I always love reminiscing the stories my grandmother used to tell me and reading Room With a Beehive took me back to that place… The story takes place in Le Marche, Italy in the early 20th c –up to WW1. It’s a recollection of the events that took place back then, written as a memoir. Originally written in Italian, the translator, Patirizia Argentieri, does a terrific job at bringing out the essence of the times- nothing seems lost in translation.. As for the author, Comizia Bellocchi Scoccianti, what a story she tells! Reading this transports you into a history that is vivid and fills the senses. I love memoirs especially because of the imminence of the history- it all feels so real. Picture the poverty filled with the power of family and unity- the laughter and the sorrow and that which was meaningful always- that’s what this book is about. I guess that it reached me down deep in my soul more than ever because of my roots, and I could really relate; this could have been my own grandmother. But you don’t have to be Italian to enjoy this! Anyone with roots to the old countries will feel a sense of endearment to this precious book. A very quick read, and definitely a warm comforting soup for the so