A September to Remember by Carole Bumpus ~ a Review

by MK French

Carole Bumpus continues her series of travelogue/culinary memoir series. In this volume, she and her husband now travel through Italy for the first time, focusing on Lombardy, Tuscany, Compania, Apulia and Lazio.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

 

April 2021; She Writes Press; 978-1631527272
ebook, print (272 pages); culinary memoir 

Maps of Italy precede the sections on each region, so those who aren’t travelers will be able to see on a map just where Carole and her husband went on their trip through Italy. People might hear of a beautiful Lombardy or Tuscany countryside, but might not be able to link famous cities to them. In Lombard, we have Milan and the Italian Alps. The usual travel disasters can beset anyone, including Carole, which oddly enough made me feel better despite the secondhand embarrassment. I’m not the only one to arrive somewhere without my luggage! Though I certainly didn’t have the pleasure of shopping in one of the fashion capitals of the world the way Carole did, and her descriptions all have such detail that I really did feel like I was in the shops, restaurants, and festivals with her.

Historical details and explanations pepper the chapters and give background for the cities that Carole visited. We’re essentially brought along her tour through different sites, complete with educational background and asides for meals. These aren’t just lists of Italian foods and the English translations, but customs around food and drink for the Italians. Carole learns how the midday snacks can be done for school children, which could even translate to adults and mealtimes, which she found very constricting. I found the looks into the culture fascinating and enjoyed being with her on her various tours. I haven’t been to Italy, and with COVID around likely won’t be able to for a while. This was a great way to vicariously travel, and there are recipes at the back of the book as there were in her prior books of the series. This was a fun journey to take along with her!

Buy A September to Remember at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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