Under a Sardinian Sky

by Sara Alexander

Set against the beautiful backdrop of post-World War II Sardinia, Sara Alexander's evocative novel is a sweeping story of star-crossed romance between an American lieutenant and a local girl.

Sometimes a family's deepest silences hide the most important secrets. For Mina, a London-based travel writer, the enigmatic silence surrounding her aunt Carmela has become a personal obsession. Carmela disappeared from her Italian hometown long ago and is mentioned only in fragments and whispers. Mina has resisted prying, respectful of her family's Sardinian reserve. But now, with her mother battling cancer, it's time to learn the truth.

In 1952, Simius is a busy Sardinian town surrounded by fertile farms and orchards. Carmela Chirigoni, a farmer's daughter and talented seamstress, is engaged to Franco, son of the area's wealthiest family. Everyone agrees it's a good match. But Carmela's growing doubts about Franco's possessiveness are magnified when she meets Captain Joe Kavanagh. Joe, an American officer stationed at a local army base, is charismatic, intelligent, and married. Hired as his interpreter, Carmela resolves to ignore her feelings, knowing that any future together must bring upheaval and heartache to both families.

As Mina follows the threads of Carmela's life to uncover her fate, she will discover a past still deeply alive in the present, revealing a story of hope, sacrifice, and extraordinary love.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Italy, Romance, Historical, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 17, 2017

About the author

I grew up in North West London but all my summers were spent in my mother's homeland of Sardinia, specifically those dusty streets of Ozieri where I argued and fell in love with the neighbours.

Reviews

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. What a story and ending!! Copy received for review consideration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The author brings us a detailed story of life on a small island and how a sheltered girl who has promised to marry has her life changed when the Americans come to town. With star crossed eyes, she finds that she now has hopes and dreams of a better, bigger life but yet guilt for wanting something better. With ties to the family and the promise to marry, she feels trapped. Plus, there are underlying issues and more to the story than meets the eye that the author delicately weaves through the novel.

This story crosses many generations as it starts from today. Yet the bulk of the story is based in the past. I classify this as a historical romance, but not in the Regency genre. This is more of a women’s historical fiction that’s based around a romantic story. The rich history of the time blends perfectly with a touching love story.

The author takes us on a trip to the past with such detail and emotion it feels like you are right there with them, tasting food, smelling the air, watching the sea. It is a beautiful story with a lovely ending you don’t expect.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I'm a sucker for a book that transports me to a different country and a different era. "Under a Sardinian Sky" does that. The majority of the story is about Carmela, a young Sardinian women engaged to be married to Franco in 1950s Sardinia. Carmela is not only the oldest child in her family, but she's a talented seamstress who has also learned English - which serves her well when the American army needs an interpreter when speaking to local farmers about renting their land for American military purposes.

Enter Joe Kavanagh. An American officer who has fallen under the spell of the Sardinian landscape, the people and the food. Working side by the side, Carmela and Joe start to fall in love with one another - knowing that a future between the two of them would be almost impossible.

This book had it's highs and lows for me.

Highs:
This wasn't only a love story between two people. It really was about self discovery and growth. It was about learning to live with the decisions you make and sometimes putting yourself first.

Carmela wasn't simply a one dimensional character who towed the family line. As she was exposed to new people and experiences she really took everything in; she was able to open her eyes and see that perhaps she wanted more out of her life rather than live on a farm in Simius. She realized that she wanted to be desired by her husband not just because she was the girl next door, or because of her looks; she wanted to impress him with her mind and non-physical attributes.

Description of food and scenery. Sara Alexander was able to create a world of sandy beaches, rugged landscape, war weary farmers and families who simply want to get back to their way of life. Cooking and eating played a major role in this book - Italian sausage stuffed with fennel and garlic, freshly made cheese, daily baked bread, olives, marinated peppers, spit-roasted suckling pig, roasted lamb, ravioli, percorino cheese, and honey drizzled fried pastry.

Lows:
It was so wordy. Sometimes I just wanted Carmela to shut her mind off - I felt like she never stopped overthinking everything. Which became a little bothersome when she often kept thinking the same thing over and over again. I feel that this story could have been edited slightly more aggressively without taking away from the storyline.

