Casa Nostra: A Home in Sicily

By Caroline Seller Manzo

Book Overview

Englishwoman Caroline Seller met Marcello Manzo at a Halloween party in London in the mid-seventies. Although she spoke little Italian and he spoke practically no English, the chemistry between them was undeniable, and it wasn't long before Caroline was invited to visit Marcello's family in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. A large, eccentric, and loving clan living in a magnificent, crumbling villa, Santa Maria, the Manzos welcomed Caroline warmly, and soon she and Marcello were married. Together they traveled the world and started a family, but through it all, Santa Maria was never far from their thoughts. So when the Manzo brothers united to save the family's deteriorating estate, Marcello and Caroline eagerly signed on to the project--not entirely prepared for what they were getting into As seen through the eyes of Caroline Seller Manzo--an outsider who is often surprised and always delighted by her Italian family and adopted hometown-- Casa Nostra is the captivating story of a villa's difficult, glorious rebirth and a celebration of the unique beauty and history of western Sicily and its people.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061373966
• ISBN13: 9780061373961
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

casa nostra

I thoughly enjoyed this book & would highly recomend it.Its amusing & informative about life in a Sicilian family where the days seem to revolve around food. Susan Ribeiro dos Santos

Brings Sicily to life!

This beautiful book brings Sicily to life, with its evocations of three generations of an Italian family, combined with fascinating descriptions of its history and culture, from the Greeks to the mafia and everything in between. I would recommend this book to anyone planning to visit Sicily, or simply looking to escape into its pages and experience the warmth of this family and their villa in the sun. I loved it!

As close as you'll get to Sicily without taking a plane

As a fellow Brit married to a Sicilian, I can attest that Ms. Seller Manzo's insights and observations of life in Sicily are as authentic as the family's homemade tomato sauce. The flavours of Sicily are all there, seasoned with hilarious and touching anecdotes about the Manzo household and the author's daunting task of fitting into such a splendidly eccentric family.