Another foreigner in Italy; this book easily follows that grand tradition. This one though is very much about the food. Each woman comes to life through a dish, an ingredient, a way of cooking. I liked the way their narratives were split out - focused on - rather than jumbled together. The women and interesting and complex, but it is the food that swept me away. I read this book with my stomach. At times I felt I could smell the herbs and spices, taste the pancetta, hear the glug of wine being poured. It makes for delicious reading.