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Title details for Only in Naples by Katherine Wilson - Available

Only in Naples

Lessons in Food and Famiglia from My Italian Mother-in-Law

by Katherine Wilson
Katherine Wilson
Audiobook
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Full of lighthearted humor, sumptuous food, the wisdom of an Italian mother-in-law, and all the atmosphere of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels, this warm and witty memoir follows American-born Katherine Wilson on her adventures abroad. Thanks to a surprising romance—and a spirited woman who teaches her to laugh, to seize joy, and to love—a three-month rite of passage in Naples turns into a permanent embrace of this boisterous city on the Mediterranean.
When I saw the sea at Gaeta, I knew that Naples was near and I was coming home.
“There is a chaotic, vibrant energy about Naples that forces you to let go and give in,” writes Katherine, who arrives in the city to intern at the United States Consulate. One evening, she meets handsome, studious Salvatore and finds herself immediately enveloped by his elegant mother, Raffaella, and the rest of the Avallone family. From that moment, Katherine’s education begins: Never eat the crust of a pizza first, always stand up and fight for yourself and your loved ones, and consider mealtimes sacred—food must be prepared fresh and consumed in compagnia.
Immersed in Neapolitan culture, traditions, and cuisine, slowly and unexpectedly falling for Salvatore, and longing for Raffaella’s company and guidance, Katherine discovers how to prepare meals that sing, from hearty, thick ragù to comforting rigatoni alla Genovese to pasta al forno, a casserole chock-full of bacon, béchamel, and no fewer than four kinds of cheeses. The secret to succulent, tender octopus? Beat it with a hammer. While Katherine is used to large American kitchens with islands and barstools, she understands the beauty of small, tight Italian ones, where it’s easy to offer a taste from a wooden spoon.
Through courtship, culture clashes, Sunday services, marriage, and motherhood (in Naples, a pregnancy craving must always be satisfied!), Katherine comes to appreciate carnale, the quintessentially Neapolitan sense of comfort and confidence in one’s own skin. Raffaella and her famiglia are also experts at sdrammatizzare, knowing how to suck the tragedy from something and spit it out with a great big smile. Part travel tale, part love letter, Only in Naples is a sumptuous story that is a feast for the senses. Goethe said, “See Naples and die.” But Katherine Wilson saw Naples and started to live.
Praise for Only in Naples
“In a world filled with food memoirs, this one stands out. Katherine Wilson gives us more than the fabulous food of Naples. She offers us a passport to an exotic country we would never be able to enter on our own.”—Ruth Reichl, author of My Kitchen Year
“Warmhearted . . . an exuberant account of love and great Italian food.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Sweet and humorous.”—Publishers Weekly
“Wilson has written a glorious memoir celebrating the holy trinity of Italian life: love, food, and family. Her keen eye and sense of humor take you through the winding streets of Naples at a clip, on a ride you hope will never end.”—Adriana Trigiani, author of The Shoemaker’s Wife

“How lucky we are to get these hilarious and wise perceptions filtered through a sincerely loving eye.”—Julie Klam, author of Friendkeeping
“This thoroughly enjoyable love letter to Naples is a tribute to the author’s irrepressible mother-in-law.”—Luisa Weiss, author of My Berlin Kitchen...

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 19, 2016

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780147524331
      • File size: 238056 KB
      • Duration: 08:15:56

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Author Katherine Wilson does a wonderful job narrating her memoir, which begins with an internship at the American Consulate in Naples. Wilson deftly portrays her awkward younger self as she learns a completely different way of life in Naples, thanks to the Avallone family, who take her in as one of their own. Wilson captivates listeners by portraying her own complex emotions without overdoing it. She'll have listeners' mouths watering from her descriptions of sumptuous meals--and have them laughing over cultural misunderstandings and tearing up during touching moments. She candidly describes how learning a new way to eat helped her overcome her binge eating disorder, and how she learned to stand up for herself and for those she loves. Italian words and phrases, immediately followed by their English translations, add to the charm of this delightful memoir. M.M.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 16, 2016
      During a college internship in 1996, Wilson fell in love with the quirky and wonderful city of Naples, Italy. Wilson, who was raised in Washington, D.C., now resides in Italy with her husband and their two children. Her warm-hearted memoir weaves snippets of her upper-middle-class upbringing into the chronicle of her life in Italy for the past 19 years. During her internship, Wilson was taken under the wing of a Neapolitan family with two children her own age, headed by an irrepressible matron. Wilson began learning the language and customs of everyday life that were not readily found in guidebooks. She slowly grasped how enjoying good food can spill over into the love of life. Wilson explains that she had been a chubby child and struggled with what Italians call "disorganized, messy eating sickness," or binge-eating disorder, while growing up. But Naples and her adopted family showed her a different way to eat and live: "Naples is an anti-binge city. In Neapolitan culture, mealtimes are sacredâfood is freshly prepared and consumed in compagnia." Wilson includes special recipes for savoring alongside her sweet and humorous narrative.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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