The Little Italian Bakery

'A true feast for the senses' Jenny Ashcroft, author of BENEATH A BURNING SKY

The scent of freshly baked biscuits, lemon and aniseed reminds Elettra of her mother's kitchen. But her mother is in a coma, and the family bakery is failing. Elettra is distraught; she has many unanswered questions about her mother's childhood - Edda was a secretive woman. The only clue is a family heirloom: a necklace inscribed with the name of an island.

Elettra buys a one-way ticket to that island, just off the coast of Sardinia. Once there, she discovers a community of women, each lost in their own way. They live in a crumbling convent, under threat from the local mayor and his new development plan. It is within the convent's dark corridors and behind its secret doors that Elettra discovers a connection to her mother's past. She also falls in love again: with friendship, baking and adventure.

“Set on a beautifully evoked Italian island, this atmospheric story is full of friendship, love, and the most wonderful characters - a true feast for the senses. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't remember the last time a book made me feel so hungry!”

Food and Italy, a bit of sunshine and romance and a whiff of ethereal mystery. What's not to like? [The Little Italian Bakery] is crowned by a love interest, and love itself in its various forms, together with wonderfully evocative food descriptions, meld together as the overarching themes. Recipes are included for some of the baking delicacies featured. It is at heart a novel with a melancholic feel, tempered by full-on life that can only mean Italy Trip Fiction Tired of secrets, Elettra sets out to visit the Italian island of her mother's birth. But as the past unfolds, more secrets confront her and only the old recipe book seems to show a way forward (4 stars) Prizes magazine Elettra wants to know about her family's past. All she has to go on is an heirloom necklace inscribed with the name of an island off Sardinia. There she discovers a community of women living in a convent, all lost in their own way. Could they and their ancient building hold the answers she seeks? A feel-good read by Valentina Cebeni Hello! Jenny Ashcroft, author of Beneath a Burning Sky

Valentina Cebeni was born in Italy. She is a passionate reader with a background in the classics. Since her teenage years, Valentina has cultivated her love of writing with the discipline of a Tibetan monk, determined to explore the recesses of the human soul through her characters. She currently lives in Rome.

'A true feast for the senses' Jenny Ashcroft, author of BENEATH A BURNING SKY The scent of freshly baked biscuits, lemon and aniseed reminds Elettra of her mother's kitchen. But her mother is in a coma, and the family bakery is failing. Elettra is distraught; she has many unanswered questions about her mother's childhood - Edda was a secretive woman. The only clue is a family heirloom: a necklace inscribed with the name of an island. Elettra buys a one-way ticket to that island, just off the coast of Sardinia. Once there, she discovers a community of women, each lost in their own way. They live in a crumbling convent, under threat from the local mayor and his new development plan. It is within the convent's dark corridors and behind its secret doors that Elettra discovers a connection to her mother's past. She also falls in love again: with friendship, baking and adventure.

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