One Italian Summer: A Novel

Rebecca Serle

Mar 2022 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In this “magical trip worth taking” (Associated Press), the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

“Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings—and her latest is just as unforgettable” (Woman’s World) as it effortlessly shows us how to move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

Ratings and reviews

The FMC was annoying AF, being as selfish and self-absorbed as she was. She also had weird mommy issues. On a man, you'd describe it as being momma's boy. I don't know what you'd call it on a woman. It just isn't normally seen. I also don't think the whole magical realism genre is for me. The book is only getting a three star rating for the beautiful descriptions of Italy.

What a beautiful love letter to mother and daughter relationships. As someone that lost their mother far too soon, this story really hit home and allowed me to recapture moments with my mother. Katy is lost after her mother passes away. They were a pair with her mother always having the right advice or item, no matter the situation. They had planned a trip to Positano, a place her mother visited before becoming a mother that captured her heart, something she wanted to share with Katy. When Katy gets there, she is shocked to find her mother, but not the one she lost, the one that is 30 years old, visiting Positano for the first time. Katy gets to experience and be with her young mother, learning things she never asked and maybe revealing truths that may shake the foundation of what she knew. Through it all, Katy gets the chance to figure out, who is Katy? Something she had lost sight of over the years but also, a chance for one final goodbye. I found myself wishing I could have the same opportunity with my mother. Thank you for this beautiful journey. I voluntarily read an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.

About the author

Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of Expiration Dates, One Italian Summer, In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.