Live your dream of Italy for just one euro! It almost sounds too good to be true when the picturesque town of Montenello advertises four homes for sale, for less than the price of a cup of coffee. To be considered as a future resident, applications are to be made to the town’s mayor, Salvio Valentini. Salvio and his assistant Augusto think this is the ideal plan to help rejuvenate their quiet, hilltop town. The only catch is each home needs major renovation.
Inundated with applications, Salvio and Augusto quickly narrow the field. There’s Elise, in her twenties who is desperate to get on the property ladder. Plus, recently divorced Mimi who wants to start afresh. There’s also Edward and Gino, a gay couple from Australia. Each are chosen for very different reasons. There is also one more person whose true motivation won’t be clear for some time.
As the new owners arrive to take possession of their homes, there are plenty of disagreements and misunderstandings. Salvio is left wondering if his idea will ever work? Can these new residents, all with their own dreams of Italy, reinvent themselves in Montenello?
If you haven’t discovered bestselling Kiwi author Nicky Pellegrino, now is the time! A Dream of Italy is Nicky’s 11th book. Nicky’s writing is inspired by her Italian heritage, including the ethos; live to eat, not eat to live. You can always rely on Nicky for a feel good fix about delicious food, friendship, love and Italy. Her latest novel is no exception, you will feel like you have been transported to Southern Italy yourself!
If you would like to experience some of the flavours and locations featured in Nicky’s novels, register your interest for updates on her first Italian tour in 2020. Nicky Pellegrino lives in Auckland, New Zealand and is the author of A Year at Hotel Gondola (shortlisted for the NZ Booklovers Fiction Award 2019) and One Summer in Venice and more.
Reviewer: Andrea Molloy Hachette, RRP $29.99