Written by Clare Pedrick⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
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My thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to join the book tour for Chickens Eat Pasta, and to author, Clare Pedrick, who provided me with a free digital copy of this book for review.
For those of you who'd like the chance to win an audio copy of Chickens Eat Pasta, there is also a raffle at the bottom of this blog post.
For those of you who'd like the chance to win an audio copy of Chickens Eat Pasta, there is also a raffle at the bottom of this blog post.
The blurb:
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.
Travel
Romance
Memoir
My thoughts:
I was drawn to this book by the amusing title, and the amazing cover, which made me think about holidays in the warmer Southern European climes; their ancient dwellings, quite different to our own in the UK; melodic foreign languages, spoken loudly and at speed; and ex-pats adapting to a strange new culture and way of life in an idyllic Italian Village.This book was first published in 2015, but the story is set a while before then, as the local currency is Lire with no mention of Euros. Italy adopted the Euro in 2002.
While this often feels like a piece of fiction, it is British journalist Clare Pedrick's memoir, covering a time after she left a busy and bustling Brighton for life in a tranquil, and fairly isolated village in Umbria, Italy.
Initially, I found the story rather slow going, and could not get excited for what might come next. However, as it progressed, snippets of information brought more colour to the story, and I found myself recalling the historical event, or identifying the character it was describing, before it was revealed in the text. This captured my attention, and compelled me to read on.
Clare being on her own, left the door open to all sorts of unwanted male attention. It seems odd to me, that even in the 1980s, an entire village would be consumed with the idea that an unattached woman needed a man to be complete. In that time and place, however, that is exactly how many people felt, and the male populace, at least, had no qualms about making those feelings plain to Clare. Of course, when she does find herself a man, they find reasons, based on their own prejudices against the people of Naples, not the man, to think him unsuitable for her.
My favourite comic moment was Clare discovering the 'Space Bog', but I think that says more about my sense of humour than anything else!
I would say, Chickens Eat Pasta is an interesting, amusing and well written memoir which also reminded me of some of the significant world events of my youth.
| Author Bio – Clare Pedrick |
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 Clare Pedrick is a British journalist who studied Italian at Cambridge University before becoming a reporter. She went on to work as the Rome correspondent for the Washington Post and as European Editor of an international features agency. She still lives in Italy with her husband, whom she met in the village where she bought her house. You can follow Clare on her Facebook Book Page, her own Facebook page and on Twitter. Read her blog about life in Umbria here |
| Social Media Links – | |
| Web site | https://chickenseatpasta.wordpress.com/ |
| Facebook Author Page | https://www.facebook.com/Chickens-Eat-Pasta-376747612525269 |
| X | https://twitter.com/ClarePedrick |
| Clare's Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009425110723 |
Giveaway – Win an audiobook copy of Chickens Eat Pasta (Open Internationally)
The winner will be able to choose either an audible or ibooks audio code.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The winner will be able to choose either an audible or ibooks audio code.
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