BOOK REVIEW: Inside The Spaghetti Bowl by Frank Zaccari

Inside The Spaghetti Bowl is a Family/Relationship Non-Fiction.

Frank Zaccari's mother is dying and his huge Italian family has come together for one final walk down memory lane.

Carmela (Carm) Zaccari has lead a very loving and productive life.  She has had her shares of trials and turmoils but always remained on top.  She has guided and educated each of her children in life's lessons and she has no regrets as she makes her farewells to those she has loved and cherished.

Frank and his brothers and sisters decide to write a book of memoirs to honour their mother and share with everyone the struggles and the happenstance events that have moulded the Zaccari/Mancuso families over the generations.

The tale speaks of the arrival of their ancestors to America and how they embraced the "American Dream".  The families were given a sense of duty to their new country and passed this honour and privilege onto the generations that were to follow.  They call Italy the "old country" and have decided not to share their language with their children, so that they can be completely immersed into the American culture.

Frank and family share many stories, some of love, of loss, of trials but mostly, the stories are about family and how unconditional love is the greatest gift you can give your children.

I thought this was a very endearing testimonial to a remarkable woman.  I think it would be an honour to have my children, grandchildren, cousins etc. write a memoir about the life that shaped them.  You can feel the love that the family has for Carm and it was very beautiful to feel and read.

I found it comical at times, especially the story about Stephanie, who was acting up  in the restaurant and when she was removed from the table, she looks over her shoulder and announces, "Don't worry, I'll be back!", I love kidspeak and you can tell that this comment was neither forced nor made up.  I liked that about the story, everything is believable and enjoyable to peruse.

I would give Inside The Spaghetti Bowl a four out of five stars.  I completely enjoyed the story but truly feel that pictures would have enhanced the memoir even more, especially with such a huge family, it would have been nice to see a family shot and put faces to the mentions in the book.  Or maybe some fun time photos, showing the family being themselves.  However, that's just my thoughts and I am sure that most of you will enjoy the deep feeling of life, love and family.

SYNOPSIS:
Like many of the “baby boomers” my family faced the difficult task of burying our Mother. The book is based on the last eight days of our mother's life. It is a celebration of life, family, culture and tradition. As my relatives came to pay their last respects, we heard so many wonderful stories about the trials and sacrifices made by our parents and grandparents so we could live the American dream. This is our story, this is your story. It is a story for every beating heart that has loved or has been loved. It is the story about the struggles and pains endured by those virtuous individuals who poured their lives into ours and filled our years with intimate memories and a gladdened heart. It is the story you will want to pass down to your children and grandchildren. This is a book about family and unconditional love through the good times and bad. It is about a family who is and always will be there for each other no matter what. We hope you see your family in this book and the memories make you smile.

 

 ** Disclosure: I did not accept any compensation from the sponsors other than review copies, my views are my own, reviewed by me..as I see it~!! **