Only in Naples: Katherine Wilson

So this book I discovered because I am apart of a Facebook group for the base book club. I hadn't been to the book club yet but wanted to so when they announced that Only in Naples would be the book for April I was excited. The book looked cute and easy and I wanted to join the book club now that I was back in Naples. I thought it might be fun meeting some other ladies with a love for reading.

I liked the book a lot. It is kind of a memoir/ biography of the author. She is an American that moves to Naples for an internship and then falls in love with an Italian and ends up staying for a while longer, then eventually marrying him and moves to Rome. And while you get to read about the love story long the way the book is definitely more about Naples. She talks about the food, garbage, month long vacations. I think that he perspective is a little bit different because her in-laws lived in the rich area of Naples, Posillipo, and even had another home in Positano (super expensive vacation area on the Amalfi Coast.) So they were definitely a little higher class then the average Neapolitan (people from Naples.) 

But it was still fun to read about her time here. She talks a lot about the food. Her mother in-law makes the best Ragu but it takes 12 hours to cook. That seems like a little excessive for me. She includes some fun recipes in the back of the book including a short version of the ragu (only 3 hours haha.) 

I really liked this book. I probably wouldn't have read it if we weren't here experiencing Naples because some of the things she talks were definitely better to read since I have some perspective on the Naples area but anyone interested in Naples or Italy would probably find it a fun read. If one has ever traveled to Naples before they definitely would enjoy it. At least thats my belief. 

Favorite Quotes from the book:

Never forget that men are needy and pathetic when it comes to sex. You have the power. Use it.

A Neapolitan philosopher, once said that if the Lord wanted to take everyone in Naples to heaven, all He would have to do is pull one line of laundry and the whole city would come with it, because all the buildings in Naples are connected by hanging wash.

The man might be pampered but in the end it was a woman who would decide.

As the saying goes in Naples, when you're sick, one of the most dangerous places you can be is at the hospital.

To trust is good, not to trust is better

It is normal to tell untruths, creative reconstructions of reality. These untruths are told with great calm and finesse. They are told not only to dupe or deceive but also to protect, out of love for the person being misled.

love, Carlee