Book Reviews – A Year at Hotel Gondola

A Year at Hotel Gondola
by Nicky Pellegrino

This is Nicky Pellegrino’s 10th novel and it has all the wonderful qualities of her previous books – food, friendship and love, once again with an Italian backdrop, but this time the action is set in Venice. Kat Black is an adventurer, TV presenter and food writer who has spent her life travelling the world, never staying in one place for long and never committing to a long-term relationship. When she falls for Massimo, an Italian, she agrees to move to Venice for a year and help him run his guest house, the Hotel Gondola. At the same time, she will write a book about her adventure, the food she eats and the people she meets. Kat meets some wonderful characters – Coco, who is larger than life with many lovers, the charming widow Ruth, who sees people’s energy as colour, and Dante, a fellow foodie, who she finds much easier to talk to than Massimo. Pellegrino makes Venice come alive, it is full of the sights and sounds and smells of this very romantic city.  “A Year at Hotel Gondola” is a charming read with relationships and food at its centre. What’s more, there are delicious recipes scattered throughout the book.

Matakana Village Books
www.matakanavillagebooks.co.nz