Showing results by narrator "Stefania Hartley" in All Categories

How far should Viviana’s family go to avoid being thirteen at the table? Should Melina and Tanino attend a New Year’s party hosted by Melina’s old flame? Why do Don Pericle’s clients want a Christmas wedding at all costs? Ten humorous and heart-warming short stories shining with the Sicilian sunshine, fragrant with red wine and ringing with Christmas bells, perfect for the festive season.

Will Gnà Peppina give her customers what they need, even if it’s more than food? What pleasures can a man indulge in after his wife has put him on a draconian diet? Who will be able to cook dinner for the family with five euros? Five humorous short stories ablaze with the Sicilian sunshine, vibrating with the singsongs of the street sellers, fragrant with the scent of the sea. Written by Stefania Hartley, The Sicilian Mama.

For Don Pericle, wedding organizing is a calling, not just a career. Deep in the Sicilian countryside, between rose gardens and trellised balconies, up marble staircases and across damasked ballrooms, these charming stories unfold: stories of star-crossed love, of comedic misunderstandings and of deep friendships, of love triumphing in the face of adversity (pomegranate-stained dresses, overzealous photographers, missing string quartets, and even a case of sabotage!).

Amanda’s name means “to be loved” and she’s taken it as her duty to make herself lovable, but it’s hard work. Has Tanino really abandoned Melina at home to freeze? Mark hasn’t seen Nora for thirty years and, since then, he’s lost a leg and all his hair. If he wasn’t enough for her then, can he be now? What happens if the dating app’s algorithms go haywire?

Will Melina regret faking to be sick to avoid her chores? Can Don Pericle organise a wedding for a groom who doesn’t know? Who has stolen the marble pisces from the cathedral's floor? Twelve humorous short stories dripping with the Sicilian sunshine, ringing with not-so-well-kept secrets, fragrant with freshly fried arancine rice balls, ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read.

Is it too late for Melina to learn to drive? Is Don Pericle’s vow never to fall in love again still valid after fifty years? Will a falling piano squash Filomena or just shake up her heart? Why does the mother of the bride ask Don Pericle to cancel the wedding? Ten humorous and heartwarming short stories, glowing with Sicilian sunshine, fragrant with home-made tomato sauce, and thrumming with mandolins’ serenades. Ideal for your coffee break or as a bedtime read.