Present Books In Pursuance Of A Kiss from Maddalena
| Original Title: | A Kiss from Maddalena |
| ISBN: | 0425196429 (ISBN13: 9780425196427) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Massachusetts Book Award for Fiction (2004) |
Christopher Castellani
paperback | Pages: 352 pages Rating: 3.72 | 795 Users | 113 Reviews
Mention Based On Books A Kiss from Maddalena
| Title | : | A Kiss from Maddalena |
| Author | : | Christopher Castellani |
| Book Format | : | paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 352 pages |
| Published | : | June 1st 2004 by Berkley Trade (first published January 1st 2003) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Cultural. Italy. Romance. War. World War II |
Relation Toward Books A Kiss from Maddalena
Some in Santa Cecilia think that a rich, beautiful girl like Maddalena Piccinelli wouldn't look at Vito Leone if he were the last boy on earth. But it is 1943, and Vito is nearly the last boy in the village-and in a few months, after he turns eighteen, the soldiers may come for him too. For now, he is determined to win her. And he is beginning to get past her self-contained reserve and melt her stubborn heart. But as forces from the world outside-including an American stranger-begin to invade their quiet refuge, Vito will face challenges far more daunting than coaxing a kiss from Maddalena.Rating Based On Books A Kiss from Maddalena
Ratings: 3.72 From 795 Users | 113 ReviewsRate Based On Books A Kiss from Maddalena
Interesting historically, culturally, and romantically, this is the story of life in a small Italian town as WWI destroys lives. One small town with a large family is the focus here, and particularly the beautiful young Maddalena, coming of age and falling in love, but not with the man who would take her to America. First of a series, or trilogy, third book just published, I'm on to the second now.I downloaded this book from nook books under 2.99 looking for an inexpensive read from a different author. I loved this book and found myself pleasantly surprised that it had been found on a bargain search. His second novel, with a excerpt at the end, continues the story of this Italian family, and I will be continuing the read as well. My first read of World War II based in Italy. Recommend it!
(Edit after reading entire series: I'm adding back the star I deducted for being forced to part ways with the compelling and beautifully rendered young Vito Leone. I admit to a pang of reader rage at the end of the first book of the three, because it was clear that we would leave behind my favorite character. BUT the three-part series works so well with Maddalena at its center, and renders the Italian immigrant experience so poignantly and accurately, that I had to concede that I trust the
I loved this book the first time I read it (10 years ago) and thought I'd give it a reread.I loved it just as much the second time! I think I'll try the next book in the trilogy, although sometimes that leads to disappointment. I'm OK with the way the book ends, even after being left with more questions than answers.
I got this book from a friend's mom who said she absolutely loved it. It was very slow moving, so I was totally "meh" about the book until about 50 pages from the end, when basically everything turns on it's head in a pretty interesting way. At that point, I began to understand why these very slowly but intricately developed characters had been given so much thought, and the fact that I knew them all so well by that point made the end very heartwrenching, like it was happening to friends of
This romantic novel begins in a remote Italian village in May 1943, while Italy is still an ally of Germany. Vito, 18 years old, scrawny and relatively poor, falls for 16-year old Maddalena, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the town's general store. The book is mainly the story of their relationship through September 1945, after Italy has switched sides and the War has impacted their village and finally ended. Family loyalty, class differences, and religious beliefs at that time and place
I'm not sure how I felt about this book; I may give it closer to a 3.5 than a 3, only because the ending kept me on my toes. However, most of the book was a bit slow, and I found it sort of hard to focus, especially when the war was going on, and Vito was trying to find his place in Santa Cecilia. I would have liked to read more about the interaction between Vito and Carolina near the end of the book but, the author decided to leave that in the air, focusing solely on Antonio and Maddalena. I
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