This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Kay Brooks
An Italian class designed to teach beginners the basics in the language of love attracts a new teacher and a variety of unusual, eager students; all there for varying reasons and each with their own story to tell. Far away from the sunny setting of Italy, in cold and rainy Sheffield, three women are about to find their lives transformed in the space of ten weeks.
Combine an intriguing prologue that could involve many of the wonderfully likeable characters and Diamond has got the reader hooked. There’s a character for everyone to relate to, from shy introverted gardeners to loud, excitable actresses. The storyline focuses mainly on three women who are all feeling like their lives have gone off track and are looking to find their ways back. There’s journalist Anna, who has recently learned that her father is Italian and wants to get in touch with her roots. She’s determined to use her investigative skills to hunt down her father armed with the paltry knowledge that his name is Gino and he was once in Rimini.
Next there’s Catherine, who has recently been left by her husband for another woman and is struggling to deal with having an empty nest after her twin children have left to pursue their own dreams at university. Having felt underappreciated for years, she is now ready to find a life for herself. Her scheming, deceitful husband provides the perfect villain in desperate need of a taste of his own medicine.
Lastly, there’s Sophie, who has spent the last few years travelling to separate herself from the dreams of becoming an actress that were torn apart by her disapproving mother.The reader is introduced to all these three women separately to begin with and they are then linked via an Italian class. This leads to a flurry of new friendships and romance as the women find the strength they need in each other to move on with their lives.
Although these are the main characters, the novel is bustling with an amazing supporting cast including glamorous, elderly actress, Geraldine, and her long-suffering husband. There’s ‘handsome colleague’ Joe, too, and snotty, vindictive Marla who – combined with Anna – creates lots of humour in the office. Anna’s boyfriend Pete also deserves a mention, simply for being such a creep! His spreadsheets rating bedroom experiences with Anna were incredibly insulting and equally funny.
This is a gem of a book and absolutely perfect if you are looking for some entertainment on the beach. Don’t let the fact that it isn’t set in Italy put you off. There’s plenty of scenes set in Bella Italia and the story is saturated with references to both food and language. As an extra welcome incentive, there are recipes for both tiramisu and focaccia at the end – both of which I shall by attempting!
The stories are deftly woven together despite the women being very different.
9/10