Life al Dente: Laughter and Love in an Italian-American Family

Rating:
Summary: Love and laughter, Italian style
Review: Ah, to have the relatives, the wit, and the warm memories of a flawed but sincerely loving, close-knit Italian family such as Gina Cascone's. But even with the same material, few could render the experience of growing up Italian and female in suburbia as well as Cascone has done in this, her 2nd book. The eels! Omigod, the eels for Christmas dinner, first writhing in the bathtub, then writhing around your arm, then writhing on the chopping block, and STILL writhing as, cut into cross-sections, they were tossed into the saute pan! Now, that's a memory few can share. Funny, sad, sentimental, tolerant, it's everything you could want from a short little book. But the overwhelming feeling that comes through is Cascone's love and gratitude for her family.
Don't miss it.

Rating:
Summary: Remembering Home
Review: Don't think you need to be a member of the family to enjoy this warm, loving and quite funny look at childhood. You can feel the warmth this author has for her zany family in every nook and cranny.The feelings are universal; love, loss, despair at your parent's behavior and the laughter that only family can share. Curl up with this book and remember what it was like to be a child.

Rating:
Summary: warm and fuzzy
Review: I really enjoyed this book! As an Iranian, I loved getting a behind the scenes look at an Italian family and was struck by the universality of the experiences. This book, however, should come with a warning--the description of foods leaves the reader hankering for an Italian meal! Thank you Gina, for sharing your family and childhood with the rest of us.

Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be Italian to love this
Review: This is a warm and very funny memoir with a serious point -- that the child's take on the American dream may be quite different from the parent's. Part "Sopranos" (without the violence) and part "My Big Fat Italian Wedding (with recipes), it's the story of a spirited Italian girl's journey out of "the neighborhood" and into the heart of WASP culture. Unfortunately, it ends too soon; I hope Ms. Cascone gives us a sequel.

Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be Italian to love this
Review: This is a warm and very funny memoir with a serious point -- that the child's take on the American dream may be quite different from the parent's. Part "Sopranos" (without the violence) and part "My Big Fat Italian Wedding (with recipes), it's the story of a spirited Italian girl's journey out of "the neighborhood" and into the heart of WASP culture. Unfortunately, it ends too soon; I hope Ms. Cascone gives us a sequel.