- ASIN: B09HKGN2XW
- Publisher: Cassandra Campbell-Kemp; 1st edition (29 Sept. 2021)
- Language: English
- Print length: 363 pages
- Genre: Biographies & Memoirs of Women
The BookViral Review:
A predecessor to ‘Cauliflowers through the cat flap and other tales from a solitary lockdown’, ‘Tales from the Hamlet’ meanders purposefully through altogether more social adventures in Italy. An intriguing blend of travelogue and memoir in the Biographies & Memoirs of Women genre it’s a fascinating and informative journey of discovery as Cassandra Campbell-Kemp’s immersive narrative delves deeply into Italy’s topography, landscape, food and people.
From endearing and entertaining characters to interesting (and sometimes emotional) forays into Italian history, Campbell-Kemp expertly links the past and the present, demonstrating how the Country has been shaped by its predecessors, with abundant and mouth-wateringly edible temptations, lively social events and cultural idiosyncrasies linking one chapter to the next.
Explosions of imagery burst from between micro forays, as she in the same few lines draws you in and takes your breath away, eloquently describing the ancient countryside, whilst in the background her pensive hunger for her own ‘England’ calls her insistently. Her descriptions of Verona drawing a parallel with Dickens’ own musings on the city, as she captures its beauty, timelessness, and sense of history still lived.
With honest self-description, Campbell-Kemp keeps it real, never shy to divulge the highs and the lows, and the difficulties of a lone English woman negotiating the mundane aspects of health, housing and business. However, she approaches her writing with the same gusto that she applies to her life-diving in and eager to explore with every sense the plethora of experiences offered.
A remarkably brave woman, and a remarkable book, written with sophisticated vocabulary, captivating candour and the most beautiful descriptive tone, which literally opens up Italy for the reader like a bloom, defying you not to feel just the beginning tingles of itchy ‘travellers’ feet. A five star read Tales from the Hamlet is unreservedly recommended!