the guts to tell it to Lucy, but he decides to let do it with a voicemail, while Lucy is already flying over to their wedding location.

The devastation Lucy is going through is so palpable. I could understand the pain she is enduring, because she has been betrayed in the most terrible way, from the person she loves and trusts the most.

So despite her pain, I was happy to see how suddenly there is this female compassion, where complete strangers, from the manager to the housekeeping, are doing all the possible to help Lucy. This for sure shows that there are kind and compassionate people all over the world, even when you least expect it to find them.

Being an Italian myself, I couldn’t agree more with Lucy starting afresh in Napoli, as there is no better place on earth than Italy! 😊  But I could also comprehend her trepidation, as it cannot be easy to move to another country, not speaking fluently the language. And let’s be honest, also not knowing where she will end up…

But there couldn’t be a more fitting place for Lucy to ‘end up’ with Elena and her son Stefano. Not that Lucy suddenly finds paradise and is in place where nothing is going wrong. Yet it is the place that Lucy needs to be, and the place that needs Lucy too.

Because even if their lives are so different, Lucy understands that in a way, Elena and she are feeling the same pain, the same hurt, the same loneliness and even the same fears.

My heart broke a second time while getting to know Elena and sweet sweet Stefano better. She and her late husband Giancarlo had so many plans for the future, not doubting for one instance that they wouldn’t succeed.

Unfortunately, Elena and Stefano have to face a life without their beloved husband and father. And their loss shows us how unfair life can be. Or rather, how selfish and money – grabbing some people can be…

It may seem strange, but I liked it to see how the author took her time to show us the reality of life. Italy is known for all the beauties it has, but there are also many ugly bits in it. And it is important to not forget about those bits, and to fight against it.

But I just loved reading how these two women, Lucy and Elena, find each other in their pain. As Elena doesn’t want to give up her dream of running the language school, she brings into her life the person she needs the most.

It was just so heartwarming seeing these two women form a friendship, how with being together and living together, they are able to grieve, to finally see things brightly again and are able to look forward positively.

Of course there is room for romance in this book, but while it shows Lucy that love is still around, it didn’t feel for me the main message of the book. Because this book is all about friendship, determination, not giving up, and believe that good things will come your way. And that may start with moving to Napoli, meet amazing people, get a taste of mozzarella (di bufala of course😊) and will make you open a teashop in a country addicted to coffee!