Genre Fiction
![Rebecca Serle - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_rebecca_serle.jpg)
One Italian Summer: A Novel
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In this "magical trip worth taking" (Associated Press), the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
When Katy's mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn't just Katy's mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy's father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother's spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears-in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn't understand what is happening, or how-all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
"Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings-and her latest is just as unforgettable" (Woman's World) as it effortlessly shows us how to move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.
In this "magical trip worth taking" (Associated Press), the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
When Katy's mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn't just Katy's mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy's father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother's spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears-in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn't understand what is happening, or how-all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
"Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings-and her latest is just as unforgettable" (Woman's World) as it effortlessly shows us how to move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.
Editorial Reviews
Advance Praise for One Italian Summer:
"Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings – and her latest is just as unforgettable." -Woman's World
"An unconventional love story that embraces people's flaws and selfishness as part of what makes them human." -Kirkus
"Poignant and ultimately uplifting. The mouthwatering descriptions of Katy's food and the lush Italian coast bring a strong, atmospheric sense of place. Recommend to fans of Helen Fisher's Faye, Faraway (2021) and those who enjoy being transported to other countries through fiction." -Booklist
"A touching story…the mother-daughter bond is made palpable through Katy's grief and desire for connection." -Publishers Weekly
"Going down as easy as a limoncello on a hot summer's day, this daydream of a story affirms what it means to love and be loved. An enchanting book for the last cold days of winter, but also suggest it to readers come summer." -Library Journal
"In these cynical times full of snark and memes, it's nice to surrender to magic every now and then. Plus, the wanderlust that the book conjures is worth it as is….[A] story about love, loss and that point in adulthood where we learn our parents are human, too, and not always perfect." -Associated Press
"[A] moving novel." -PopSugar
Praise for In Five Years:
"What would you do if you glimpsed your life five years from now-and found that it was different, in every way, from what you hoped for and expected? Rebecca Serle pairs this inspired premise with deft, propulsive prose and characters who feel as real as friends. In Five Years is as clever as it is moving, the rare read-in-one-sitting novel you won't forget." -CHLOE BENJAMIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists
"Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings – and her latest is just as unforgettable." -Woman's World
"An unconventional love story that embraces people's flaws and selfishness as part of what makes them human." -Kirkus
"Poignant and ultimately uplifting. The mouthwatering descriptions of Katy's food and the lush Italian coast bring a strong, atmospheric sense of place. Recommend to fans of Helen Fisher's Faye, Faraway (2021) and those who enjoy being transported to other countries through fiction." -Booklist
"A touching story…the mother-daughter bond is made palpable through Katy's grief and desire for connection." -Publishers Weekly
"Going down as easy as a limoncello on a hot summer's day, this daydream of a story affirms what it means to love and be loved. An enchanting book for the last cold days of winter, but also suggest it to readers come summer." -Library Journal
"In these cynical times full of snark and memes, it's nice to surrender to magic every now and then. Plus, the wanderlust that the book conjures is worth it as is….[A] story about love, loss and that point in adulthood where we learn our parents are human, too, and not always perfect." -Associated Press
"[A] moving novel." -PopSugar
Praise for In Five Years:
"What would you do if you glimpsed your life five years from now-and found that it was different, in every way, from what you hoped for and expected? Rebecca Serle pairs this inspired premise with deft, propulsive prose and characters who feel as real as friends. In Five Years is as clever as it is moving, the rare read-in-one-sitting novel you won't forget." -CHLOE BENJAMIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists
Readers Top Reviews
Aoifemiss kayswan
Katy Silver feels undone - her mother - her best friend, and soulmate - has just died and nothing in Katy's life will be the same. She ends up leaving her husband and taking off on a dream holiday she and her mom had planned, revisiting Positano, a beautiful Italian city her mom stayed in when she was Katy's age. But when she gets there, she ends up meeting her mom, 30 years in the past and discovering different parts of her beloved parent she never knew about. I really enjoyed this - it's a really quick, gripping read and transported me to the gorgeous coastal town of Positanto and I want to go there so bad now after reading this. I felt like I could feel the sun on my shoulders, the tingle of sunburn on my nose from the Italian sun, the sand between my toes as I drank a crisp white wine on a balcony overlooking the coloured houses on the hills. The setting and atmosphere in this book is 10/10. I always love seeing how grief is explored in books, as every person's experience is so personal to them and I don't think anyone grieves the same way. Katy needed to shake off her entire life, and be absent with herself and figure out who she was going to be without a mom in her life. Of course, she ends up discovering her mom in a different way and I thought it was an interesting way to do it. I did feel a bit sad in all the way's Carol was different in Katy's memories in comparison to the Positano Carol from how joyous and free she was to simpler things like allowing herself to wear a beautiful swimming costume, and eating what she wanted. There's definitely a selfishness in Katy's grief which I think is hard to read but also something you couldn't not understand. She leaves behind a husband who obviously adores her, and her dad who has lost his life partner and most likely could use the strength and support of his only child during his time of grief. The story felt like it had an old school filter on it, that made it vintage and glamorous. A very different Positano than one you may find today but that doesn't make either more beautiful than the other. I think this makes the perfect summer/holiday read and would recommend people picking it up.
