739 Annie Hawes new book

Following on from Equilibrio's thread on Holiday reading, I bought Annie Hawes new book today. I had already pre-ordered it from Amazon but saw it in town this morning and couldn't wait!

Anyway, pleased to report that I've just reached the end of the prologue and already laughed out loud.

A promising start for "Journey to the South". I am just wondering whether to lock myself away until I've finished it, or whether to ration myself. . . . .

Duurgh. I've 2 hours until I have to collect 1st child from school. Housework can wait!!!!! I'm off to read it all now.

Maria Lucia

Category
General chat about Italy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/05/2005 - 08:10

What's the book called? I am already looking forward to getting it.The last two were brillliant

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/05/2005 - 13:01

Robert, book is called "Journey to the South". Annie Hawes is still with Ciccio and she is making a trip to Calabria to meet his family.

Maria Lucia

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/05/2005 - 14:00

Thank you Maria Lucia.Is it as good as the others? I've got an idea in my head what some of the places she described look like but wouldn't it be great if she published some photos of her home in Liguria, the bend in the road,the bar and so on?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 07/06/2005 - 08:24

Thanks Maria - i also pre-ordered from Amazon - will now cancel & go into town!!!! As you say - till 2 hours till the kids need collecting....

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 07/12/2005 - 17:40

Finished it. In case you're interested:

It was brilliant but offered less belly laughs than the other two. AH seems to have decided to take her writing more seriously and done loads of research into the social history of Calabria. She uses this to put into perspective the bizarre phenomena that present themselves to her as an incurable nosey parker. The result is a very informative picture of Southern Italy but disguised by AH's funny, easy going chit chat nature.

Love it love it love it, but don't need my sides stitching back together this time. Can't wait for the next book.

What did anyone else think?

Maria Lucia

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/15/2005 - 04:29

Could anyone tell me the names of the first two book in the series? I live on the border of Tuscany and Liguria, have a Calabrian boyfriend and am going down to visit his family this summer so am quite intrigued!!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/15/2005 - 05:46

The first two books are 'Extra Virgin' and 'Ripe For Picking'.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/29/2005 - 10:44

After reading this thread, I ordered all three of the books from Amazon. I'm still in the early chapters of 'Extra Virgin' (don't seem to have much reading time at the moment) but it has got me hooked.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/29/2005 - 12:54

[QUOTE=Nicola]Could anyone tell me the names of the first two book in the series? I live on the border of Tuscany and Liguria, have a Calabrian boyfriend and am going down to visit his family this summer so am quite intrigued!![/QUOTE]

The titles (in order of publication) are: Extra Virgin: Among the Olive Groves of Liguria and Ripe for the Picking. The newest one is called Journey to the South.

Let me know if you haven't got them by September when we will be going out to Lunigiana. I can bring them for you.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/29/2005 - 12:59

Licciana - thanks but I've got the books ordered from Amazon and am just crossing my fingers they arrive before I go on my own journey to the south next week - heading down to Calabria for my hols (have already met the boyfriend's family though!). (thanks Girasole for the titles)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/29/2005 - 16:21

Hi all,
I came across a copy of the first book 'Extra Virgin' in a local charity shop, took it with me as 'holiday reading' , and started it during our last trip to Italy (whilst we were completing our purchase).
I was delighted to discover it was a true story and, on finishing it after our return, I was absolutely amazed by the experiences portrayed in it (most especially the way that the sisters unwittingly committed so many faux-pas - only by virtue of the lack of knowledge of how the Italians think and work - not for any other reason, and certainly not intentionally!).
The realisation of how the Italian mind works was obviously a gradual process for the sisters - and I suspect that it is a case of 'living in it to understand it and to become part of it'.
One of the reasons I was asking in another thread (thanks for responses so far - very much appreciated!) for pointers to help us avoid 'behaving too English' was after reading this book.
(To read this thread :
[url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=350[/url])
It was certainly a book I could relate to (regardless of the fact that it was based in Liguria and we are (will be) in Calabria.
The fact that Annie's latest book takes her to Calabria is even more amazing - but I still need to read the second one yet!!

Best wishes,
Lesley

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 07/29/2005 - 16:39

Apologies- this is the link I was trying to include in the previous message - will get there in the end!!!

[url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/member.php?u=740[/url]

Cheers, Lesley