Sicilian Summer by Brian Johnston
Before Brian Johnston went to Sicily and prior to my reading his ensuing book Sicilian Summer, we had something very important in common. Neither of us knew that capers are actually unopened flower buds with purple stamens that will turn into lovely pink flowers if left alone. If you find delight in such discoveries, read on.
Published 23 October, 2005
Before Brian Johnston went to Sicily and prior to my reading his ensuing book Sicilian Summer, we had something very important in common. Neither of us knew that capers are actually unopened flower buds with purple stamens that will turn into lovely pink flowers if left alone. If you find delight in such discoveries, read on. When Johnston agrees to go to Sicily with a friend to stay with her family, he didn’t imagine that living in the same house, witnessing their every day joys and calamities would have such an affect on him. Nor did he imagine that his dormant tastebuds would take on a life of their own, fuelled by the passionate appetites of his new Sicilian amici. I confess I’m a little weary of travel narratives, especially if they’re of the français or italiano breed. But the prospect of experiencing la dolce vita, albeit vicariously, proved too tempting in the end. Johnston’s is a sweet journey indeed, and if you’re a reader who enjoys stories of doomed love, burning piety and doesn’t mind being told exactly how to chop garlic, then this one is sure to please.
Erin O’Brien is the editorial assistant of AB&P
This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2004, Thorpe-Bowker


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