Want a little Italy? “One Italian Summer” (& This Free Book Club Guide) Deliver!
One Italian Summer talks moms, daughters, & Italy! This free guide enhances your book club with discussion questions & activity suggestions that will take your bookish fun off the page and into real life!
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Over two decades ago, I snuggled with my six-year-old daughter as we devoured the enchanting Red Sails To Capri. We dreamed of sailing the spectacular waters off the Italian coast in the charming boats, giggled as Mrs. Pagano sang to her boiled eggs, and made a promise:
“One day, we will go there — you and me.”
In One Italian Summer, another mother and daughter, Carol and Katy, plan a similar visit to Positano, a short boat ride across the sparkling waters from Capri. A children’s book did not inspire their trip, but rather Carol’s desire to share with her daughter the magic of a long-ago summer spent in a beautiful place where time stood still.
Did I know I had to read this book the moment I read the description? That would be a hard yes.
But First…Is One Italian Summer For You?
Just the facts.
Things to note.
Some readers know the type of books they always like, and more importantly, exactly the type of books they don’t enjoy. If you are that reader, these tidbits will be helpful.
Magical Realism: Readers often assume a certain structure in a realistic novel. If we’re unfamiliar with magical realism, this implausible deviation from expectations can alter our understanding — and our enjoyment — of a book. If you’re new to this genre, check your expectations and allow your imagination to overtake your logic as you experience the story!
You might like this book if…
Recommendations for “similar reads” can be tricky because different readers like different books for different reasons. However, you may appreciate One Italian Summer if you enjoyed:
Get more book talk!
Get these additional free discussion questions that reveal all the juicy spoilers I can’t spill here — you’re gonna want them!
The Story’s (Back) Story
How wonderful would it be if we could know all the different women our mothers had been before they became our moms?
This story was inspired by the author’s relationship with her own mother and a trip they took together to Rome in 2019. Rebecca Serle’s mother spent a summer in Rome when she was 20 years old. She even fell in love with a young man, Remo (yes, you’ll see that name in the book!).
Rebecca walked the streets her mom walked, heard her mom’s stories, and witnessed reunions with people her mother knew in her pre-Rebecca life. The woman she “met” on that trip — the woman who lived and loved before she was “Rebecca’s mother” — fascinated her.
As the world came to a standstill in 2020, this book came to life. In three short months, she wove a story celebrating all a woman is, was, and will be. A story celebrating the bond between mothers and daughters. A story celebrating taking a vacation!
Listen to this short podcast to hear the author talk more about the book and why she wrote it. She nailed the goal of taking her reader on a vacation — I still look up expecting to see the colorful Positano Pyramid rising above a sparkling sea!
Even if the storyline and setting hadn’t captured my attention, the epigraph would have compelled me to read this book. If there is a pearl of wisdom we want to give our daughters, that last line is perhaps the pearliest pearl we can offer!
I just feel like I need more time…I thought I had all summer to impart my wisdom…like I had something to tell you. Oh! On the bus, make sure you choose a good seat…because people are creatures of habit…the seat you pick at the beginning could be your seat for the rest of the year…
LORELAI GILMORE, EPIGRAPH
Now…Was One Italian Summer For Me?
One Italian Summer is both a fun, fast summer read and a deep look at the bond between a mother and daughter. At its core, this book is a celebration of a great love. While there are traditional romantic elements, the real love explored here is the bond between Katy and her mother, Carol.
As the story opens, Katy sees Carol as the perfect mother: she knows how to get cooking oil out of fabric and how to choose the ideal produce at the farmer’s market; her eye for design adds flare to everyone’s home and life. What Katy doesn’t see, however, is how she will be able to create her own life without her mom. Through a lot of grief, a little magic, and an abundance of good food and wine (umm, it’s Italy!), Katy arrives at a better, more complete understanding and appreciation of both herself and those she loves, especially her mom.
This is the first book my mother and I read together in our Mother + Daughter Book Club, and I did enjoy it a little more than my mom (the magical realism threw her at first). Some plot choices did affect my enjoyment of the book; however, many other points in the story pulled me deep into the emotion — both as a daughter and as a mother. And as Rebecca Serle poignantly reminds us…
At some point, we all become motherless daughters.
Rebecca Serle
This little book didn’t disappoint. It is a love story between a mother and her girl, a self-discovery story of a broken-hearted young woman, and it is, as Rebecca Serle hoped, a vacation!
Book Club Discussion Questions for One Italian Summer
- The setting is a primary character in this book. Does the portrayal of Positano entice you to get to know it personally? How does Positano’s “personality” affect the characters?
- At one point in the story, Carol tells Katy, “The difference between being good and bad at something is just interest.” What are you interested in that you want to learn? What is holding you back from exploring this interest?
