Postcards from Sicily by Nancy Barone #Review

 

Summer is just the time for Nancy Barone's latest novel. Postcards from Sicily will be published by August 6th by Penguin.

A cosy story about mother-daughter relationships and starting over in life, set in a luxurious Italian spa resort

Olivia swore she would never grow up to be like her mother, who fled to Sicily to be with her lover when Olivia was a teenager. But now in her thirties, the spark in Olivia’s marriage has been extinguished for years, she’s hopelessly pining over her attractive business partner, Markus, and her own teenage daughter barely speaks to her. 

So when her estranged mother offers to pay for an eight-week trip to a luxurious wellness centre in Italy, Olivia reluctantly accepts. A break will be good for her. For everyone. There’s just one catch... Susan is staying in the adjoining room. 

Fuelled by gorgeous weather, good food and even better wine, can the two women overcome their history and form the mother-daughter bond that Olivia always dreamed of? Or is it too late for second chances?

 My Thoughts

You follow Olivia all the way to Sicily where she has been persuaded to go to recoup and relax in a wellness centre.  Unfortunately, she finds her estranged mother therein an adjoining room and keen it appears to get to know her. Olivia has deep rooted issues with her mother who left the family home when she was a young child. Olivia's issues with attachment and abandonment all surface alongside her feelings about her current family life. Her relationship with her business partner, Markus, is also complicated since she has resisted any idea that she might have to split up her family, preferring to stay in a sad and sterile marriage.

    As Olivia works through these complicated relationships, Sicily glitters away as a gorgeous setting for her visit away from home. You feel like you are escaping along with her, leaving everyday life behind. This is a story of fresh starts, facing the past and realising that different people's perceptions of the past can differ.

In short:  facing up to the past. 

     

About the Author

 

Nancy Barone grew up in Canada, but at the age of 12 her family moved to Italy. Catapulted into a world where her only contact with the English language was her old Judy Blume books, Nancy became an avid reader and a die-hard romantic. Nancy stayed in Italy and, despite being surrounded by handsome Italian men, she married an even more handsome Brit. They now live in Sicily where she teaches English.

 

You can follow Nancy here: Twitter  |   

Book link: Purchase links  

 Aria Books: Website  |  Twitter  |   Facebook  |  Instagram

Thanks to Nancy Barone, Aria Books and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour. 

Check out the rest of the tour!