Casa Nostra: A Home in Sicily - Softcover

Manzo, Caroline Seller

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061373966 ISBN 13: 9780061373961

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 2008

Synopsis

Englishwoman Caroline Seller met Marcello Manzo at a Halloween party in London in the mid-seventies. Although she spoke little Italian and he spoke practically no English, the chemistry between them was undeniable, and it wasn’t long before Caroline was invited to visit Marcello's family in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. A large, eccentric, and loving clan living in a magnificent, crumbling villa, Santa Maria, the Manzos welcomed Caroline warmly, and soon she and Marcello were married. Together they traveled the world and started a family, but through it all, Santa Maria was never far from their thoughts. So when the Manzo brothers united to save the family's deteriorating estate, Marcello and Caroline eagerly signed on to the project—not entirely prepared for what they were getting into!

As seen through the eyes of Caroline Seller Manzo—an outsider who is often surprised and always delighted by her Italian family and adopted hometown—Casa Nostra is the captivating story of a villa's difficult, glorious rebirth and a celebration of the unique beauty and history of western Sicily and its people.

About this title

About the Author:

Caroline Seller Manzo was born in London but was brought up in Fiji and has lived in many different countries, first with her parents, then with her husband, Marcello. She read classics at Oxford University and now works as a trainer in communication studies. She and Marcello have two daughters, and divide their time between London, Sicily, and Milan.

From Publishers Weekly:

The renovation of a massive, decaying villa in Sicily ostensibly spurred the writing of this uneven, predictable memoir from first-time author Manzo. Married into a Sicilian family struggling to maintain its hold on the family property, London-born Manzo is compelled to help rebuild it, becoming a fixture of the neglected house and its multi-generational members. Photographs reinforce the grandeur of the property, which includes crenellated towers and arched doorways, but the story of the renovation itself is thin and uneventful, populated with predictable delays and a few oddball stories of contractors and broken water pumps. As expected, the domestic project frames the story of each family member, particularly the aging matriarch, though there are long chapters on architecture and the Mafia which often serve to slow what little momentum there is. Despite this, some charming moments shine through, particularly concerning the brothers who share the villa and the food they eat together, but without any major disasters or truly comic mishaps, the book flounders; still, readers looking for a light escape will agree there's worse places to flounder than sun-drenched Sicily.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0061373966
• ISBN 13: 9780061373961
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272