Bill RushingAoife
I enjoyed reading about the special relationship with between this daughter and mother. Though lots of people have a closeness with their mother, some of us have never really experienced that. It made me wish Carol was in my life. It also helped me to be cognizant of giving flowers while people are alive, how we don’t celebrate with them enough when they have a pen accomplishment, we don’t ask for the recipes we love, to not ask about the history and their past. To not live selfishly. I will warn, as a teacher, that there is a scene in the book that you may choose to skip over for sexual content. That is the one part of the story that made me sad. I wish it hadn’t happened.
Emily LeboBill Ru
I picked this book because I was going to my friends wedding on the Amalfi coast. I heard about this book from a podcast episode of What Should I Read Next and they did a book flight and this was one for Italy. While my intention was to read it there, I was to busy experiencing my first trip to Europe. I started this book on the way home and boy was it the right book at the right time. It was great to be taken back to the place I just got to visit. While we didn't stay in Positano, we got to visit it a couple times on our trip and did and saw a lot of what was described in this book. Also, while it wasn't the loss of my mom, my family lost a very close friend and this book does a beautiful job of capturing what it means to find yourself again after loss or even just your day to day life. Sometimes it feels like you wake up and realize wait what is happening and where did the time go and this book reminds you that it's important to not lose yourself in your life. And in know it might be cliche, but Italy and the Amalfi Coast is magical and has this was of taking you out of your life and taking you to another time all the while reminding you to stay present. While this book may not be for everyone, it was the perfect book at the perfect time for me.
raphaela jacarand
Expecting a Hallmark-type, summer escapist, fluff story, I read this book in one swell foop on a long flight to Hawaii. Its beginning was much as I had expected, but about halfway through, it seemed to take a turn into more literary territory. The descriptions of Positano make me want to book my next flight to that enchanted place & its characters would all seem like my new best friends. Having just lost her mother, my sympathy for Katy grew as the plot progressed; the supporting cast of Carol, Adam & the hoteliers were all phenomenal, as if from a kinder, gentler era. The conspicuous absence of cellphones and other devices should have been a big clue, but I was so absorbed in the story, the surprise twist caught me completely off guard. But it was a wonderful, life-fulfilling twist, one that helps Katy through her grief & explains a great deal about her mother. My husband & I have lost four loved ones since November & like Katy in Italy, we found healing and hope in Hawaii. In fact, I left the book w/ my girlfriend for whom we were house-sitting; she, too, had lost her mother last fall, one of four deaths in 2021 in her family. In summary, if you're looking for something with more substance than much of the current best-selling junk, more like Frances Mayes' Tuscany novels, this one's for you. In fact, it would make a marvelous movie; one can only hope while re-reading it and gifting it to more girlfriends.
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter One Chapter One
I've never smoked, but it's the last day of my mother's shiva, so here we are. I have the cigarette between my teeth, standing on the back patio, looking at what was, just two months ago, a pristine white sectional, now weatherworn. My mother kept everything clean. She kept everything.
I've never smoked, but it's the last day of my mother's shiva, so here we are. I have the cigarette between my teeth, standing on the back patio, looking at what was, just two months ago, a pristine white sectional, now weatherworn. My mother kept everything clean. She kept everything.
