Love and Gelato

This, as the title suggests, is a sweet and frothy confection which nevertheless holds the reader firmly in its grip. Welch both entertains and illuminates through the medium of more thought-provoking topics.

Lina’s mother has just died and her last wish was that her daughter should spend time in Tuscany with Howard, the father she has never met. The journey from America is a long one for her, physically and emotionally and at first all she longs for is to go back home. Indeed, all that keeps her in Italy is her refusal to break her promise to her beloved mother. Gradually, however, she realises that life is not always as it seems on the surface and people can be a constant source of revelation and hope.

The novel paints a vivid picture of landscape, food and an unfamiliar but beguiling language and so Lina’s gradual conversion to all things Italian is a credible one-especially when she forms a strong friendship with Ren, who acts as a conduit for her conversion and slowly but steadily becomes an important part of her life. This is perhaps the most predictable part of a story otherwise scattered with surprises. The other major protagonist is her mother’s journal, which Lina determines to unravel in a search for clarity about her parentage, discovering some stark truths along the way.

Welch allows the reader to walk alongside Lina, watching her shock at being suddenly alone, with her life completely changed. Her best friend Addie provides a frame of reference and a sounding board as Lina regales her with the shocks which her new life provides-not least that Howard lives in a graveyard-as a custodian of the military graves. Welch has a finely tuned ear for teenage dialogue, a keen sense of pace and draws readers in to what is a satisfying and absorbing story.