When you start the book you meet Mina - who is Carmela's niece. Mina's family never talks about Carmela, but Mina decides that she must put Carmela's story to print. My issue with this is that ... if no one talks about Carmela - how does Mina know the story? Or any part of the story? I would have preferred that the Mina component was either cut out completely, or that a little of the ending was brought to the beginning so that it would make more sense (or that Mina had come upon journals or something to tie Carmela's story with her).

It isn't a deal breaker to enjoying this book - it was just something I noticed and stuck with me.

That said.

If you enjoyed Beautiful Ruins and 300 Days of Sun - I think you'll love this book. You'll certainly root for Carmela and Joe (and dislike Franco) and the ending brings things nicely together.

Recommended summer read. It will transport you to a different time and place and make you hungry for an Italian feast.

[Ренета Кирова · Rating 3 out of 5]

Книгата е любовна история, чието действие се развива през 1952 г. на остров Сардиния. Американци от армията, останали там след Втората световна война, търсят земи от местното население за военни цели. Един от тях - Джо, се влюбва в италианско момиче на име Кармела от голямо семейство, но той е женен, а тя е сгодена за Франко. Книгата разказва тяхната любовна история, но това не е основното в нея. Описват се нравите на италианците, техните традиции, обичаи, кухня и природата на Сардиния. Островът е красив, с диви плажове и чисто море.
Много от описанията в книгата изместваха фокуса от историята. Краят на романа ми се видя претупан. Наблягаше се повече на храната и мислите на влюбената героиня, а това ми идваше твърде много. Накрая даже ми стана досадно от това. Много от случките ми се видяха нагласени и съшити към сюжета.
Като цяло, доволна съм от книгата, че научих нови неща, а другото си е мое усещане за сюжета.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book begins with Mina in 2007 London. The lives of Mina’s family, her mother and aunt in particular, have long been haunted by the mysterious disappearance of their sister Carmela. Mina, a writer, wants to free them from this and sets out to discover what happened to Carmela. I initially thought that this would be a dual narrative, a popular story telling device at present, but Mina appears only at the beginning and then again at the end. The majority of the book is devoted to Carmela’s story. It takes place in postwar Sardinia and tells the story of Carmela, her family and larger community, and the American soldier stationed on the Italian island.

My major issues with the book was that it was slow to start (I was questioning what I had gotten myself into) and had a very rushed ending. The rest of the book was very detailed so the ending just didn’t fit in with the general flow. Apart from this, I loved the book. The author painted a wonderfully descriptive picture of life in 1950s Sardinia, from the clothes to the customs to the physical setting. A number of reviewers have stated that they felt the author spent too much time detailing the food but I loved that about the book. For me, it heightened the atmosphere of the tale and made me feel like I was right there. And, beyond the slow start, the story was fabulous. Once I really got into it, I hard a hard time putting it down. A few times, my heart was racing with anticipation because I didn’t know where the author was taking me. Overall, a really enjoyable read. I will be looking for more from this author.

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and the publishers for providing me this copy.

[Martin Dormer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a good story at the heart of this book, and in parts I liked both the writing and the author’s insights into the Sardinian way of life and culture, but an excessive and distracting focus on food (very detailed descriptions of preparing it, cooking it, serving it, eating it), too much content that was rather repetitive, and a somewhat inconsistent, overly melodramatic portrayal of the heroine spoiled my enjoyment of it as a whole. Worth a read, but not wholly satisfying, unfortunately.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written, great characters. Passionate, tense, frightening and loving. Story of Carmela trapped in a traditional engagement to an abusive Franco. Carmela is a very talented seamstress/designer who becomes an interpreter for an American GI after WW11 in Sardinia. Carmela and the GI fall in love. Culture, tradition make it difficult for her to break her engagement even at risk to her life. Her GI relationship is improbable. All is against them. Will their love and determination save them, or will she be ostracized by Sardinian culture or murdered by Franco? Her niece Mina starts the narration to the story and then the story continues on its own. Mina comes back as narrator at end and it "interrupts" the story, she snaps you back to present day. It felt like a jolt. I wish the story could have ended without her interruption.

