Catarina's Ring
The stories of four generations of strong, vibrant women both idiosyncratic and adventuresome, each with a rich tale to tell.
Born at the end of the Nineteenth Century and nestled in South Western Italy, Catarina Pensbene’s life in Perdifumo is full of sun-drenched olive orchards, lush grape vines, delicious peasant food, family and love. Because of an unexpected plunge into an untenable situation, Catarina decides to take a huge risk to become a mail order bride and sets out across the ocean.
Interwoven with Catarina’s Ring is the story of her witty and self-deprecating granddaughter, Juliette Brice. Born and raised in Northern California, Juliette experiences an unfortunate tragedy that serves as the impetus for her to shake up her life, and travel to her grandmother’s homeland, where she enrolls in a six-month cooking class in Lucca, Italy. While abroad, Julliette becomes romantically involved with a handsome Italian man, yet her destiny dictates she is to return to California once her class ends. Through the author's attention to detail and employing both historically accurate and thoroughly modern storytelling, Catarina's Ring serves up Italian delicacies, luminous characters, a delicious escape and completely inspiring story.
If you enjoyed books like Where the Crawdads Sing, When We Believed in Mermaids or Before We Were Yours; then you’ll love Catarina's Ring.
Lisa McGuinness is the author of Catarina's Ring, Meaningful Bouquets, Hoppy Trails, Caffeinated Ideas Journal and the co-author of numerous children's books including the New York Times bestselling Bee & Me. Her love of all things Italian began with her mother who taught her to enjoy the pure pleasure of Italian peasant food. She has passed many days meandering around Italy but lives in Northern California with her husband, Matt, and two hilarious dachshund mix dogs, Hazel and Wyatt.