The Italian Summer: Golf, Food, and Family at Lake Como [Hardcover]

Roland Merullo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2009

Fore, bella! From the author of critically acclaimed Golfing with God comes a charming narrative of a hole-in-one trip through Italy -- a glorious summer of golfing, eating, and learning how to slow down and enjoy life.

In the summer of 2007, Roland Merullo was feeling a little burnt out by the frantic pace of his life in the United States and decided to rent an Italian villa near the shore of Lake Como. He arrived in Italy with his wife and two young daughters, hoping the Mediterranean air would teach him to appreciate the more relaxed, Italian way of living: a focus on food, family, and fun. An avid golfer and golf writer, Merullo also set out to enjoy one of Italy's lesser-known treasures: excellent golf on some gorgeous courses.

With his customary wit, keen eye, and down-to-earth style, Merullo shares this fascinating account of his summer in Italy, offering detailed and often humorous descriptions of wonderful meals, colorful characters, rounds of golf at some of the most beautiful courses in Europe, and precious time spent with family. The Italian Summer brings to life the myriad joys of Italian existence in a way that all lovers of food, wine, travel, and the proverbial "good walk spoiled" will savor.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In the summer of 2007, novelist and golf fanatic Merullo (Golfing with God; Revere Beach Elegy) set off with his family in search of the slower ways of life on the shores of Lake Como, Italy. Interspersing descriptions of various rounds of golf with trips to local restaurants and taverns, Merullo attempts to capture the sights, smells and sounds of the Italian and Swiss countryside. He recalls some of the characters that he and his family met that summer, such as Harold Lubberdink, real estate agent, who swept the family under his wing, leading them through various nooks and crannies of their temporary home country. Merullo takes readers on a harrowing journey through winding mountain roads in search of a perfect meal in a restaurant called La Baita. Finally, he tries to incorporate the slower pace of living into his own life, but finds it almost impossible. Part travel guide, part memoir, Merullo attempts to offer meditations on the richness of a life lived more slowly with good food and good company, but succeeds at little more than his frantic attempts to find a few good golf courses far away from home. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Imagine a Venn diagram connecting all those who love Italy, wine, food, family outings, and golf. The epicenter of those overlapping circles is not going to be all that large, but for anyone who lands there, this travel memoir delivers unadulterated joy. Merullo, the prolific author of an improbably wide range of fiction and nonfiction, wanted to slow the pace of his frenetic life by spending a summer with his wife and two daughters in Italy, not scurrying about from city to city but relaxing on Lake Como and indulging his passions for food, golf, and things Italian. His account of those idyllic weeks recalls Calvin Trillin in its casual tone, good humor, affable interactions with family, and Everyman’s love of regional food and wine. But it’s hard to imagine Trillin drawing a 260-yard drive around a dogleg or even four-putting from 20 feet for a double bogey. And, yet, even non-golfing gourmands will recognize that Merullo describes fairways and greens with the same kind of low-key charm and wit as he rhapsodizes over prosciutto and Pinot Grigio. A special travel book for a special audience. --Bill Ott

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416563539
• ISBN-13: 978-1416563532
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,437,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Roland Merullo was born in Boston and raised in the working-class city of Revere, Massachusetts. He had a scholarship to Exeter Academy and graduated in 1971, attended Boston University for two years, transferred to Brown and graduated from Brown in 1975, then earned a Master's there--in Russian Studies-- in 1976. Roland has published ten novels and four books of non-fiction, and given talks at hundreds of universities, schools, bookstores, and other venues. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife Amanda and their two daughters and can be reached via his website: RolandMerullo.com.

His best-selling novel, Breakfast with Buddha, recently went into its 11th printing. Like Golfing with God before it, and American Savior after it, Breakfast with Buddha treats questions of philosophy/spirituality from a multi-denominational viewpoint and with a healthy dose of humor. The novel is provocative, not irreverent, and it has become a favorite with book clubs all over the country. It was based on an actual trip Merullo took from New York to North Dakota, most of it in the company of his wife and daughters. Golfing with God has just been optioned for film by Gemfilms.

His new book, The Talk-Funny Girl, is the story of a teenage girl in rural New Hampshire who escapes an abusive home life in a most unusual way. It follows a theme that can be found in almost all Merullo's books: a person overcoming some past trauma, whether that be the stress of war, illness, divorce, addiction, or early abuse.

Several old favorites--Leaving Losapas, A Russian Requiem, Revere Beach Boulevard, and Revere Beach Elegy, have just been reissued from AJAR Publications, in print form and as e-books. AJAR has also brought out Roland's small book of writing advice, Demons of the Blank Page.

GOLF WRITING

Merullo has a side-speciality, golf writing. His articles and columns appear frequently in Golf World Magazine, and his golf books include GOLFING WITH GOD, THE ITALIAN SUMMER, AND PASSION FOR GOLF.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Read, June 28, 2009

By 

P. O'Brien (Salem, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Italian Summer: Golf, Food, and Family at Lake Como (Hardcover)

As a fan of Roland Merullo, I was a little disappointed in this book. It is an enjoyable read but not up to his previous works. As a golfer, I appreciated the details and episodes on the course but could not recommend it to my wife. His voice is still clear and the descriptions of people and places are enjoyable and distinctive as always. However, it did not grab me and make the book impossible to put down.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Bella Italia, October 19, 2009

By 

Michael Raymond - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Italian Summer: Golf, Food, and Family at Lake Como (Hardcover)

I bought this book on my sister's recommendation. It seemed to be the perfect book for me. I am an avid golfer. I have Italian roots. I have traveled to Italy with my family and I love to cook and eat Italian food. In spite of all those connections, I found myself wondering if someone without my background would enjoy it. I found it a good vacation read. The golf stories are plentiful and well written and they will evoke many memories for the avid golfer. His writing is enjoyable to read as he describes the people and places in and around Lake Como.
Unfortunately I don't think the book will be as enjoyable to the average reader as it was to me.