Girl by sea

The eagerly awaited conclusion to Penelope Green's trilogy of memoirs about her life in Italy. After living in Rome and Naples, Penny and her Italian partner Alfonso move to the small and very beautiful island of Prodica in the Gulf of Naples, across the bay from Capri. Penny and Alfonso want a change of scene and decide to accept the challenge set by Enzo, the owner of the island's Bar Capriccio, who tells them that young couples come to Procida, 'But not many last'. Adapting to life in the small community, where many locals are wary of newcomers and the conveniences of the city are more than an hour's ferry trip away - often on rough seas - is hard for Penny, and could become even more isolated when Alfonso has to leave for three months to tour with his band. But with her trademark optimism and determination, Penny sets her own goal. She is going to ask her Procidian neighbours to teach her to cook. Over kitchen tables, in cafes and sharing family meals under vine-covered pergolas, Penny learns the art of Italian cooking, and enters into the lives of people on the island as friendships form and stories are traded.