Only in Naples by Katherine Wilson

A Radio 4 Book of the Week

‘See Naples and die’, said Goethe. But Katherine Wilson saw Naples and started to live.

Katherine is fresh out of college when she arrives in Naples to intern at the US Consulate. There she meets handsome, studious Salvatore, and finds herself enveloped by his family – in particular by his elegant mother, Raffaella, who begins her real education: never eat the crust of a pizza first, always stand up and fight for yourself and your loved ones, and remember that mealtimes are sacred.

Immersed in Neapolitan culture, tradition and cooking, slowly and unexpectedly falling for Salvatore, and basking in Raffaella’s company and guidance, Katherine discovers how to prepare meals that sing, from rich ragu to pasta al forno, with bacon, bechamel and four kinds of cheese. Through courtship, culture clashes, Sunday Mass, marriage and motherhood, Katherine slowly comes to appreciate carnale, the quintessentially Neapolitan sense of comfort and confidence in one’s own skin.

Steeped in sunlight, wine and unforgettable food, ONLY IN NAPLES is a love letter to a city and a family, a coming-of-age story, and a transporting account of learning to live the Italian way.

‘Katherine Wilson gives us more than the fabulous food of Naples. She offers us a passport to an exotic country we would never be able to enter on our own.’ Ruth Reichl, author of MY KITCHEN YEAR.

A spellbinding journey into the heart of Neapolitan life.

About the Author: Katherine Wilson was raised in Washington, D.C., and educated at the Sidwell Friends School and Princeton University. For the past nineteen years she has worked in theatre, television and film as well as freelance translating in Italy. She lives in Rome with her husband and two children.

08 Jun 2017
 

Only in Naples: Lessons in Food and Famiglia from My Italian Mother-in-Law by Katherine Wilson ISBN 9780349006321