Gypsy Tea Room — Nicky Pellegrino

Raffaella Moretti, by far the most beautiful girl in the southern Italian town of Triento, is about to marry the only boy she has ever loved. It seems that nothing but happiness lies in store for her, so the last thing she expects is to find herself, one short year later, down on her hands and knees, scrubbing the layers of dirt from the floor of a strange house. As Raffaella struggles to recapture her own lost happiness, she starts looking for ways to help those around her do the same. There is Silvana the baker's wife, her passion barely hidden; Carlotta the gardener's daughter with her mysterious grief, and the kind and gentle owner of the Gypsy Tearoom who offers Raffaella friendship. As the lives of these villagers interweave, Raffaella is pulled into the center of a conflict that threatens not only to divide Triento but also to destroy all she holds dear. Filled with food, love and longing, this heartfelt novel invites you to take a seat in the piazza of Triento, somewhere between the bustle of the market stalls and Silvana's sweetly-scented bakery, and become a tiny part of the endless spectacle of life.