[Габриела Щинова · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Тръгвам към брега, надявайки се откритото пространство и необятното Средиземно море да ми върнат спокойствието. Познавам тази гледка. Въздухът, наситен с уханните розмарин и мащерка, миризмата на изгорелия от слънцето див копър ми действат като балсам.За миг се превръщам отново в дете. Усещам вкуса на пълна свобода и безкрайни възможности."
"Среща в Сардиния"
Сара Алекзандър

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/2017/0...

The prologue in London 2007 is a poignant family time which brings to light Mina’s obsession about the mystery of missing aunt Carmela. Then we’re taken back to 1952 on the Assumption Day fiesta in the Sardinian town of Simius. Despite GI’s arriving 8 years ago when they liberated the town, the community have little respect for them considering the soldiers rude (and racist!). Carmela is watching the dancers, observing her seamstress skill in their costumes before being made to stand in for one of the dancers. Running away to get changed down an alleyway, a GI follows her believing she may be in danger and fiancee Franco also turns up. The scene is set …

I didn’t like Franco from the beginning. Arrogant and possessive, I just knew that Carmela would certainly lose her passion, self belief and her wanderlust with him as a husband. He made me feel afraid (which was only heightened after one particular scene). One relationship I did enjoy is that with Carmela and sister Piera. It was (mostly) honest and open and I felt Carmela’s sadness that once she was married to Franco, she would feel as if something was missing from not being able to be so close to Piera. I have to be honest and share that it took me over half of the story to have an emotional connection with Carmela. Obviously this is subjective although I have no idea why I didn’t connect before. All of a sudden it was there though, deepening my feelings. After that I cried. More than once! I felt so desolate at one point and yet at another brimming with hope and possibility. Conflict comes from not just Franco and Joe but Agnes too (something she does has such a profound effect on lives).

Jewish immigrants from London, the Curzon family, holiday in the town every summer. They added even more interest to the story and have an important part to play in the future.

Sara Alexander’s writing is beautiful – I loved her use of figurative language – and she brings everything to life with such vibrancy. The landscape, working the land, Yolanda’s dressmaking studio, Antonio and his bar, the festivals and the military base hospital all felt very real. The Sardinian culture fascinated me – not just the people themselves but the food they eat and the way they lived their lives.

My favourite quote:

The storyteller is the weaver; the listener can choose how they believe.

Under a Sardinian Sky is a story of loyalty, family obligation, secrecy and love (toxic and unattainable). You don’t need to travel any further than your own home for new experiences and new landscapes! Whether you’re a romance reader or historical fiction, Under a Sardinian Sky is a recommended read from me.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful cover with a story rich in Italian traditions filled with many descriptions and emotions...

Carmela is the best seamstress in Simius. You show her a dress out of any magazine and she can make it. She is also very fluent in English and used as a translator for many of the townspeople in Simius. Which is why when the American Army wants to rent land from farmers in the area, they seek Carmela.

Carmela is betrothed to Franco. He is the son of the richest man in all of Simius. While they are of age to marry, Carmela and her family, would like to prolong the wedding for different reasons through the book. Problems begin, however, when Franco thinks his soon-to-be wife is spending too much time with her careers and not with him.

The book is rich with descriptions of the scenic landscapes. And, fair warning, don't read this book hungry. These people are ALWAYS eating. I was a little bummed because Kindle translator was not quite working for me. However, the author's vivid details of what went into the dish helped a lot. I really felt like I was there in those kitchens listening to those Italian sisters fussing and smelling the smells.

I enjoyed this book immensely and would like to thank Kensington Books for approving my request. Also, Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would describe this as women's fiction, set on the Italian island of Sardinia at the end of WW2. A young woman with a fiancé has her simple life turned upside down by the arrival of American forces. As she has been dressmaking for English-speaking residents, she is called upon to act as translator.

Local food and drink, romances and jealousies, conventions and contrasts. This is a richly woven tale steeped in the author's family background.

I downloaded an ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

[Anjie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely romance that surprised me just a little at the end and left me longing to visit Sardinia.

[Vicki_cosy.books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a gulp down, page turning race of a read. Rather a lovely, leisurely meander which will transport you to another place. It requires you to slow right down, take a deep breath and relax into it. It took me a little while to settle into at first, after reading some edgy, fast paced thrillers, but once I had and allowed myself a good couple of hours of uninterrupted, unhurried reading I became immersed. Sara's writing is incredibly descriptive and evocative, the beauty of Sardinia and the delicious descriptions of foods will make you yearn to be there. With a rich cast of vivacious and vivid characters and an illicit romance, Under A Sardinian Sky is incredibly evocative and atmospheric. This book is ideal for holidays or lazy Sunday afternoon reading. If you enjoy being transported to another place and evocative, descriptive prose then I think you'll like this.

