Return to Valetto in Around the World

Jun 11, 2023 Andrea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, aaagain, 2023, australian-author, around-the-world-2023

A highlight of my reading year so far. With an irresistible premise I had high expectations for this book, and I'm happy to say it delivered in every way. I knew I was onto a winner when I had to chide myself for all the highlighting, especially in the first half. This book is sure to have wide appeal.

Hugh Fisher, an American historian and widower, has arrived in Valetto at the start of his sabbatical. This almost abandoned Umbrian village, sitting precariously on a column of tufa rising from th A highlight of my reading year so far. With an irresistible premise I had high expectations for this book, and I'm happy to say it delivered in every way. I knew I was onto a winner when I had to chide myself for all the highlighting, especially in the first half. This book is sure to have wide appeal.

Hugh Fisher, an American historian and widower, has arrived in Valetto at the start of his sabbatical. This almost abandoned Umbrian village, sitting precariously on a column of tufa rising from the valley floor, is the ancestral home of his recently deceased mother, Hazel Serafino, and he spent many of his childhood summers there with her in the small stone cottage at the rear of the family's medieval villa. He plans to base himself there while he conducts further research on his specialist academic topic - the vanishing towns and villages of Italy. But in the short-term he is there to help prepare for and celebrate his grandmother Ida's 100th birthday.

Before he has even arrived though, Hugh's plans are dealt a blow by an email from his Aunt Iris (one of 3 widow-aunts living in the villa), advising him of an interloper - a squatter - at the cottage left to him by his mother. The so-called squatter is a renowned Milanese chef by the name of Elisa Tommasi, and she has evidence of a strong claim on the cottage.

And so the first part of the book is focussed on the property dispute. Families being as they are, the Serafinos present a united front to the opposition of Elisa's claim, while behind the façade they are squabbling amongst themselves. However one unifying point is that the dispute is to be kept from Ida, to avoid the risk of spoiling the centenarian's birthday. But as the details of Elisa's claim are learned and understood, a deep, dark secret from Valletto's wartime past comes to light, threatening to divide the family and the local community.

This is a story of grief, loss, family, secrets, ageing and ultimately, reconciliation, told by Dominic Smith with a generous amount of warmth and humour. His writing is sublime (thus all the highlighting) and paints such a romantic picture of this faded but still dignified village and its inhabitants. I absolutely adored it and will read it again one day.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an uncorrected proof to read and review. ...more

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Jun 30, 2023 Lilisa rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, netgalley, 2023, fiction, around-the-world-2023-lilisa, italy, audio-read, lo

Secrets long held are the catalyst for current day family drama that plays out in the tiny village of Valetto in Italy. Hugh Fisher returns to Valetto, where his deceased mother was born, and where he spent several summers as a young boy. Hoping to get a grip on his life, he’s taken a six-month sabbatical from his U.S. college teaching job to spend time with his grandmother and three aunts who live in the family villa and live in the cottage his mother left him on the family property. But Elisa ...more

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Jun 24, 2023 KayG rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, 1-kindle, 1-2023

This was a lovely read of a historian who returns to his family’s home in Italy. At the heart of the story is his relationship with his elderly relatives and grandmother. They were colorful and interesting characters, and their family history was riveting and held a quite serious secret regarding actions taken during WWII.

I’ll avoid spoilers by not giving details of the story, but the book kept me interested, and the WWII story was compelling. Along the with satisfying story, I learned much of ...more

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