Like Serle's first novel, In Five Years, you're intertwined with the past, present, and future. The most obvious themes revolve around love and loss which may resonate with most of us. But the lesson that surprised me the most was to not judge our parents' choices. They see and feel things that we don't understand, though one day, we just might.
— Asia
March 2022 Indie Next List
“One Italian Summer is pure magic. Rebecca Serle marvelously creates a literary world that feels full and alive, like I can catch a flight with Katy and experience Italy alongside her. This treasure of a book is sure to delight readers.”
— Kaitlin Smith, Copperfield's Books Healdsburg, Healdsburg, CA
“Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms.” —Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times bestselling author
The New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: to Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.
About the Author
Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of One Italian Summer, In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.
Praise For…
Advance Praise for One Italian Summer:
“Rebecca Serle is known for her powerful stories that tug at the heartstrings – and her latest is just as unforgettable.” —Woman's World
“An unconventional love story that embraces people’s flaws and selfishness as part of what makes them human.”—Kirkus
“Poignant and ultimately uplifting. The mouthwatering descriptions of Katy’s food and the lush Italian coast bring a strong, atmospheric sense of place. Recommend to fans of Helen Fisher’s Faye, Faraway (2021) and those who enjoy being transported to other countries through fiction.”—Booklist
“A touching story…the mother-daughter bond is made palpable through Katy’s grief and desire for connection.” —Publishers Weekly
"Going down as easy as a limoncello on a hot summer’s day, this daydream of a story affirms what it means to love and be loved. An enchanting book for the last cold days of winter, but also suggest it to readers come summer.” —Library Journal
“In these cynical times full of snark and memes, it’s nice to surrender to magic every now and then. Plus, the wanderlust that the book conjures is worth it as is….[A] story about love, loss and that point in adulthood where we learn our parents are human, too, and not always perfect.” —Associated Press
“[A] moving novel.” —PopSugar
Praise for In Five Years:
“What would you do if you glimpsed your life five years from now—and found that it was different, in every way, from what you hoped for and expected? Rebecca Serle pairs this inspired premise with deft, propulsive prose and characters who feel as real as friends. In Five Years is as clever as it is moving, the rare read-in-one-sitting novel you won’t forget.” —CHLOE BENJAMIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists
“Serle takes a fairly generic rom-com setup and turns it into something much deeper in this captivating exploration of friendship, loss, and love.” —Booklist
"The novel is about the real meaning of love and friendship and the bonds that tie us all together." — Good Morning America
“Heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic in all the ways that make a book impossible to put down, I fell in love with this story. In five years, I will still be thinking about this beautiful novel.” —JAMIE FORD, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
“I adored In Five Years, it’s so poignant and tender. It broke my heart, such an unusual idea executed brilliantly, I didn’t see that twist coming! I’m a sucker for great love stories, and this one is just lovely. A keeper on my shelf!” —JOSIE SILVER, author of #1 New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick One Day in December
“In Five Years is more than just a love story; it’s a half dozen of them, none quite what you expect. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, and hard to put down, it’s a novel about romance, friendship, the magic of good bagels, and what happens after you get everything you always wanted.” —LAURIE FRANKEL, author of New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Hello Sunshine pick This Is How It Always Is
“A heartwarming portrait of a broken heart finding a little healing magic.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Serle’s whimsical tale is book club catnip.” —Publishers Weekly
“In Five Years is a profound tale of unconditional love and anguish with a touch of the mystical and mysterious.” —New York Journal of Books
“You'll devour it.” —Marie Claire
“Rebecca Serle has a way of blending a little bit of magic into the every day.” —HelloGiggles
“Rebecca Serle has a knack for writing beautiful stories that speak to the anxiety of forging a new road for oneself, of being brave enough to start all over.” —Bustle
“Be prepared for deep emotions, a few laughs, and possibly a few tears as well. Reading this book is truly an experience.” —Seattle Book Review
“One Italian Summer is pure magic. Rebecca Serle marvelously creates a literary world that feels full and alive, like I can catch a flight with Katy and experience Italy alongside her. This treasure of a book is sure to delight readers.”