DANCING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS

Author: Linda Cardillo ISBN: 0373654030 2/2007 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: HARLEQUIN

Her dynasty—and his legacy She was born in an Italian village early in the twentieth century and immigrated to a rough-and-tumble New York. Over the years, Giulia became the true heart of the family she founded. She experienced life with all its hardships—and love with all its joys. And through letters and memories she shares these stories with her granddaughter Cara. Giulia had two husbands. The first, Paolo Serafini, was a complex and charismatic man with the soul of a poet. A man who took her dancing on Sunday afternoons.... After his death she married again, finding a different kind of love, one that offered comfort and protection. But Paolo, Cara's grandfather, remained part of Giulia's life—and through the words he wrote her and the way he loved her, part of her family's life, too. For now and for generations to come.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

DANCING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, by Linda Cardillo, is a sweetly told romance story. A smooth and easy read from the beginning, Cardillo pulls at your heartstrings with this simple and eloquent story.

Cardillo pens a touching story about a grandmother, Giulia, and her granddaughter, Cara. Giulia has recently fallen and is awaiting surgery in Italy. Asked by her mother, Cara flies off to be with Giulia for love and support through this trying time. While Cara visits, Giulia tells Cara about her life and loves, starting when she was a child in Italy on to a woman in New York. Guilia also has Cara read her old love letters from her first husband, Paolo.

Through these stories and letters, Cara develops more of an appreciation for her grandmother. Cardillo is a talented author and she makes page after page flow smoothly together.

DANCING ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS is a satisfying story from beginning to end. It's a sweet story and one that I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Julie Kornhausl