Growing up in Brisbane in the 1970s and 80s, Zoë Boccabella knew if you wanted to fit in, you did not bottle tomatoes, have plastic on the hallway carpet or a glory box of Italian linens. Though she tried to be like 'everyone else', refusing to learn Italian and even dyeing her dark hair blonde, Zoe couldn't shake the unsettling sense of feeling 'half-and-half' - half Australian, mezza italiana - unable to fit fully into either culture, or merge the two.
Years later, she travels to her family's ancestral village of Fossa in Abruzzo and discovers a place that is the stuff of fairytales - medieval castles, mystics, dark forests, serpent charmers and witches. As Zoe stays in the house that has belonged to her family for centuries, the village casts its spell. She begins to realise the preciousness of her heritage and the stories, recipes and traditions of her extended Italian family become a treasured part of her life. Then the earthquake hits...
Beautifully written, sprinkled with recipes and laced with love, Mezza Italiana is a heart-warming journey into the soul of Italy, and into a family you'll never forget!
A book with heart...
Mezza Italiana by Zoe Boccabella is a book with heart and this is evident with the meticulous care Boccabella has taken to capture stories of her family, her childhood, and her current life with her husband when she travels to Italy to stay in the house that has belonged to her family for centuries. I found her descriptions to be particularly emotive and spot on. Not having any Italian heritage, Mezza Italiana opened my eyes to the quandary descendants of migrants can face by being 'half and half' not fitting in properly to either birth or ancestral culture. It was interesting to learn about an issue which I had no previous knowledge of and I was particularly impressed with Boccabella's handling of this. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book with heart and soul by a sensitive author and I would highly recommend it to all.
Guest, 06/05/2011
