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Travel Essays & Travelogues

Summers in Supino

Becoming Italian

by (author) Maria Coletta McLean

Publisher
ECW Press
Initial publish date
Apr 2013
Category
Essays & Travelogues, Personal Memoirs
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781770411371
    Publish Date
    Apr 2013
    List Price
    $17.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

An Italian Canadian woman recounts her annual summer trips with her husband to her ancestral village of Supino, Italy, in this heartwarming hybrid of travel guide and memoir. Written with humor and heart, it describes her process of adjusting to life in her father’s hometown, as well as the eccentricities of its people. Supino’s colorful landscapes and citizens make for vivid stories, from pizzerias in sheep pastures and fish restaurants hidden in the woods to village-wide celebrations of figs, watermelon, azaleas, and artichokes. The book goes on to explain how with every trip, the budding Italian gains a deeper understanding of her connection to Supino and comes to more fully embrace her cultural heritage. Filled with brilliant stories about a fascinating land, this engaging narrative explores notions of identity and the restorative power of community.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Maria Coletta McLean is the author of the bestselling memoir My Father Came from Italy and the editor of Mamma Mia! Good Italian Girls Talk Back. She was the recipient of the 2002 Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for her contribution to Canadian literature. She lives in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

"The intimate, lyrical style immediately draws the reader in." —Quill & Quire (April 2013)

 "Summers in Supino is a memoir filled with humor, love, and recovery…If you want an emotional, descriptive read, Summers in Supino is an excellent choice." Tracy Farnsworth, Roundtable Reviews 

"McLean wields humour and heart to tell her stories of grief and the restorative powers of community. Read it: On the deck at sunset, with a glass of Italian wine in hand."—Cottage Life

"This beautiful memoir will entertain and touch your heart, and have you wishing for a little piece of Italy for yourself."—Sacramento Book Review (June 2013)

 

"This surprising memoir brings much more than travel, food, and scenery…Maria Coletta McLean's beautiful tribute to her husband, her family (both Canadian and Italian) is much more than a summer read.  It's a memoir of love, loss and comfort." —Tutu's Two Cents

"[McLean] quickly transports readers into the charm and richness of village life."—Publishers Weekly (June 2013)

"Summers in Supino . . . is the kind of narrative that you can't help but love. . . . If you are looking for a good memoir to take your mind off of life in general and love to travel through words, this would be a perfect choice." —www.ReadfulThingsBlog.com

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