Product Description

Food writer Claudia Lombardo has sampled exquisite dishes by the worlds greatest chefs. But when she hears about the remarkable desserts that are created in a pastry shop operated out of a convent in the sleepy Italian hillside town of Santa Lucia del Mela, she wants to write a book featuring the sweets and the story behind their creatorSorella Agata. But the convents most famous desserta cassata cakeis what really intrigues Claudia.

Everyone who samples the cake agrees it is like none other theyve tasted. Yet no one can figure out what makes the cassata so incredibly delicious. Though Sorella Agata insists there is no secret ingredient, Claudia is determined to learn the truth behind the mysterious cake. As she samples each delectable treatmarzipan fruit, rich cream puffs, and decadent cakesSorella Agata relates the pastry shops history and tells of the young woman, Rosalia, who inspired her.

Kidnapped and separated from her family, Rosalia is subjected to a terrible ordealuntil the nuns find her. As she heals, she learns the art of pastry making, and soon she even finds love with Antonioan apprentice in the pastry shop. But her heart still aches for the family she lost. And Rosalia knows she will not be whole again until she is reunited with them.

As Claudia unravels the secret of the cassata cake, she discovers a deeper, fascinating storyone that affirms food can do more than nourish the bodyit can stir memories, heal the deepest heartaches, and even act as a bridge to those we love, no matter how far apart.

Praise For The Novels Of Rosanna Chiofalo

Stella Mia

"The mountains and islands of Sicily, the fabulous clothes of the late sixties, and the emotional power Sarina feels when singing stand out." --

Carissima

"What a glorious novel this is. It's a celebration of life, love and unlikely friendship through the eyes of two very different women. Yet their similarities bind them together and will endear them to readers long after the last page is turned. Bravissima for !" --Susan Wiggs, # 1 bestselling author

" I couldn't put it down!" --Lisa Jackson, # 1 bestselling author

Bella Fortuna

"Chiofalo brings the Italian immigrant community and neighborhoods richly to life." --

"Well-drawn charactersA charmer." --

"Sometimes tough, sometimes tender, always heartfelt and honest, is a lively, finely-stitched tale of life and love, family and friendship, and a zest for !" --Peter Pezzelli, author of