THE WEDDING OFFICER by Anothony Cappella
First line: The day Livia Pertini fell in love for the first time was the day the beauty contest was won by her favourite cow, Pupetta.
Upon the Allies takeover of Naples in WW II, the British find an inordinate amount of women in Napoli anxious to marry English soldiers. Not surprising, due to the lack of men (all conscripted by Germany to serve in the Russian front) and a collapsed economy, which has led to prostitution being about the only thriving business in the city. When stiff-upper-lip English Captain James Gould arrives in the capital tasked with vetting legitimate marriages and nixing those de facto prostitutes looking for a free pass to England, he is stunned to learn that life is not divided into black and white. He soon finds himself living in the gray area of a wor-torn country, where rules are meant to be broken and where a lonely soldier with a kindly heart just might find himself falling in love–despite the rules to the contrary. Cappella, an English food writer, has penned a charming and evocative tale sure to warm your heart.
For: Lovers of lovely prose, lovers of wonderful food, Italophiles, and anyone looking for a good story in which to get lost.- Jenny Gardiner