Customer Reviews

The Wedding Officer: A Novel (Bantam Discovery)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Romance can take place anytime, anywhere --- even in the midst of war. The sights, sounds and flavors of the Italian coast, rich with traditions and recipes passed through family members, entice British Captain James Gould to fall in love with Italy and the very beautiful and talented Livia Pertini. A mere 22 years old, Captain Gould is sent to Naples, Italy, to discourage British soldiers from taking war brides from among the many young Italian women who must prostitute themselves for bits of food in order to survive amidst deplorable conditions. The Allied occupation of Italy is portrayed with candor. Black marketeering, venereal disease, prostitution and corruption are rampant, and the new wedding officer is in charge of restoring order.

The Amalfi coast we know today as the Italian Riviera is in shambles, bombed by the Germans, British and Americans as they fight the war. In the midst of the rubble, Captain Gould is taken aback by the view, and the reader is treated to the stunning imagery of "the vast orange sun setting over the bay of Naples...Along the seafront, palm trees nodded in the evening breeze. And on the other side of the bay, the vast bulk of Mount Vesuvius loomed..." Despite the harsh realities of a war-torn country, the reader is transported to a time and place in history that enriches our understanding of the power of culture, food and love.

To begin your summer reading with THE WEDDING OFFICER and a cool limoncello is a must. Whether basking in the warm Mediterranean sun on the Amalfi coast, poolside at a resort hotel or beneath a striped umbrella on any beach, feed your appetite for wine, food and love with this book. Anthony Capella, author of THE FOOD OF LOVE, writes a visual feast laden with romance fed by the beauty of the region, its culinary delights and the warmth of the Italian people.

Livia Pertini has known one love: Enzo a young, handsome Italian officer who finds her in the kitchen of her family's osteria during the Feast of the Apricots and wins her heart with his smile and his open expression of romantic interest. "I wasn't on the lookout for someone, but when you meet the right person, you have to grab the opportunity while you can." The young lovers marry quickly, and Livia moves to Naples with her new husband. After the war takes Enzo's life, Livia is able to find work as a cook to the wedding officer and escapes having to support herself through prostitution.

James's romance with Italy and Livia begin at the same time. Her mouthwatering "eggplant baked in layers with tomato, garlic and herbs and topped with grilled cheese" fettuccine al limone and sliced apricots in wine lure him into the kitchen to sample savory foods that release his palate from the bland meat and vegetable rations. For the wedding officer to fall in love with a beautiful Italian girl is contrary to his role as deterrent of relationships between British soldiers and Italian women. James's passion for Livia begins in the kitchen, and in the middle of a cooking lesson, James and Livia hold each other during an air raid by the Germans, and James asks, "If you died right now, is there anything you would regret?" Food for thought for all of us.

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius adds another dimension of uncertainty, fear and survival. While visiting her father and sister alone, Livia's family is placed in the path of hot lava. To save her father from the infection of severe burns, Livia must sacrifice herself to the town gangster in order to obtain the life-saving penicillin. The lovers are separated, and James requests a transfer to the front line to get closer to Germany, where he thinks Livia has been taken. Over shots of grappa, a kindly Italian advises James to fight for the woman he loves --- "isn't she worth fighting for?" When the lovers are reunited, James has witnessed the ravages of war firsthand in a way that changes a boy to a man.

The reader becomes as intoxicated as James by the sight of "a lemon tree in blossom...or the scent of some unfamiliar, exotic herb wafting through an open window...or snatch of opera being sung...or shaft of Neapolitan sunlight warming the skin." We are seduced by Livia as she dances the tarantella, an erotic dance in which the woman pursues the man, and we can nearly taste the briny oysters the two share in a tiny restaurant overlooking the sea by Sorrento.

I predict a boost in tourism to the Italian Riviera when THE WEDDING OFFICER is served to the public via the big screen. Previous visitors to Naples, Capri or the Amalfi coast will rejoice in remembering all things limone. The dessert is the nectar from the simple, fresh culinary imagery and salty tang of the sea, and the strength of two people who change with each other and grow together instead of apart, despite the effects of war. The promise of moonlit nights, stunning vistas, culinary delights and the infamous limoncella is a recipe for love you'll want to savor and share. Ciao.

--- Reviewed by Hillary Wagy

A young English officer, James Gould, is posted to Naples during WW2 to act as a "wedding officer", someone whose duty it is is to try to prevent English soldiers from marrying Italian women. The local girls are close to starvation, owing to the previous occupation of German troops and the confiscation of the food stores and farm animals of the locals, so are often forced, by necessity, to tade sexual favours for the extra food available to the soldiers. These girls are then branded as prostitutes and are rejected as brides by the army authorities when the majority of them are only trying to keep themselves and their families alive. When James hires Livia, a local young widow, as a cook to cater for the CIC, later known as the CIA, officers, billeted in the town, she transforms their tastes with tasty, regional food such as they've never experienced before, and a romance begins between them. The story is liberally interspersed with descriptions of simple but exquisite food, served with the minimum of fuss, such as they were in Mr.Capella's previous book "The Food of Love", and are a mouth watering accompaniment to a tale of life during a war in an only partially liberated country, and to a tender love story. I enjoyed every minute of its reading!