[Ruth Fowler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting hooked into this book, but I kept going because I liked the concept. Unlike many books with a dual time line, the bulk of it was set in the past, with the present day only at the beginning and end. The bulk of the book covers the year or two before the disappearance of the narrator's aunt, in the 1940s. There was a lot of time spent in Carmela's (the aunt's) head, much of it quite developed. There were also elaborate descriptions of the Sardinian landscape and all the food the family was constantly preparing, to the point of being excessive. At some point, I just started skimming over all this descriptive prose. Thank goodness it had a happy ending, because it sure was building to a painful climax. Three stars for ability to take me to some other time/some other place, but no more due to wordiness.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to thank Sara Alexander, author and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for the paperback copy of Under a Sardinian Sky that my late mother won in the Goodreads Giveaway.

The book started with a main character that smoked although her mother was suffering from lung cancer and her aunt had just died of cancer. She is a travel writer on a quest to find out what happen the another aunt that disappeared from the family village in Italy. It had too much description of just everything and I personally found it slow reading.

It wasn't poorly written just not my style.

[Iliana Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Среща в Сардиния" от Сара Алегзандър е една италианска смесица от любовен роман, семейна сага и исторически жанр.
Главната героиня, от чието име се разказва историята, се казва Мина, и произхожда от италианско семейство. Тя обожава леля си Пиера, която е на смъртния си одър, докато в същото време и здравословното състояние на майка й се влошава.
Почти не се говори за третата сестра - Кармела, която е изчезнала преди много години. Тя била сгодена за Франко - богат млад мъж, чиято ревност е много силна. Съвсем случайно на острова Кармела среща млад американец - Джо Кавано - в който се влюбва истински. Между тях започва тайна авантюра, която трябва да бъде много добре скрита от Франко.
Мина, която е журналист по професия, пише книги. Тя няма никакво време за губене, ако иска да не загуби и майка си. Започва да сглобява парчетата от пъзела, наречен семейна история.
Положителен завършек! 5/5 *

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserves 4 stars for the lucious descriptions of the food and cooking alone. My mouth was watering. The author also does a fine job of evoking small Italian villages.

The plot? not so much.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seems to be everywhere. I think the back cover is selling it. After her aunt dies, a woman decides to see if she can find her other aunt. Then we learn the aunt's story about life on Sardinia in the 1950s. I kept reading to find out what happened, but I never really cared about the characters or the story itself.

[Emma Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes writers use two stories when one would do.

As much as I enjoyed reading Sara Alexander's debut novel, 'Under a Sardinian Sky', it definitely feels like a book with one story to tell - and with a largely irrelevant second story tacked onto the beginning and end.

-- What's it about? --

In 1952, Carmela Chirigorni, a farmer's daughter in a small Sardinian village, is engaged to be married to the local catch - Franco, son of a wealthy, up-and-coming family. He's handsome, passionate and ready to own a dutiful Sicilian wife. We meet Carmela as she is starting to experience some doubts about her future happiness as she reflects on her own life to come in this very traditional town.

Then she meets Joe.

Captain Joe Kavanagh is an American officer stationed at a local army base. He treats Carmela with respect, hires her as an interpreter and values her intelligence. He's also married, with a very young son.

Fettered by her family's expectations but increasingly anxious about her ability to play the dutiful wife to arrogant Franco, Carmela struggles with her growing feelings for Joe. What could her future be like, if she could bring herself to break her family's hearts?

-- What's it like? --

Evocative. Tense. A little repetitive.

Firstly, this is a perfect summer read. The sights, smells and sounds of Sardinia are all there, but more fundamentally there is the food. Expect descriptions of baking, cooking and sumptuous meals being prepared and devoured with relish and attention. After all, an angry cook spoils her food, apparently. Alexander scatters depictions of cooking and eating liberally through the story and I defy you to read this without craving bowls of hot pasta and fresh delicacies.

