Amazon.com: A Kiss from Maddalena (9781877008689): Christopher Castellani: Books

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Customer Reviews

28 Reviews

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (28 customer reviews)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars absolutely beautiful story, April 3, 2003

By

David G. W. Scott "A Creative Writing Teacher" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Kiss from Maddalena (Hardcover)

Christopher Castellani's debut novel is a love story in a time of war. Castellani's gift is for storytelling, and his prose is so precise you can smell the dusty air of Santa Cecilia in every sentence. He's so at ease telling the story of Vito's love for Maddalena, that you fall in love with both of them. Castellani has a great sense for story and a great ear for rhythmic prose. I couldn't help wishing against all my 21st Century common sense, for love to work out. This is writing that will stand the test of time. A Kiss From Maddalena, from the title to the conclusion is as measured and suddenly surprising as life itself. If you are a reader who loves to be lost in the tale, here's the first book on your new list.

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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A first novel of uncommon depth and maturity, April 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Kiss from Maddalena (Hardcover)

Much to my delight I have just finished reading A Kiss from Maddalena. It was like taking a journey through time and place where one continually experiences life in a sensual and realistic fashion. The author has created a wonderful story of family that is woven into the tapestry of a small village in war ravaged Italy. The characters remind me of my aunts and uncles and stories told over a big bowl of pasta. Bravo! A wonderfully engaging story that invites the reader to feel the passions and struggles of life and love.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bounteous trip to 1940s Italy, May 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Kiss from Maddalena (Hardcover)

I finished AKFM last night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my incentive to get to bed early for several nights, and it kept me up too late each time! I want to go to Santa Cecilia and the olive grove and I want to eat some of Celestina's soup. Standing under chestnut trees has a whole new meaning for me now. Vito, Maddalena, Carolina, Buccio, Concetta--I can't get over how many characters the author developed and how the story remained true to their time and circumstances. Not just a love story, but a painless history lesson, a celebration of place, and an examination of the power of both passionate and familial love. The prose is cooked just right: al dente, with plenty of rich dialogue on top. This is a novel where you get your money's worth.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT !
A jewel of soundness set in a small village in Italia deep in the background of WWII. The characters are so refreshing and so well depicted! Read more

Published 10 days ago by Herve Tresse

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book which makes you think.
Really good book! I wish I knew others who had read it, so that I could discuss! Can't give more details, don't want to spoil anything :)

Published on March 29, 2009 by Jennifer Moore

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites.
Excellent book club pick. Everyone in my bookclub gave it a high rating. Castellani did a fabulous job of bringing you to this small town in Italy. Read more

Published on November 23, 2006 by Susabelle

4.0 out of 5 stars Star crossed
Love and war in a remote Italian village in Lazio. A young woman, not more than a child, really. A passionate young man dismissed in the village as nice enough but useless. Read more

Published on August 21, 2005 by Linda Pagliuco

3.0 out of 5 stars A shallow, but sweet story
This book took me two weeks to read! I can usually read a novel in a couple of days. I repeatedly put it down and swore not to pick it back up. Read more

Published on March 22, 2005 by J. Croy

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend
Excellent Book. The writer made me feel like I was a fly on the wall in the lives of these people. I feel that is the best thing a writer can do. Read more

Published on February 25, 2005 by Delah

4.0 out of 5 stars Bittersweet Read
A Kiss from Maddalena by Christopher Castellani, Algonquin Books, 2003.

Reading this book was like tasting sweet water which, in the end, turns bittersweet... Read more

Published on November 9, 2004 by J. Owen

5.0 out of 5 stars Poetry of Life
A Kiss From Maddalena is a story about the poetry of life told through the shroud of love. Set in 1943 in the war-torn village of Santa Cecilia, Italy, Castellani lyrically wraps... Read more

Published on June 28, 2004 by Jeanne Morris

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Literature
Expertly developed settings and characters, accomplished without impairing the flow of the story. If you're looking for a good read, sit down with A Kiss from Maddalena. Read more

Published on June 9, 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging!
This new novelist first effort is engaging. It is not a romance novel, yet there is much romance. It is not a war novel, yet there is much war, both as a story backdrop and... Read more

Published on November 2, 2003 by J.L. Pierce

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
FROM THE AIR, the village of Santa Cecilia appears in the shape of a woman lying down. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Santa Cecilia, Vito Leone, Zia Zabrina, Antonio Grasso, Maddalena Piccinelli, Guglierma Lunga, Signora Grasso, Signore Fosca, Don Paolo, Vito the Second, West Olive, Gran Sasso, Signora Fosca, Signore Vattilana, Aristide Piccinelli, Luciana Campini, Signora Puzo, Zio Gabriello, Anna Rossi, Concetta Leone, Fulvio Drago, Massimo Leone, Zio Domenico, Carolina Piccinelli, Ernesto Drago

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