Synopsis
Not just another romance, but a story of escapism, coincidences, friendship, luck and most of all… love.
Chickens Eat Pasta is the tale of how a young Englishwoman starts a new life after watching a video showing a chicken eating spaghetti in a mediaeval hill village in central Italy.
“Here I was, 26 years old, alone and numb with boredom at the prospect of a future which until recently had seemed to be just what I wanted.”
This is not simply an account of a foreigner’s move to Italy, but a love story written from the unusual perspective of both within and outside of the story. As events unfold, the strong storyline carries with it a rich portrayal of Italian life from the inside, with a supporting cast of memorable characters. Along the way, the book explores and captures the warmth and colour of Italy, as well as some of the cultural differences – between England and Italy, but also between regional Italian lifestyles and behaviour. It is a story with a happy ending. The author and her husband are still married, with three children, who love the old house on the hill (now much restored) almost as much as she does.
Chickens Eat Pasta is Clare’s autobiography, and ultimately a love story – with the house itself and with the man that Clare met there and went on to marry. If you yearn for a happy ending, you won’t be disappointed. It’s a story that proves anything is possible if you only try.
My review
This book is so atmospheric that I can hear those chickens clucking as they eat pasta and feel that Italian sunshine!
This book recounts the author’s experience of moving to Italy and creating a new life there, with all the difficulties and demands that come with that alongside the pleasure and achievement. As an expat myself, I know that ‘living the dream’ can involve plenty of nightmares en route! The author candidly shares her triumphs and tribulations with us, and it’s all very interesting, not to say fascinating.
As well as travelling abroad, we travel back in time to 1980s’ or so rural Italy, which itself is running a decade or so behind urban Italy. It is nice to be reminded of simpler times before the internet and other modern conveniences we take for granted. However, that comes at the cost of a more tougher, more constrained life for women, something that emerges clearly in this book.
The story of settling into a new home evolves into a romance. Just as there are problems with the house renovations and becoming a resident, which are part of the author’s love affair with the country, so too are there hiccups in the love affair with her future husband, compounded by the culture clash that inevitably exists.
The book makes for an enjoyable, uplifting and inspiring read.
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chickens-Eat-Pasta-Escape-Umbria-ebook/dp/B012GZXOPY
US – https://www.amazon.com/Chickens-Eat-Pasta-Escape-Umbria-ebook/dp/B012GZXOPY
UK Audiobook – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chickens-Eat-Pasta/dp/B07BYLZX3X
US Audiobook – https://www.amazon.com/Chickens-Eat-Pasta/dp/B07CBJRG9C
About Clare Pedrick
Clare Pedrick is a British journalist who studied Italian at Cambridge University before becoming a reporter. She went on to work as the Rome correspondent for the Washington Post and as European Editor of an international features agency. She still lives in Italy with her husband, whom she met in the village where she bought her house.
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You can follow Clare on her Facebook Book Page, her own Facebook page and on Twitter.
Read her blog about life in Umbria here