'She watched him dip a tied bunch of rosemary into a terra-cotta pot of olive oil and run it across the caramelised crackling of the suckling pig.'

This attention to detail is symptomatic of the whole: if you like your stories brisk and pacey then this isn't for you. The story begins with a festival, Assumption Day, and readers who like a little wordiness will be delighted to learn that as the spectacle commenced, 'The narrow houses that lined the square, crushed together like skinny matriarchs pushing against one another for attention, boasted long strips of red and green fabric hung beneath their weary shutters.'

-- The Romance --

Marketed as a story of 'hope, sacrifice and extraordinary love' it's obvious that the relationship between Carmela and Joe won't be smooth sailing and Alexander successfully conveys the fears Carmela struggles with: can she sacrifice her homeland and family for love? Can she reconcile herself to the hatred she believes she will incur? As the story veers closer to completion, a new shadow arises: even if she chooses to sacrifice everything she holds dear, will her increasingly dangerous fiancé allow it?

These questions are what kept me reading, even though I was a little frustrated at times with the repetition of her situation and her feelings while there's a significant lull in the actual action. Okay, okay, so this is a romance, not an action or crime novel, but I still felt that a little less agonising from Carmela would have rendered the middle of the book more inspiring to pick up. (I actually read two other books alongside this, which isn't uncommon for me as I do like to read what I feel in the mood to read, but it shows that this didn't consume me in the way a more tightly paced or plotted narrative would. Then again, I appreciate that this isn't meant to be a gripping thriller but more of a feast for the senses... Nope, I still wanted a little less fretting and a little more action.)

The final part of Carmela's story is quite tense and I was just wondering excitedly how the story would develop when - it didn't. Abruptly, her voice vanished and the reader is jolted to find Mina, still wondering what, precisely, became of her Aunt Carmela.
 
-- Thoroughly Modern Mina --

I imagine some readers will love this device. The teasing. The waiting for the drama to unfold. The desire to know WHAT HAPPENED TO CARMELA?

Personally, I wanted to continue following Carmela directly and wasn't sure that the framing of the central story with Mina's story added much value. I often read the first few pages of a book before deciding whether or not to purchase and the whole tone of Mina's voice in the opening chapter is so different to the main story that I think I would have felt slightly cheated if I had bought the book based on her voice. I also kept expecting her voice to emerge again earlier on in the book, as is implied by the blurb ('Mina follows the threads of Carmela's life'). It didn't, which made me question the point of it. Basically, if a framing device was required, I'd have preferred a different one.

-- Final thoughts --

Read this for the sumptuous descriptions of food and the insight into what life was like for women in small Sardinian towns in the early 1950s. Alexander does well at incorporating historical details without making them obvious and the portrayal of Carmela's difficulties in choosing a path for the rest of her life is convincing.

The ultimate ending is made-for-film and I can see its appeal, but I like knowing that Alexander originally had a different ending. Intrigued? Read it and decide: what ending would you create?

Many thanks to the author and publishers for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Holly Reynolds · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am I allowed to say TMI emphatically? Tedious unnecessary details filling page after page. Everything about Sardinia you never needed to know. Culture, history, language, food, apparel, likes and dislikes (particularly of Americans after WWII), even the lay of the land. Useful to some degree when you are trying to set the stage for a story, but when the story line gets lost in the details, it does not work. The author lost me midpoint in the book. The story was not developing and the promise of the central character's having a mysterious past just wasn't happening.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in Italy and wanted to read a book set there. I loved the descriptions of the food at the beginning but then it seemed to happen always. At the mid-point of the story, I was confused why the book was set-up the way it was. It begins in 2008 with a journalist returning the island for the death of an aunt and wondering about the mystery about her aunt's older sister, Carmela, whom she had never met. Until the afterword, the rest of the book is the story of Carmela, which didn't grip me the way I had hoped. Then, it was all wrapped up quickly.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very slow read, hard to really get into, although I did like it. I loved the descriptions of food, clothing, culture and post-WWII life on a secluded community and Island, but the book had a monotone voice to me. Ultimately I kept reading because the characters stuck with me. There were some interesting themes of past vs. present, duty & family vs one's own happiness and the female role in a post-WWII world. I would be interested in the authors next book.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

** This was an advanced read.** *Spoilers*

This story is set in Sardinia, a small town in Italy, and centers around the life of Carmela. She is a seamstress for her family shop and engaged to Franco. As the eldest, she is expected to marry well (Franco) which will reflect well on the family. We learn that Franco is controlling and abusive. Enter the American military. Set in the 1950's, I'd say, the military are looking to expand their operations and look for land in the area to do military exericises. Carmela is approached by Joe Kavanaugh to be his interpreter as he visits various farmers about land usage. After navigating family opinion, Carmela becomes Joe's interpreter for good money and with the mandate that she convince him to allow her family's land be rented not other farmers.

