One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
Published by Atria Books
Publication date: March 1, 2022
Genres: Fiction
Bookshop
When Katy’s mother Carol dies, she is consumed with grief. Not only was her mother her best friend, but they had planned a trip of special importance. A month in Positano, Italy a place Carol visited decades ago in the summer before she met her husband and began the life Katy knows. Carol made all the arrangements down to daily itineraries for sightseeing and meals. Katy decides to go alone and One Italian Summer begins.
The hotel staff in Positano is aware of Carol’s death and the family goes out of their way to take care of her. Slowly, she begins exploring this small town on the Amalfi coast. One day she catches sight of a familiar looking woman only to realize it’s her mother when she was Katy’s age. Katy approaches, they speak, and start spending time together. They become friends and Katy watches in wonder as the mother she knew dissolves into a woman she never met.
I was intrigued by One Italian Summer for its premise. What would it be like to spend time with your mother before she was your mother? Carol and Katy are almost the same age in Positano and it’s intriguing to read Katy’s reactions to her mother’s very unmotherly attitudes.
But ultimately, One Italian Summer was problematic for me. One, Carol as a mother was a saint. Katy has no bad memories from their life together. Two, their relationship is a kind of co-dependency I don’t find charming. Katy doesn’t know how to cook, she’s married, but lives two blocks from her parents. Her mother brings them food, does their laundry, decorates their house. All of their free time is spent with her parents or her mother. Her mother, who freely acknowledges that Katy is the greatest love of her life. A fact accepted by all, including Katy’s father. This may be generational on my part, but it’s creepy. I love my mother dearly, but we did not have a friendship until she stopped being a parent and I was on my own. My father was her soulmate, not me.
As for the rest of One Italian Summer, Serle lands a gut punch of a twist late in the story, which is the novel’s high point. After that there are plot choices that left me disappointed. But…Serle’s writing and descriptions of Positano were a delight (maybe because I haven’t had a vacation since 2018). She creates a sense of place beautifully. This is one of those books I’m going to have to chalk up as the right book for the right reader. If you are in the mood for lots of emotion it’s marvelous. If you’re hoping for a deeper mother/daughter experience, it’s not there. It’s a surface novel, which is absolutely fine, we all need them. I just wanted more.
Weird winter weather got you needing more reading? Sarah and I have an entire episode of backlist books we loved. So many options!
Click link or graphic below to go to episode or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase of any kind, I get a small commission (at no cost to you).
*I received a free copy of this book from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.*
I didn’t like the authors first book, and after reading your review this is a hard pass for me. Sometimes I will give an author a second chance but not with this particular book at this time.
The only reason it might work for you, is it is emotionally easy reading. Nothing hard or draining, which is difficult these days. I had a dear friend who absolutely loved it.
Too bad it didn’t hit the spot for you. I’m interested, maybe.