CHICKENS EAT PASTA: ESCAPE TO UMBRIAPUBLISHER'S WEBSITE (BOOK PAGE) This is my non-fiction choice for June. I was given a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. MATADOR (KINDLE), 2015
224 PAGES
Not just another romance, but a story of escapism, coincidences, friendship, luck and most of all... love.
Chickens Eat Pasta is the tale of how a young Englishwoman starts a new life after watching a video showing a chicken eating spaghetti in a mediaeval hill village in central Italy.
"Here I was, 26 years old, alone and numb with boredom at the prospect of a future which until recently had seemed to be just what I wanted."
Unlike some recent bestsellers, this is not simply an account of a foreigner's move to Italy, but a love story written from the unusual perspective of both within and outside of the story. As events unfold, the strong storyline carries with it a rich portrayal of Italian life from the inside, with a supporting cast of memorable characters. Along the way, the book explores and captures the warmth and colour of Italy, as well as some of the cultural differences - between England and Italy, but also between regional Italian lifestyles and behaviour. It is a story with a happy ending. The author and her husband are still married, with three children, who love the old house on the hill (now much restored) almost as much as she does.
Chickens Eat Pasta is Clare's autobiography, and ultimately a love story - with the house itself and with the man that Clare met there and went on to marry. If you yearn for a happy ending, you won't be disappointed. It's a story that proves anything is possible if you only try.
People often ask me what made me do what I did. I reply that life is not always a case of making conscious choices. If I have learned one thing, it is that following your instincts often leads to happiness, even if it doesn't mean taking the easiest path you could have chosen.
Chickens Eat Pasta is a delightful, charming book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I'd secretly love to do what the author did and by a house in a foreign country and make a new life for myself. Isn't that everyone's secret dream? I loved reading about the Italy the author creates with her vivid, often humorous descriptions. I could picture everything so clearly in my mind I felt like I was living there, seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting everything. The people the author meets are amazing, colourful and just a bit crazy (in the right way). I loved all the insights into life in rural Italy. I also liked the love story with Mario woven through the book. I'm not a huge fan of love stories if they're cheesy and slushy but I enjoyed reading this one. It wasn't over-the-top but sort of sweet and lovely like the rest of the book.
