Sicilian Splendors
Discovering the Secret Places That Speak to the Heart
by John Keahey
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Pub Date Nov 13 2018 | Archive Date Nov 13 2018
St. Martin's Press | Thomas Dunne Books
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Description
"A wondrously joyous account of travel as it should be." –Publishers Weekly
A travel narrative that focuses on Sicily's little-known regions, from the author of Seeking Sicily and Hidden Tuscany.
From Palermo to Castiglione di Sicilia to Alimena, Sicily holds great secrets from the past and unspoken promises. Tradition, in the form of festivals, the written word, photographs, and song, reverberates through village walls. Now, slowly shaking itself free of the Mafia, Sicily is opening itself up to visitors in ways it never has before.
Sicilian Splendors explores the history, politics, food, Mafia, and people which John Keahey encounters throughout his travels during his return to Sicily. Through conversing with natives and immersing himself in culture, Keahey illustrates a brand new Sicily no one has ever talked about before. Villagers, eager to welcome tourism and impart awareness of their cultural background, greet Keahey for meals and drink and walk him through their winding streets. They share stories of well-known writers, such as Maria Messina, who have found inspiration in Sicily’s villages. Keahey’s never-ending curiosity as a traveler shines light on Sicily’s mythical mysteries and portrays the island not only through his eyes but also through Sicily’s heart.
This picturesque travel memoir navigates Sicily today and seeks to understand Sicily’s past. In lyrical prose and vivid dialect, Keahey paints images of the island’s villages, people, and culture with careful strokes and a meticulously even hand.
Keahey not only serves as a guide through the marvel of Sicily’s identity, but he also looks deeply into Sicily’s soul.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781250104694 |
| PRICE | $28.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 304 |
Featured Reviews
catherine h, Reviewer
I love these travel and ex-pat books! I hope to go to Sicily someday and see the lands and towns Keahey writes about! I would love to visit all the villages, go to the fairs, the shops, markets, and parks, and restaurants. How wonderful it would be to spend a month just roaming.
The only thing missing, and it may be only because I have it on a Kindle, is photos. I do hope the book itself has some. But if not, I have read other similar books without them and have still enjoyed the stories!
Claudio A, Reviewer
As a lover of Sicily, I was curious to see if the author's impressions matched mine, especially since I had the occasion to visit a few of the villages he mentions.
He did. I revived every moment of my Sicilian travels. Sicily is a land of contrasts, of amazing beauty and terrible tragedies. John Keahey really knows that to understand Italy you have to go off the beaten track, absorbing the sun in tiny villages, sipping your double espresso in a Medieval square looking at the life going around.
Doing so, more than everywhere else in Italy, in Sicily you will discover a people of amazing kindness, often creating friends for life.
I would have liked to see pictures of this travel, I hope they will be present in the final version, otherwise it will be a relevant lack.
Also, Sicilian gastronomy is amazingly complex and rich, and this would have required a bit more attention. We are all lover of the amazing pasta pomodoro there, but there is much much more...
In any case, I highly recommend this book. Read the book and than come see yourself. You will not regret it.
Willy M, Reviewer
John Keahey gives us a very detailed travel journal of Sicily, a place he knows very well. He is a great lover of its history and writers. Trying as best he can he takes us away from the idea that Sicily is nothing more than a place where the mafia comes from. While not shying away from this obvious aspect to Sicily, he shows us much more that is really at the heart of the island's culture and life.
It is a very detailed book and there are many references to much I was unaware of. I think the ideal reader is someone who might already have a taste for Sicily and wants to know more. To such a reader I would strongly recommend this book.
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