A Year in the Village of Eternity

May 16, 2011
Intrigued about reports of super longevity in the inhabitants of a mountainous Italian village situated between Rome and Naples, British journalist Lawson decided to spend time there and uncover their secret to long life. As she discusses, in this rich and engaging narrative, while genetics accounts for 30% of the good health of the citizens of Campodimele, nestled in the Aurunci Mountains, the remaining 70% is based on a combination of "hyper-Mediterranean" diet (consisting of olive oil; beans and pulses; meat mostly from goats and sheep rather than bovine; fish; red wine; and only a little salt and sweets), an active and social lifestyle until very old age, and a daily routine geared toward the changing light, weather, agriculture, and seasons. Lawson's narrative follows the seasons in a country year, delineating the culinary routines of the typical Campodimele resident and cook, who tends her own garden in the back of her house, shakes her own olives from the trees in the orchard, kills her own pig for a year's supply of salsiccia (sausage), bakes her own bread (from her homegrown flour, naturally), and makes her own amarena (sour cherries) jam and stores of bottled tomato sauce for the winter. Lawson beautifully describes food at its simplest and finestâgreen fava beans, homemade ribbonlike pasta, zucchini and hot peppers, shallots, and baby goat.

August 1, 2011

A small Italian village's secret to the Fountain of Youth. 

Deep in the heart of the Aurunci range on the shores of central Italy lies a village where the average life expectancy for both men and women is 95, earning it the sobriquet Il Paese dell'Eterna Giovinezza (The Village of Eternal Youth). This fact caught the attention of British journalist Lawson, who traveled to Campodimele to investigate the phenomenon. "I came to Campodimele hoping I might learn how to live longer, but discovered something much more important—how to live well," she writes. The author's lighthearted mix of recipes and anecdotes are written with delicate prose that pays homage to the area's lifestyle and emphasizes the value of subtleties attributed to the residents' longevity. Lawson divides the sections by month, focusing on what the seasonal harvest brings—snails, wild boar, asparagus and more. Lawson observes that Italians don't "need an official call to celebrate. A new crop is a chance to invite your neighbors for lunch and enjoy the first fava beans of the year; a sunny day is an excuse for a walk in the mountains and meat grilled over an open wood fire; the start of the hunting season is the moment to gather friends for dinner to share your first kill of the year." It's an ideology she soon embraced. The author's account of a year in Campodimele doesn't burden readers with scientific information involving genetics, environment and diet. Rather, it captures the essence of everyday life.

Delightfully transports readers into the kitchens and the spirits of the villagers' longstanding customs.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

June 1, 2011

Lawson, a British journalist, first visited Campodimele, Italy, to write about the health and longevity of its residents. Midway between Rome and Naples, Campodimele ("field of honey") is home to people whose life expectancy averages 95. Inhabitants share hard work, self-sufficiency, and traditions. They live with the changing of the farming seasons, church festivals, and the rhythms of nature--and really good food. Lawson's tribute to Campodimele is organized by month, from the olive harvest of January through the first wild asparagus of March, the wood harvest of July that will provide logs for the wood-fired ovens, and boar hunting in November. Bread is baked daily using sourdough starter that may be generations old, and everyone has a garden. Wild fruits, figs, sausages, tomatoes, and amarene cherries are preserved for winter. Many of the exquisitely delicious meals have their roots in cucina povera, the hungry times when the land was scoured for food. VERDICT A lovely meditation on the foods, lives, recipes, and traditions of this area of Italy, this will appeal to travelers and foodies.--Melissa Stearns, Franklin Pierce Univ. Lib., Rindge, NH

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Intrigued by the remarkable longevity reported in the Italian village of Campodimele, Lawson spent three years visiting its residents and participating in its life. Arranged as a calendar-year of anecdotes and recollections, her gentle observation of slow living fulfills everyone's Italian dream. She revels in celebrating with her friends, detailing not only basic meals but also family gatherings and holiday excesses. The gastronomic descriptions are likely to persuade more than one reader to purchase a plane ticket, and cookery fans will note dozens of mouth watering recipes and be rightfully impressed by the variety of dishes Lawson sampled and shares. From wild asparagus frittata to green pizza (to the more extreme baby goat cooked over charcoal), there is something to dive into on every page. Directions are clear and concise, and while lacking photos, this is a travel-cum-cookbook to be relished for its honest portrayal of a place out of time and some truly extraordinary dishes. The prospect of living longer because you eat them makes the meals that much more delicious.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2011

A small Italian village's secret to the Fountain of Youth.

Deep in the heart of the Aurunci range on the shores of central Italy lies a village where the average life expectancy for both men and women is 95, earning it the sobriquet Il Paese dell'Eterna Giovinezza (The Village of Eternal Youth). This fact caught the attention of British journalist Lawson, who traveled to Campodimele to investigate the phenomenon. "I came to Campodimele hoping I might learn how to live longer, but discovered something much more important--how to live well," she writes. The author's lighthearted mix of recipes and anecdotes are written with delicate prose that pays homage to the area's lifestyle and emphasizes the value of subtleties attributed to the residents' longevity. Lawson divides the sections by month, focusing on what the seasonal harvest brings--snails, wild boar, asparagus and more. Lawson observes that Italians don't "need an official call to celebrate. A new crop is a chance to invite your neighbors for lunch and enjoy the first fava beans of the year; a sunny day is an excuse for a walk in the mountains and meat grilled over an open wood fire; the start of the hunting season is the moment to gather friends for dinner to share your first kill of the year." It's an ideology she soon embraced. The author's account of a year in Campodimele doesn't burden readers with scientific information involving genetics, environment and diet. Rather, it captures the essence of everyday life.

Delightfully transports readers into the kitchens and the spirits of the villagers' longstanding customs.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)