Though Joe is married, the two fall in love. His return to the US is a heartbreak for Carmela and after months, she reads a letter from him. He professes his love and eventually returns as he and his wife plan to divorce. The rest of the book is about how the two want to stay together but need to avoid her family's opinion and her suspicious fiance.

The climax of the story comes that she is pregnant and wants to leave with Kavanaugh but is thought to have jumped off a bridge. Her family never talks about her, having faced stigma of suicide, and one niece searches for the answer of what really happened to Carmela. The final chapter tells us about Carmela and what happened on the bridge.
The plot is wrapped up well.

************
While the plot is good, it is not gripping. Not a page turner/cant-put-it-down type of book. This is the story of a woman's quest to be happy and the choices and risks that she had to consider to do so. Follow your heart or follow your family. In the end, we see the pain that goes with each decision.
The writing is good. Plot is woven together well, but as I said, not gripping.

[Tabitha Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mina, a London-based travel writer, returns to her family’s home in Sardinia to bury an aunt. With her mother also gravely ill, she worries that her family’s history will be lost as the last of that generation passes away. Desperate to uncover the mystery behind her aunt Carmela’s untimely disappearance in the 1950’s, Mina digs into the past to uncover the family’s carefully hidden secrets.

It’s 1952 in post-war Sardinia. Carmela Chirigoni, a farmer’s daughter and talented seamstress, is engaged to the possessive Franco, son of a wealthy local family. Carmela believes she wants a traditional life, caring for her husband and home, and raising their children. But when she meets Captain Joe Kavanagh, an American army officer stationed nearby, his modern sensibilities challenge what she imagines for herself, and her deep feelings for him call into question her engagement to Franco. If she follows her heart, she will cause her family great strife. If she doesn’t, she may sacrifice her own future happiness and fulfillment.

With her debut novel, Under a Sardinian Sky, Sara Alexander weaves a mesmerizing tale of love and loss, courage and heartbreak, and gracefully explores the complexities of long-held family secrets. With stunning descriptions and an eloquent voice, Ms. Alexander’s tale will pull readers in and hold them captive until the very last page. See my interview with Sara Alexander on BCB here: https://bookclubbabble.com/author-int...

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book begins with a very old Sardinian woman being tended to by her niece, Mina, in London. On her deathbed, she mistakenly believes that her niece is her long lost sister, Carmela. Mina’s mother never speaks of her older sister and her mysterious disappearance seems to be a source of shame, even decades later. The story begins in 1952, a few years after the war, when Carmela and her sister were coming of age and the younger daughters of the family were innocent school girls. They lived in a small village near an American Army base. Carmela has been betrothed by her family to the son of a prosperous neighbor. He takes a proprietary attitude toward her and is rough and demanding of her attention and affection. Carmela meets an American officer at the base and immediately they are attracted to each other, even though he is married and she is engaged. The book describes the dangerous game that they are playing and in the end we learn the secret of Carmela’s disappearance. The end of the book is so compelling that I stayed up late to finish the book, unwilling to wait and see what happened.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would class this as a cross between chick lit and historical fiction because it has a grittier edge than the usual light, fluffy, romantic reads that are churned out just before the summer season and the evocative descriptions of Sardinia in the 1950's add an extra layer of interest. I enjoyed watching Carmela evolving and trying to break free from the restrictive and reductive views of her traditionalist peers. While such sexist and bigoted views are rarer these days, Carmela's experiences with an abusive partner, as well as her desire to bravely seek out a more fulfilling life than the one she is destined to, make it a timeless story that everyone can relate to, whenever and wherever they are reading it. I did feel that the book was too slow-paced with overly long descriptions and a sluggish plot, but this may have been done on purpose to represent the sedate, tedious life that Simius would offer her.

full review on my blog : https://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspo...

