Keeping the Feast

 
This past week I finished reading Keeping the Feast by Paula Butturini. I can not remember how I first learned of this book, but I requested it at the library because I was intrigued  by the subtitle- "One couple's story of love, food and healing in Italy." I like love stories, I enjoy food and I especially love Italy! This book while very honest and real, was not what I was expecting. It is the story of Paula's life and how after her husband is tragically shot, they retreat to Italy for him to recover from life- paralyzing deep depression. Yes, it is depressing to read at times! What I did especially like were Paula's stories from her life that all related to food. She starts each chapter with a memory of her childhood- eating at her grandparents, holiday meals, her dad cooking polenta, or her mom making stew. She relates those memories and foods into her adult life and how she approaches foods and the importance of keeping the feast. I love how the food that we grow up with shapes the adults we become and then later shape our children's lives. This shows how important food really is in making us who we are and how we experience life. Besides the Italian food, much of the book takes place in Rome where Paula describes food shopping in the markets and the various neighborhoods they lived in. This is a very real life story that I think many people will appreciate.