‘Escape to Italy and fall in love with this perfect summer read…’
– The Italian Holiday
[ About The Italian Holiday]
Floundering junior travel writer Katie has just been given the opportunity of her career. Her boss can’t make her trip to the idyllic but little-known Italian island of Ponza, and Katie must step into her luxurious designer shoes to write the piece for the magazine. Boarding the plane with her best friend Farrah, Katie waves goodbye to her unglamorous domestic trips and hello to a week of sun, sand and sparkling seas.
But then disaster strikes. Farrah is involved in an accident and Katie must stay by her side for a month while she recovers. Katie is in panic-mode, trying to appease both her micro-managing boss and her passive-aggressive boyfriend back in New York, while an intriguing local chef, Nico, tries to show her all that the island has to offer.
As she gets to know Nico and falls in love with the relaxed pace of the island, Katie begins to question her life back home and what she truly wants. But will she figure out what’s truly important to her before it’s too late?
[ My Review ]
The Italian Holiday by Catherine Mangan published May 23rd with Sphere (Hachette) and is described as ‘glorious and uplifting escapist novel set against the stunning backdrop of the Italian coast.’
I don’t read many romantic fiction books but sometimes, when it feels that everything is out of kilter, escaping into a lush Italian-based novel seems like the perfect choice. Last year I read One Italian Summer by Catherine Mangan which brought me back to Ischia, an Italian island in the Gulf of Naples that I had visited years ago. In The Italian Holiday, we set off an adventure to the island of Ponza situated in the Tyrrhenian Sea, the largest of the Pontine Islands archipelago. I have never been to Ponza but Catherine Mangan has and through her eyes we explore the glorious landscape, the sparkling sea and the absolutely heavenly dishes, alongside the delightfully romantic story of travel writer Katie and her unexpected quest as she discovers that her path in life is about to take a very dramatic and unexpected turn.
Katie is a New York based junior writer, with ambition, working for a renowned magazine. Katie dreams of heading off on scintillating adventures, like her senior colleagues do, but first, she has to prove herself to her domineering boss. Katie is Irish but has made New York her home, having just put down a deposit on an apartment with her American boyfriend, Steve. Katie is feeling overwhelmed by life when suddenly an unanticipated job lands on her lap. Her boss was due to travel on an all-expenses trip to Ponza in order to write a feature for the magazine, but unforeseen circumstances result in Katie being offered the opportunity. Ecstatic and unable to believe her luck, she convinces her friend Farrah to join her, as Steve is unable to go.
When the two arrive at their exclusive accommodation, they are immediately smitten by the views, the people and the food. With mouth-watering dishes and vivid, almost photographic, descriptions of the scenery, Catherine Mangan transports the reader to this Italian paradise. Katie and Farrah are in awe of how the island has such an incredible approach to living to the fullest. Inspired and almost overwhelmed, they dive straight in, with a plan to experience everything the island has to offer. Katie has a schedule to stick to for her feature but, in her off-time, she is excited to further explore the island. But Katie’s plans get derailed when Farrah has an accident and they are ‘forced’ to remain on the island for a month. With nowhere to stay, a deadline looming and a cantankerous boss, Katie goes into panic mode. But there is a ray of light in the form of a local chef with a curious desire to remain quite anonymous. His name is Nico and he is a huge advocate of sustainable living and slow-food with no carbon footprint. His ideas and enthusiasm are contagious, throwing Katie into a spin.
Katie had her life planned out but now, on this Italian island, is she just another holiday cliché seeing everything through rose-tinted glasses? Or has a genuine alternative presented itself? Confused, exhilarated and very much alive, Katie has decisions to make but will she make the right choice?
The Italian Holiday was exactly what I expected, and hoped, it would be. I love Italy and hope to return next year but right now, Catherine Mangan’s sumptuous descriptions will sustain me for another while as I dream of bougainvillea strewn streets, luscious food, tongue-tingling wines and spectacular views.
The Italian Holiday is a very beguiling novel with a story that will sweep you off your feet and instantly transport you to the Italian island of Ponza, that I have seen described as ‘Capri without the tourists’. Sounds absolutely magical. I did spot that Catherine Mangan was off on her Italian travels again, all in the name of research, so I’m looking forward to continuing my Italian adventures through her writing and adding to my must-visit Italian hideaways.
[ Bio ]
Catherine Mangan grew up in Ireland before embarking on her own Italian escape. She studied languages at University College Cork before moving to Italy (briefly) with friends, which was the start of a life-long love affair with the country. She now divides her time between Ireland and Silicon Valley.
Under another name, Catherine is an award-winning Irish entrepreneur and creator of a language-learning app, which has users in 175 countries.
X ~ @CathManganBooks