[Kara Hildebrand (Two Book Pushers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara Alexander's Under a Sardinian Sky is an emotional journey in 1952, post-World War II Sardinia. Carmela is a farmer's daughter who's a very talented seamstress engaged to the most sought after man in her town. They were childhood sweethearts so I was just a natural progression. Life is good. Carmela wants more, but it's just not part of her future. Until an American soldier shows her there's more to the world than her little town. There's more to love than just a little attraction. Passion for each other. Passion for life. Passion to live. Will Carmela give up everything for true love? Or will her love cause her to lose everything? This story was not a fast, fun read. It's a slow story with immense detail. The daily life of Carmela and her town. The food, the smells, the tastes. I enjoyed this story and wanted to call my family in Italy and talk about food and life.

The room emptied, as if her friends and family had been smudged out of a wet watercolor sketch. All that remained was the presence of two bodies, the air alive between them.

[Christine Ottaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is a delightful tale set predominantly in 1950’s rural Sardinia, and concerns Carmela, engaged to local boy, Franco and Kavanagh an American GI who arrives to trouble their lives. Woven into this are the lives of Carmela’s family and neighbours, close knit and deeply conservative.

The story starts and ends with Mina, Carmela's niece, in modern times. When I got to the end I did have to revisit the beginning to satisfactorily ties the two together.

Having said that, Sara Alexander describes Sardinia, Sardinians and their lives and especially their food in precise and beautiful detail. Her writing is reminiscent of Mary Stewart at her best. However I would say that some of the descriptions of Carmela's thought processes do get a little long.

What places this novel apart from the plethora of other ‘women’s fiction’ is the well crafted ending. 1950’s Sardinia is left on a cliff hanger and it is not until the tale is taken up again by Carmela’s niece, Mina in 2007, that the story is brought to a very satisfying, and not altogether expected conclusion and then, not until the last page.

[Sally Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carmela is a young Sardinian girl growing up in her home town of Simius - her family are farmers and reasonably well to do but Carmela is engaged to Franco a wealth young man and the catch of the town. Having worked for an English family Carmela is unusual in that she has learnt English and is relatively proficient at the language - enough so that she comes to the attention of an American Lieutenant, Joe, and becomes his interpreter

The more she sees of Joe though the more she begins to see faults in Franco and becomes disillusioned with her engagement - but Joe is already married with a young baby so where will this end?

A lovely story with great descriptions of Sardinia - I especially loved the day of the picnic to the beach and the wild horses - but I did feel that it was slightly long winded in places and I skipped through descriptive passages but overall a good story with great insight into the life in Sardinia

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother says "I buy you books, and buy you books, and all you do is eat the covers." Meaning, you should have read the books and learned something.
Thinking about that, I once wrote an essay about types of books, interest, and other ideas about books and reading. Sometimes I pick up a book, and just nibble at it, especially some short stories, and non-fiction. I may find that I don't like the author's flavor, or I might like the flavor if I wasn't lingering for something totally different. At other times, I feel like I gobble the story down all at once.
Under a Sardinian Sky was filled with rich descriptions of land, food, and family. Some parts were little tidbits to nibble at, others so clear that you can smell & taste the meals. Some parts were sweet, others bitter, but together, very satisfying.
I couldn't put it down, but at the same time I didn't rush through it. I savored every morsel.
If you loved this book, I recommend that you read A Song for Bellafortuna.

[patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mina's Aunt has died and she wants to know the story of her Aunt Carmela. Sara Alexander takes you back to Sardinia in the early fifties Under A Sardinian Sky. A place that still follows her ancients ways and traditions. Carmela is the oldest daughter, she works for an English family along withher sister Pieira every summer for an English family. Carmela also works for her aunt Yolanda in her dressmaking business. She is engaged to Franco, who is from a wealthier influential family. The Americans have come and Kavanaugh is a lieutenant who asks her to help him as a translator. Carmela starts to fall for him but he is married. She starts to see things in Franco she doesn't like. What happened to Carmela? Did she run off? Did Franco kill her? Did the lieutenant leave his wife for her? Secrets in the family, love and it's power are all there Plus the author will make your mouth water in the descriptions of the food, and long to see the beautiful island of Sardinia.