Book Description:
Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro.
“Whoever finds a friend finds a treasure.”
Italian saying
Grace and Claire have formed a close friendship over their love of reading. After many years and many books that provided armchair adventures, the time has come for them to go somewhere instead of only dreaming of someday.
Traveling to Venice, Florence, and Bellagio, the Suitcase Sisters find themselves immersed in the magnificent works of art, scrumptious gelato flavors, and endless pasta variations of Italy. And they discover a vulnerability to disclose their struggles in ways they never did at home. As Grace experiences a newfound freedom and confidence in who she is, Claire wrestles with painful memories of her teen years.
A special dinner party brings unexpected revelations about faith and God’s nearness. Then a life-changing moment on the shores of Lake Lugano causes Grace and Claire to discover they are not just tourists but pilgrims on a path to becoming all God created them to be.
Robin Jones Gunn whisks you away to experience the incredible culture of Northern Italy in this inspiring, faith-based contemporary fiction with themes of European travel, midlife adventures, and lifelong friendships, making this a perfect book club selection.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Gelato at the Villa, the second book in Robin Jones Gunn’s charming Suitcase Sisters vacation contemporary series. Grace is a medical receptionist from California who’s married with a young daughter. She plans a vacation in Italy with Claire, her best friend who shares her passion for books and reading. Claire is also married with a young daughter. She’s a construction company project manager who lives near Claire in California.
The story opens with Grace and Claire landing in Italy and heading to their first stop in Venice. They later visit Tuscany and the northern lake region. The setting is steeped in history and is like a character in the story.
I loved travelling with Grace and Claire as they immersed themselves in experiencing the fascinating history, architecture, churches, art, culture, hospitality and culinary delights of Northern Italy. Pasta and gelato, among other local delicacies, are featured in the story.
Grace and Claire fell in love with Italy, despite encountering a few hiccups and a couple of surprises in their travel plans. I loved the side characters and the pearls of wisdom they generously shared with Claire and Grace along with their hospitality.
The story is beautifully written in single point of view from Claire’s perspective. Claire and Grace’s faith and healing journeys are explored as they deal with past emotional baggage. They are challenged to consider faith matters and their relationship with God.
I recommend Gelato at the Villa to contemporary readers who like vacation, foodie and friendship womens fiction that includes strong faith elements with forgiveness themes.
