Why You Should Read Love & Gelato
You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it’s for the same two things.” “What?” “Love and gelato.
My favorite book I’ve read is by far Love & Gelato, by Jenna Evans Welch. The book follows Lina to Tuscany, Italy after graduating high school in wake of her mother’s death. Her mother’s dream was for Lina to go to Tuscany, guided by her personal journal from her own time there. Over the course of the novel, Lina falls in love with not only Italy, but a boy, a cute Italian-American boy named Lorenzo.
The notebook left by Lina’s mother guides Lina on a whimsical journey throughout Italy, as Lina sees each piece of Italy through her mother’s eyes, while also making memories in those places herself. Sometimes Lorenzo is with her, sometimes her estranged father, and sometimes Lina is alone. This story paints a beautiful picture of Italy, as Lina experiences all of the things in Italy that her mother loved. Reluctant at first to travel to Tuscany, Lina finds at the end of the book that it will be a hard place to leave behind.
I loved Love & Gelato because I felt like I was experiencing Italy with Lina. Her discovery of secret spots detailed in her mother’s notebook inspired me to want to travel to Italy to find places like that for myself. I want to have a deep-rooted connection to a place the way that Lina’s mother (and subsequently, Lina) had. This book further stirred my desire to travel the world. It was also easy to read. It focused on the simple pleasures of what makes Italy so special– love and gelato. The book was magical; Lina’s coming-of-age summer with the scenes of Tuscany as the background made for an enchanting story of young love.
I’ve read Love & Gelato multiple times to relive this magic. Jenna Evans Welch captured how it feels to fall in love, for people, and for places. The first in a series of books by Welch about love, Love & Gelato is a must read.
