"In the tradition of M.F.K. Fisher and Peter Mayle, this enchantingly warm and witty memoir follows American-born Katherine Wilson on her adventures abroad, where a three-month rite of passage in Naples turns into a permanent embrace of this boisterous city on the Mediterranean. It is all thanks to a surprising romance, a new passion for food, and a spirited woman who will become her mother-in-law--and teach her to laugh, to seize joy, and to love"--

"When Katherine Wilson decides to do an internship abroad after graduating from college in 1996, she is warned by her family and friends against going to Naples. It is dirty and dangerous, she is told. 'The good guys and the bad guys all look alike;' 'You should really go to Tuscany, ' she is cautioned. But it is the chaos and vibrancy of Naples that intrigues Katherine. After taking an internship at the American Consulate she is set up on a blind date with a young man named Salva. She expects to be taken to dinner at a pizzeria, but instead is taken home to meet Salva's mother, Raffaella. This marks the start of Katherine's initiation into Italian society. She and Salva end up marrying, but it's Raffaella who gives Katherine the culinary and cultural education that marks the beginning of her womanhood"--