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Bitter Almonds
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Description
In the early 1950s Maria Grammatico and her sister were sent by their impoverished mother to the San Carlo a cloistered orphanage in Erice an ancient hill town on the western coast of Sicily. It was a Dickensian existence - beating sugar mixtures for six hours at a time rising before dawn to prime the ovens and surviving on an unrelenting diet of vegetable gruel. But it was here that Maria learned to make the beautifully handcrafted pastries that were sold to customers from behind a grille in the convent wall.
At 22 Maria left the orphanage with no personal possessions minimal schooling and no skills other than what she carried in her head and her hands - the knowledge acquired during a childhood spent preparing delicacies for other people's celebrations.
Today she is the successful owner of her own pasticceria in Erice a mecca for travellers the world over. Her counters are piled high with home-made biscotti tarts cakes and jams - Torta Divina Cassata Siciliana Cotognata. A frequent customer Mary Taylor Simeti became first friend and then chronicler of Maria's moving story.
Product details
Binding:
Paperback
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
242
Release Date:
2002-09-01
Publication Date:
2002-09-01
Publisher:
Bantam
Languages:
Original:
English
ISBN10:
0553814656
ISBN13:
9780553814651
GPSR Manufacturer Reference:
Minimum Reading Age:
0
Weight:
288 g
Height:
127 cm
Width:
198 cm
Thickness:
15 cm
Condition
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Good
The items bear minimal signs of past use, such as light scratches or memories in the form of markings. These signs of wear give the items a charming character and tell stories of their previous owners, while not affecting their functionality.
€8,49