Journey to the South: A Calabrian Homecoming [Paperback]

Annie Hawes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2005

Ever since Annie got together with Ciccio, his Calabrian family have spoken of their homeland as an earthly paradise, of wild nights dancing the tarantella, of almond milk sold fresh from roadside stalls, of honey cakes and amaro made from wild liquorice roots...Now, at last, Annie and Ciccio are travelling down to see the ancestral home and extended family for themselves, along with a bunch of vocal and lively de Gilios who don't want to miss out on the fun. Will everything Annie has learnt in her years among the Ligurians stand her in good stead among the Calabresi? Or is she in for another steep learning curve in the intricacies of Italian rural life?

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for RIPE FOR THE PICKING: 'A truly mouthwatering read' - Hello!; 'As warm as the Mediterranean sun' - Daily Express

About the Author

Annie Hawes, originally from Shepherd's Bush, is based in Liguria. Her previous books, Extra Virgin and Ripe for the Picking, were worldwide bestsellers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books (July 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014101752X
• ISBN-13: 978-0141017525
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Taste of Italy, April 28, 2006

By 

Anton Nel (Pretoria, South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Journey to the South: A Calabrian Homecoming (Paperback)

This is Annie Hawes' third book on her life in rural Italy. Having read her first two books on the subject, I was rather sceptical about the third book, despite having enjoyed the first two books. Perhaps I thought that her relationship with Ciccio will affect the story about Italy and its occupants. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Annie writes in humorous style about another part of Italy. Although largely about the family of Ciccio, they are clearly a perfect example of the Calabrian population and having travelled through the area while visiting these family members, she also provides a decent description of the towns and countryside. Even if you had only briefly visited an Italian town or even if you have only seen photographs in a travel magazine, it is easy to visualise the houses, streets and piazzas. Annie's description of the typical Italian food (such an important element of the culture) is mouth-watering. To such an extent that I have embarked on a home-project to fill dry figs with walnuts and to store them in brandy for a while....

One can easily read this book without having read the first two, but it will be beneficial to have the background from the first two and since they are both enjoyable, it will be no loss to the reader to start the trilogy with "Extra Virgin" through "Ripe for the Picking" and ending with "Journey to the South". I expect Annie to embark on further books in the series and I will definitely consider reading further titles, but this third one could be a nice conclusion as well. One would not like to see her undoing the good experience of the first three books with a failed follow-on title. But Annie is definitely a good writer, clearly enjoying her stay in Italy, and if J.K. Rowling can write 7 hits in a row, why not Annie Hawes!

I recommend the book to readers who enjoy travel books and also those who want to know more about Italy. Even at a rather lengthy 350 pages, it is an easy and enjoyable read.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding Calabria, September 18, 2005

By 

Travel Diva (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey to the South: A Calabrian Homecoming (Paperback)

The stereotypes of Calabrians in Italy remains as the writer discovers that her friends (and fiance) from Liguria are originally from Calabria. The book details the writer's travels to Calabria with her fiance and his family. The warmth and traditions of the Calabrians (along with their quirks) is apparent. If you haven't yet visited the south of Italy, this book will encourage you to do so.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hope Annie will write more., October 28, 2006

By 

homebody - See all my reviews

This review is from: Journey to the South: A Calabrian Homecoming (Paperback)

I just finished reading Annie Hawes' third book about living in Italy. I'm going to miss her and her Italian family so I'm going to start over with the first book in the series Extra Virgin and keep my fingers crossed that she will write more. I loved every page of all three books because she tells us about the ordinary Italians, how they lived in the past and how they live now. I learned as much about Italian history as I learned about the people and the great food. Annie made me laugh so many times....what a good read. I want more.