Customer Reviews

Life al Dente: Laughter and Love in an Italian-American Family

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a warm and very funny memoir with a serious point -- that the child's take on the American dream may be quite different from the parent's. Part "Sopranos" (without the violence) and part "My Big Fat Italian Wedding (with recipes), it's the story of a spirited Italian girl's journey out of "the neighborhood" and into the heart of WASP culture. Unfortunately, it ends too soon; I hope Ms. Cascone gives us a sequel.

Ah, to have the relatives, the wit, and the warm memories of a flawed but sincerely loving, close-knit Italian family such as Gina Cascone's. But even with the same material, few could render the experience of growing up Italian and female in suburbia as well as Cascone has done in this, her 2nd book. The eels! Omigod, the eels for Christmas dinner, first writhing in the bathtub, then writhing around your arm, then writhing on the chopping block, and STILL writhing as, cut into cross-sections, they were tossed into the saute pan! Now, that's a memory few can share. Funny, sad, sentimental, tolerant, it's everything you could want from a short little book. But the overwhelming feeling that comes through is Cascone's love and gratitude for her family.
Don't miss it.

I really enjoyed this book! As an Iranian, I loved getting a behind the scenes look at an Italian family and was struck by the universality of the experiences. This book, however, should come with a warning--the description of foods leaves the reader hankering for an Italian meal! Thank you Gina, for sharing your family and childhood with the rest of us.

Don't think you need to be a member of the family to enjoy this warm, loving and quite funny look at childhood. You can feel the warmth this author has for her zany family in every nook and cranny.The feelings are universal; love, loss, despair at your parent's behavior and the laughter that only family can share. Curl up with this book and remember what it was like to be a child.

Life al Dente is a wonderfully written and well-spun story that will take anyone back to their youth to remember the finer things in life. Gina Cascone reminds us that family, no matter how flawed, is a constant source of joy and strength. As a writer of a number of novels, I enjoyed the pace and flow of the story. It painted beautiful images in my mind that left me smiling chapter after chapter.

Oh my, I laughed so much reading this book...she nailed my family so well...thank you

Authentic Italian American. Brought back lots of memories of my childhood growing up as an Italian American. Both funny and sad at times. A nice confortable read.

If you were brought up in an Italian household, you can really relate to this book.. Brings me back to my childhood.. Great book.. Well done!!!!

Life al Dente has a few amusing moments with heartfelt memories by the author. The predominantly Southern Italian family memories are described directly and crassly, devoid of any flair, descriptive language, or writing style. Foul language accents this poorly written novel. The cover illustration and title are its only redeeming features.