Across The Table: Across The Table\Dancing On Sunday Afternoons [Paperback]

Linda Cardillo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2010

For three generation of Dante women, food means love...

From her restaurant on Boston's Salem Street, and from her own kitchen, Rose Dante has served countless meals and built a tightly knit community of customers, family and friends. Her daughter Toni tried to create her own life, outside that circle--only to return with her daughter when her marriage failed. Now that Vanessa's nearly grown, Toni must face the bitterness of the past in order to taste the sweetness of the future.

But she can't make such a journey alone. She needs the guidance of a mother, of her family. She needs Rose's recipes for happiness, learned by trial and error over sixty years of marriage. Recipes that are sometimes difficult to follow, but like the perfect risotto al limone, are worth the effort.

An unforgettable story of family and forgiveness, loyalty and love.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (May 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373230788
• ISBN-13: 978-0373230785
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,858,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Cardillo is the author of the critically acclaimed novel DANCING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, winner of the 2008 Maggie Award for Long Contemporary Fiction. Her other works of fiction include novellas in the anthologies THE VALENTINE GIFT and A MOTHER'S HEART, and the Amazon Short "Victory Parade."

Linda graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University with a degree in American literature. After working in publishing as an editor of college textbooks in history and the social sciences, she earned an MBA at Harvard Business School at a time when only 15% of the class were women. Armed with her Harvard degree, she managed the circulation of a magazine during its successful start-up, founded a catering business and then built a career as the author of several works of nonfiction, from articles in The New York Times to books on marketing and corporate policy.

She later studied with Jill McCorkle at the New England Writers' Workshop and Julia Alvarez at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and then went on to teach creative writing at Drew University and the Hilltop Writing Retreat before launching Harlequin's Everlasting Love series with her debut novel, DANCING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS.

The Chicago Tribune called DANCING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, a "superbly nuanced, emotionally rich tale of one woman's journey from turn-of-the-century Italy to America...which...beautifully blends women's fiction, romance and historical fiction into one unforgettable story." The novel was included in a bibliography of the immigrant experience created for The Big Read (a program of the National Endowment for the Arts) along with works by Isabel Allende, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, Susan Sontag and Amy Tan. Her most recent work of fiction, the novella "A Daughter's Journey," has been described as a "rich and evocative story...very well told."

Linda's next book, ACROSS THE TABLE, returns to her exploration of growing up Italian in America, with its focus on the Dante family of Boston's North End. It is scheduled for release in June 2010. She lives in western New England with her husband, her childhood piano and her mother's recipes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, May 23, 2011

By 

cef01028 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Across The Table: Across The Table\Dancing On Sunday Afternoons (Paperback)

I selected this for our neigborhood book club and everyone enjoyed it! The author even was kind enough to attend our meeting and bring her Artichoke Pie from her cookbook Come Sit at My Table! It took me only a handful of days to read this...you will not be disappointed. I am hooked and am looking forward to reading Dancing on Sunday Afternoons next.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story!, May 22, 2011

By 

Jennylenny - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Across The Table: Across The Table\Dancing On Sunday Afternoons (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author captured my attention with her descriptions of the people and places. I felt like I knew these characters. I particularly enjoyed the thoughful way that the meals and theme of food was woven throughout the story. Food and the time we spend at the dinner table with family and friends creates some of our fondest memories. This book brought me back to Thanksgivings of my past. Thank you Linda!

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read, November 8, 2010

By 

HockeyMom33 (Mansfield, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Across the Table (Kindle Edition)

This book was a nice, easy, enjoyable read. As an Italian/American myself, I was able to identify with many of the characters (and most of the food!) but I think this is a book for everyone. The author weaves historical events and real places into the story, making it easy to relate to. The first person narrative also makes you feel like you are sitting "across the table" listening to a personal story. The characters are rich and complex. You can almost smell the food cooking.