Chewing Gum in Holy Water: A Childhood in the Heart of Italy [Hardcover]

Mario Valentini (Author), Cheryl Hardacre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 9, 2007

In the tradition of Cinema Paradiso, comes a warm, tender, and richly nostalgic look at growing up in a remote village in a postwar Italy on the brink of modernity. Mario Valentini was born in the rugged Abruzzo mountains in the heart of Italy, but, with money short at home and his father working in a foreign land, at four years old he was sent to live with his uncle, a traveling priest. Thus began a life of unexpected freedoms and marvelous adventures. For the mischievous boy, who loved nothing so much as swordplay and American chewing gum, every new town meant new friends, and getting into trouble was as easy as shooting his slingshot. From confronting a hungry wolf at dusk to drinking in the fumes in an empty wine barrel, every anecdote sparkles with his exuberance for life. As he grows, he gleans lessons from unexpected sources: a curmudgeonly painter, a communist reputed to eat priests for dinner, even the caustic spinster aunt who keeps house for his uncle. Full of humor and affection, and infused with the scents and tastes of Abruzzo, here is a timeless memoir that captures indelibly a special time and place.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 334 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing (May 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559708379
• ISBN-13: 978-1559708371
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,323,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love Mario!, September 8, 2009

By 

Too Much Time On My Hands (Arlington, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chewing Gum in Holy Water: A Childhood in the Heart of Italy (Hardcover)

Chewing Gum in Holy water is a fascinating coming-of-age story that is laced with humorous, heart-warming life lessons of an adventurous boy growing up Catholic in post WWII Italy. His struggling mother sends four year old Mario to live with his uncle, a traveling priest, and his spinster aunt. The book covers Mario's life from 4 years old until his teen years. Each chapter is a scene from his life; the tales center around Mario's experiences with religion and his wild times with friends. From switching toys during Epiphany to hiding cigarettes and gum behind church statues and touching a bull for love; Mario's childhood was certainly unique. Every few years he moved to a new village and had to make new friends. Along the way his life was shaped by an elderly painter, the bickering Friar and Jesuit, the priest-eating Communist, two very different girls, equally adventurous friends and his beloved uncle. I would love it if a movie was made based on this book, it's a really sweet story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected surprise - I fell in love with little Mario :), June 15, 2009

By 

T.L. (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chewing Gum in Holy Water: A Childhood in the Heart of Italy (Hardcover)

I recommended this book to a friend and so I came here to Amazon to provide her with the link and was so surprised to see the book only has one review. I thought I should add mine since the book is so deserving.

I discovered Chewing Gum in Holy Water on accident. I was at the library and just randomly saw the title. I found it amusing and took it home.

This is the biography of a boy named Mario in Italy. His mother can't afford to take care of him and so she sends him off to live with his uncle who is a Catholic priest. Mario is really precocious and gets into all kinds of trouble.

The characters in this book are so well described and Mario's antics were so humorous. I really loved this book. What an interesting life Mario had. I'm glad I got to experience a small piece of it.

5.0 out of 5 stars CHEWING GUM IN HOLY WATER, January 9, 2011

By 

KARMELLA - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chewing Gum in Holy Water: A Childhood in the Heart of Italy (Hardcover)

A great read. Funny, entertaining, historical - at time hysterical! He might be destined for the seminary but he is no saint but rather the leader of all the mischief around. I loved this book so much that I bought three copies to pass on to friends.