Welcome to the 1st Birthday Celebrations for Jane Lambert’s A Scottish Teashop in Napoli. I am reposting my review and hope you enjoy a return visit to sunny Italy.
A tender and funny novel that combines the best of Scottish
and Italian culture with the joys of female friendship and a cast of characters
reminiscent of Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella.
When Lucy’s childhood sweetheart stands her up on their
wedding day, leaving her alone on a plane eloping to the tropical location of
his choosing, their dream – now feeling like just her dream – of their bairn
filled future disappears in a heartbeat (or the time it takes for her to listen
to the rambling drunken voicemail he left calling off the wedding).
In Naples, Elena is recently widowed and struggling to keep
her husband’s family’s beloved and centuries old mozzarella factory afloat,
whilst running her language school and bringing up their son. At risk of losing
both businesses- and adding even more disruption to their life – she advertises
a job and hopes for the best.
The stars seem to align and Elena and Lucy, each suffering
from a very different sort of loss and loneliness, set about trying to lift the
struggling business and each other.
A charming, tender and funny novel about the power of female
friendships, the importance of letting go and the joys of eating pasta!
My Thoughts
Lucy
and Elena are brought together in Naples and are both nursing a broken
heart, although for different reasons. Lucy has been jilted on the way
to her wedding, whilst Elena has been left a young widow, with a
language school, cheese factory businesses to run. They are both wary of
starting new relationships but their friendship flourishes as the days
go on. The family business gives Elana much support but it is clear that
there is something dark threatening everyone’s happiness, below the
surface.
The theme of friendship is a strong one and I enjoyed the range of
characters who Lucy meets during her time in Naples. The pupils in the
language school and the workers in the factory add colour to the story
and some heart warming moments. Both Lucy and Elena have to work through
their feelings of loneliness and loss and offer each other mutual
support. There is a slow burn romance or two beneath the surface which
adds to the story’s charm and hints at a possible follow-up, if Jane is
minded to write it.
In short: love, friendship, family and community
About the Author
Jane Lambert was brought up on the west coast of Scotland,
studied Modern Languages at Stirling University, then taught English in Vienna.
Her love affair with Italy began when she married an Italian chef from Naples.
Her debut novel, THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL, was published by
HarperCollins in 2018 and inspired by her rollercoaster transition from
globe-trotting cabin crew to aspiring actor.
