Memoir set in Umbria (un etto* of Italy) Plus we talk to the author about life in Italy
- Book: Chickens Eat Pasta: Escape to Umbria
- Location: Umbria
- Author: Clare Pedrick
Umbria: “…such a spectacularly beautiful place, so close to Rome in some ways and yet so very different and completely unspoilt”
On a whim, Clare Pedrick decides to decamp to Umbria, giving up life as she knows it in the South of England. Triggered by the end of a relationship, it is deemed a bit of a rash response to an emotional upheaval. But once Italy gets under your skin, it has you for keeps (or so it feels). It is also pretty horrible weather in November in England, another incentive to search for a property in the rugged hills above Terni.
And so she finds her way to San Massano, where she buys a derelict property. Angela and Ercolino become her good supportive friends as she gradually brings her ruin back to life. Most are curious about the English woman, some try to take advantage in more ways than one, but her determination to settle into the community is admirable. As she finds her feet, she also finds work in Rome.
At the same time a relationship starts to form, with a man from – of all places – Naples, not an ideal choice according the locals, as they are all mafia down there and he is more than likely to have another woman in tow. Despite this, and despite some doubts,the relationship feels strong enough to find a flat in Rome where they can both live.
Throughout the book there are short chapters that indicate she will leave San Massano – we perhaps imagine
bleak circumstances, or perhaps the ingrained “ways” and “traditions” of Italy become too much – but you will have to buy a copy of the book to see where life eventually takes her.
For me this was much more than a memoir, I felt I was often there in the cold of her cottage, or heading down to Terni to catch the train, and eating the gloriously rendered food. There are many appetising dishes, always with incredibly fresh and aromatic ingredients that just waft off the pages.
The origin of the title becomes apparent early in the book when Clare spots chickens eating, well, pasta!
*un etto: equivalent to around 100gm in weight, a term commonly used throughout Italy
This review plus author interview first appeared on our blog
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