This is an entrancing novel that captures you at the beginning and doesn't let you go till the very last page. Beautifully written, there are many journeys of discovery interwoven throughout the book from the seductions of food to seduction of the flesh, from innocence to a terrible understaning of war and then the healing that comes with true love and true friendship. If this doesn't make you passionate for pasta and desperate to visit Italy - nothing will! I'm purchasing another copy to give to my best friend for her birthday and my husband is now enjoying his turn at reading ours.

In 1944, the British army occupies Naples. However, the brass back in London is not concerned with a counterattack by Mussolini's fascists or the German Nazis as the enemy is reeling from the allied thrusts. Instead the biggest concern is fraternization between the young British soldiers and the Italian beauties whose men are at war or dead. Assigned as the critical person in city-occupier relations is twenty-two years old Captain James Gould who came to Naples to serve as THE WEDDING OFFICER preventing relationships especially marital ones between the soldiers and the city belles.

James does a great job although many of the young resent his eagerness to obey orders. However, he has a problem when he meets the officer chef widow Livia Pertini. Besides loving her cooking as he has not tasted anything close to the heavenly dishes she makes; he wants her with a passion that rivals her fervor for life. Struggling to control his desire for Livia as orders are orders, James falls in love. However he realizes the hypocrisy as he is THE WEDDING OFFICER expected to prevent such goings on as he desires while also investigating marriages and claimed fatherhood between Italians and Brits. This is a terrific vivid WW II tale starring a likable protagonist trying to accomplish his assigned mission while his heart tells him to disobey the order. The story line provides a deep look at Naples as the British army that occupies the city; that enables the audience to infer what the war has done to the local populace and somewhat less the foreign army. Besides the irony of sending single twentyish male for this job, the delicious repasts and the impact of the eruption of Vesuvius, Anthony Capella provides a wonderful romance, but it is the historical tidbits interwoven into the plot that makes 1944 flow so alive.

Wow! Now here is not only a perfect "summer beach book" but also a good piece of (light) well-written literature, and with food too! How can one go wrong? The plot is good, the characters excellent and well-drawn, the time & place interesting, and the not-so-incidental descriptions of food and food preparation are the perfect icing on the cake. This is the kind of book you want never to end because the characters and their lives are truly engaging. In addition, WWII Italy permeates this novel--it's not just a place/time for the story to happen--it comes alive for itself through Capella's deft touch; you can almost feel the breeze, smell the basil, and hear the airplanes overhead. Without doubt, this book should be in your summer vacaton reading stack.

We picked this selection for our book club last month. The first several chapters were interesting, and I really felt like the characters were going to be very engaging. Then it hit a plateau. The characters lost their charm and fell flat. I'm honestly not much of a feminist, but I soon felt this was a book written by a man with one fantasy in mind: having a woman who does nothing but cooks for him and has sex whenever he pleases. It becomes very tedious after a while.

This is one of the best books I've read this year. It contains all my favorite things - Italy, romance, humor, food, and good writing. It was easy to become immersed in this rich tale and swept away with all the wonderful descriptions of food and survival in war torn Naples. The backdrop of Mt. Vesuvius is interesting and informative. I adored "Gems" and Livia as the hero and heroine. Can't wait to read another book by this author.

Sumptuous, a feast for the senses, an exhilerating read, this is one of the best novels I've read in ages. With its carefully researched historical setting, rich characters and vivid descriptions, it is destined to be a classic. You will be captivated and caught up in the lives of these people, and actually feel like you know what it was like to be in WWII Era Naples, during the Allied occupation. Highly recommended! In the vein of "Like Water From Chocolate," and with the emotion of a Nicholas Sparks story. Truly a gift to your eyes and heart.

This is a step-up from your average beach read and more substantial than chick-lit. History, romance and great food all weave together for a highly enjoyable reading experience... as my Italian grandmother would say, "Try it, you'll like it!"

I picked this up expecting a romance (based on the cover and title)....and my expectations for romances are no longer that high- having read more than my share of them. However, this is a wonderful book that anyone would enjoy- men and women alike.

There is a wonderful love story, but also a lot of humor, and what I like the best- was that you learn so much about conditions in WWII, volcanoes, and Italian food.

In short, very well researched, and very well written- a book I could not put down.