FICTION

Casalvento: House of the Wind

by Gudrun Cuillo
Greenleaf. Jun. 2023. 312p. ISBN 9798886450651. pap. $18.95. F
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DEBUT In her debut novel, Cuillo uses the real-life Italian wineries of Casalvento and Livernano as her background for her semi-autobiographical story of a young woman finding her true purpose. When Erika Germoglio receives a call from a lawyer about an inheritance from an unknown grandfather, she leaves her perfect life in New York to travel to Italy. However, before she can make her final decision on accepting the bequest, she learns that her grandfather’s will has one stipulation: stay at her inherited winery for five months. Taking the long-term stay as an opportunity to find her purpose, Erika comes to realize that the journey she is about to take will make her reassess everything about her life.
VERDICT While the characters and various subplots feel a little uneven and sometimes forced, the strength of this inspired-by novel rests in the author’s descriptions of Tuscany and the local cuisine. Cuillo’s love for this area of Italy shines through and will make readers want to pack up and head out on a winery adventure of their own.
Reviewed by Laura Hiatt , Apr 01, 2023
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