Near Mount Etna in Sicily lies Casa Cuseni, a beautiful house built in golden stone - and the home which Daphne Phelps was astonished to find she had inherited in 1947. At the age of 34, war-weary from working as a psychiatric social worker, with barely any Italian, and precious little money, she plunged into a fascinating Sicilian world. Every imaginable problem had to be overcome, not only financial difficulties but local authorities and a house staff who initially felt no loyalty to the new Signorina but who gradually accepted her as a respected member of their small community. To help make ends meet, for many years she ran Casa Cuseni as a pensione and to her doors came Roald Dahl, Tennessee Williams, Bertrand Russell and Henry Faulkner. But just as important to her life and her story are the Sicilians with whom she shared the love and care of Casa Cuseni: Don Ciccio the local mafia leader, Vincenzio, general manservant who recited while he served the meals, Beppe, a Don Juan who scented his eyebrows and his moustache to attract the local girls; and above all the steadfast cook and housekeeper who lives with Daphne still and to whom this book is dedicated.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
Shrewd and sometimes wicked ... fascinating DAILY MAIL Written with a masterful sense of narrative timing ... this is one of those books which doesn't end - you just have a sense of a life going on and on IRISH TIMES A book as warm as the land it celebrates. INDEPENDENT
About the Author
Daphne Phelps's house and garden have featured in THE WORLD OF INTERIORS and were the subject of a Radio 3 programme.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A majestic house in a magical land,
By A Customer
This review is from: House in Sicily (Hardcover)
Daphne Phelps' book would make a great movie. The varied characters taking refuge at her inherited eastern Sicily residence make for an enjoyable read. Her interactions with locals, (including an alleged mafioso) give the reader a unique perspective into the country's citizens and their way of life on an ancient island that time has forgotten.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good for a few chuckles.,
This review is from: House in Sicily (Paperback)
This book was easy to read and engaging. Her descriptive characters leaped off the page. I chuckled several times though this book. It did, however, seem that sometimes the full account was not there: As if she had left out some pertinent part of the story. This is my second time reading it and am enjoying it as much as the first.
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