A seductive sojourn in Sicily

Book review: The Villa by Rosanna Ley

Italy has long been one of my favoured destinations and I eagerly pick up every book that has this ethereal, ancient land as the backdrop. Rosanna Ley is my new favourite author, because of her astounding ability to capture the true essence of a place through her descriptions of colours, scents and food of the land. So when I read that she has set a novel in Sicily, Italy, I grabbed the book instantly.

"The Villa" lived up to all my expectations - it is one of the most seductive novels I have read - every page, every word is drenched with the flavours and fragrances of the magical land of Sicily. I felt like I could taste the golden olive oil and the sun-dried tomatoes on my tongue, and see the azure sea and the ruined Greek temples right before my eyes.

Sicily; Source: travel.allwomenstalk.com

The book starts with Tess Angel, a 39-year old single mother, receiving a letter from a solicitor that she has inherited a villa in Sicily from a stranger, Edward Westerman. She has never met or even heard of Edward Westerman, though she realizes that he must have some connection to her mother, Flavia. Flavia is a Sicilian by birth, though she left Sicily long back to settle permanently in England after marrying Tess' father, Lenny. In fact, Flavia has shunned all mention of Sicily and Tess has never been able to find out anything about her mother's mysterious past.

Tess has just broken off an affair with a married man, resigned from her demotivating job and also needs a break from her volatile relationship with her rebellious teenage daughter, Ginny. So she takes this opportunity to visit Sicily for the first time, to find out what link Edward Westerman had with Flavia and if someone in Sicily can shed more light on her mother's past. Tess is convinced that Sicily holds the key to her mother's unnatural reticence about the past. Also the will stipulates that she cannot sell the villa without visiting it once.

Villa in Sicily; Source: www.casainitalia.ch

On arriving at the village of Cetaria in Sicily where her villa is located, she meets an old lady named Santina, who she discovers is her mother's childhood friend, and Santina's enigmatic great-nephew Giovanni Sciarra. Tess is enthralled by the Villa Sirena perched on top a hill overlooking the beach and spends her initial days soaking in the atmosphere of the small seaside fishing village, exploring its shops and markets full of fresh produce, and scuba diving in the sea. Her nights are peaceful - sitting under the stars, eating the local cuisine and listening to the soft sounds of the sea below.

A village market in Sicily; Source: www.thewealthscene.com

Near her villa, on the way to the beach, Tess notices a small shop displaying stunning, many-hued mosaics made from bits of sea glass and stone pieces. She meets the reticent and moody mosaicist, Tonino Amato, and spends hours listening to him recount the folklore and myths that he brings alive in his mosaics - fascinating tales of a singing mermaid (after whom Villa Sirena or House of the Mermaid is named), a cursed serpent prince, a fisherman named Ciccu who rescues a fish from death and many others. Tonino also takes her to the picturesque ruins of a Greek theatre and temple in Segesta amidst olive groves. Tess starts feeling a strange pull towards this vibrant and mystic land and decides that she wants to renovate the villa instead of selling it.

Greek theatre in Segesta in Sicily; Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Back in England, Tess' daughter, Ginny, slowly comes to terms with what she wants from life and realizes how much her mother means to her. Flavia also starts reconciling herself with her painful memories and writing down the events of the past in a diary so that Tess can finally know the truth about what happened all those years ago. She painstakingly puts down her beloved recipes as part of a tradition of handing over family recipes to the next generation - Sicilian favourites such as Arancine or rice balls, Panelle or fried chickpea Polenta, Pasta alla Norma, breads drizzled with olive oil, and Cassata.

Sicilian food; Source: www.siciliangirl.com

In Sicily, Tess is caught up in the seductive beauty of the place and drawn to the brooding Tonino. Giovanni also seems to be interested in her, though his motives remain mysterious. Tess talks to Santina and starts to find out more about what happened to her mother all those years ago. She also gets embroiled in an age-old feud between the Sciarras and Amatos, represented in the current generation by Giovanni and Tonino. It seems that there is a mysterious treasure or 'Il Tesoro' that disappeared years back and which everyone seems to believe is hidden somewhere in the Villa Sirena. The plot thickens as Tess tries to figure out who among Giovanni and Tonino she can trust.

Why did the unknown Englishman, Edward Westerman, leave his beautiful villa to Tess? What happened to Flavia in the past that led her to cut off all ties with her family and Sicily? Are the Sciarras or the Amatos connected to the infamous Sicilian mafia? Who is trying to threaten Tess off her property and why? Is the hidden treasure just a myth? All these questions are answered most satisfactorily in the end.

Sicilian landscape; Source: www.planetware.com

But what mesmerized me were the descriptions that flowed effortlessly from Rosanna's pen. Rosanna uses landscape, weather and food very effectively to convey emotions and passions. The allegorical legends of the sea, the tempestuous weather, the temperamental people, the fresh produce of the markets, the earthy Sicilian breads and pasta are all so vividly portrayed by Rosanna that I guarantee that anyone reading this book will be instantly smitten by an uncontrollable yearning to visit Sicily. I, for one, now have Sicily on my list of top 10 must-visit destinations!