- Katy is devastated by her mother’s death. Rather than turning to her husband for comfort, her grief creates a rift in their relationship. This line in the book has evoked strong feelings from many readers: “If your mother is the love of your life, what does that make your husband?” How do you feel about this quote? What seems to be happening in Katy’s marriage?
- “History, memory is by definition fiction. Once an event is no longer present, but remembered, it is narrative. And we can choose the narratives we tell — about our own lives, our own stories, our own relationships. We can choose the chapters we give meaning.” (page 239) How do you feel about this statement? Consider the chapters of your own life you choose to give the most meaning and those you allow to serve as, at most, background clutter.
- As the story draws to an end, Katy learns she relied excessively on her mom. What is something you learned from your mom? What do you wish she had taught you? What do you want to teach to your own children?
- Share something about “one of the previous women you have been” that would surprise others in your group (especially if one of those people is your daughter!).
- At the end of the book, Katy concludes she “doesn’t belong to anybody” (page 239). How do you feel about this statement? Do you think a person can truthfully state this?
The W·O·L Twist (aka The Reason You’re Here!)
The Words On Location (W·O·L) Twist brings extra fun to your book club! Use any of these ideas or let them inspire your own creative adventure.
Visit Italy.
Hold on…don’t leave me yet! The dream would be to go there in person — and if you do, please send me pictures!! Not possible? No worries! You can visit virtually. This 10-minute video shares some of the highlights and beautiful scenery of the Amalfi Coast (and a bit of the narrator and his friend, too ?).
Explore the Hotel Poseidon photo gallery on their official website. Is this place even real?? It is as gorgeous as described in the book (but you’re gonna need to save your Euros if you want to stay there!).
Dinner out.
Many famous restaurants are mentioned in the book (take a peek at these three: Buca di Bacco, Chez Black, La Tagliata). Book a reservation at the best or most famous Italian restaurant near you. What better way to discuss a book set in Italy than over plates of authentic Italian deliciousness?
Take a hike.
The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei in Italian) is a clifftop trail atop the Amalfi Coast. Katy walked the 1700 stone steps from Positano to the beginning of this trail almost daily! Gather your book club and your gear, and head out for a hike together. Enjoy the sun, don’t forget the water, and if you get a breathtaking view at the top of your hike, take a selfie (do that even if you don’t get a breathtaking view!). All Trails is a great mobile app to help you find hikes near you for all skill levels.
This is an interactive map of the Path of the Gods. Zoom in to see the trail. Many of the locations noted have gorgeous photos people have shared. Be sure to click on each one in the left sidebar and check out the sights!
Explore art and interior design.
Carol was an artist and interior designer and believed “your home is your set.” Take your book club on an artistic adventure:
- Attend a painting or crafting workshop, or a paint-n-sip evening (google “paint n sip” to find options near you).
- Tour a local landmark or historic home famous for its design or architecture.
- The Hygee Game – Hygee (pronounced hoo-guh) is Scandinavian for “enjoying the good things in life.” It is also a design principle integral to Scandinavian home decorating. While this game may be more about creating a cozy evening than a cozy room, you and your group are sure to get all the good feels playing this one!
Movie Night.
The stunning beauty of Italy and the Amalfi Coast has been the star character in many films. After you chat about the book, break out the popcorn and settle in for a visual feast. You can find several good options for movies filmed on the Amalfi Coast here and movies filmed in other parts of Italy here.
Can we talk about food?
I once had the opportunity to eat my way through 3 Italian cities for 10 days, and wow! Those vacation memories still invoke mouthwatering pasta cravings! One of my favorite discoveries (besides the ritual of aperitivo) was the simplicity of real Italian cooking. Simple, fresh, and few — ingredients, not courses! — seemed to be the theme for almost every meal.
Try your hand at authentic Italian cooking and enjoy your book talk as you sample your delectable creations. You can find recipes to cook in your own kitchen (try a lemon ricotta ravioli and tomato salad similar to the ones Katy enjoyed her first night in Positano!). Even better, take an in-person or online cooking class.
No vino, no Italy.
Can you talk about Italy without talking about wine? ? Organize an Italian Wine Tasting! You can host your own, or head out to your local wine merchant, many of whom will gladly organize a wine tasting on their premises for your group. Buy a bottle of your favorite…whether or not you share it with your bookish besties is up to you! ?
No caffè, no Italy.
Caffè is as inherent to Italy as vino, and equally deserving of celebration. If one of your book club members owns an espresso machine, meet at her house with your caffè order. Use this Italian coffee guide if you need a little primer. You’re welcome!
The Last Page…Now It’s Your Turn
Now it is time to take all your bookish fun off the page! Don’t forget to get your free One Italian Summer Bonus Discussion Questions with spoilers and please let me know which W·O·L Twist your book club chooses. Share your fun in the comments or on Instagram — tag me @wendy_staton and use #WordsOnLocation.
Pin this to your bookish boards!
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