Review from Allison D:
There is a bit of mystery throughout, as her son continuously eludes her for nearly the entire tale, (not necessarily of his own doing), a Prince who Lillian develops a very comfortable bond with and then…..Italy. Beautiful, beautiful Italy and her Amalfi coast and her food, her drink, her coastline and her amazing history. Venice, and sailing and afternoon naps in the sun. The loud, loving Italians, living life to the absolute fullest.
I normally do not read men authors. And certainly not when the main character is a woman. This was written quite well, though. Gee was able to (I think) correctly capture the spirit and attitude/behaviors of a 1960’s woman, traveling to another country in search of her son. Her life has changed dramatically- she has lost her husband and in a way, her purpose. Her daughter is off in Hong Kong raising her own family, and Lillian seems a bit….restless. What does life have in store for her now?
As she spends more time in Italy, the friendship between Lillian and Prince Massimo is a bit convenient, but it is played out nicely. (No spoilers here, folks.) I want to say SO MUCH MORE about this storyline, but will simply say I liked the way it was tied up at the end.
My favorite character- by far- was Italy. This book was the PERFECT read for me this month, as I am deep into researching the Italian side of my family tree. The descriptiveness that Gee bestows on his readers is remarkable. I could taste the wine, I could feel the sun toasting me to a golden brown. I could hear the water and see the beautiful sights of Venice. If I did not want to travel to Italy before, I certainly do now!
For me, the book was a straightforward story of a mother who starts out on a journey to find her son. What she doesn’t realize is she will find out a lot more than where he has been for the past 4 years, and will find herself along the way as well.
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