On a scale of cotton candy to Brussels sprouts, A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay is homemade pasta. It's created with skill and the history of the maker.

What an exhilarating read! Emily Price has a whirlwind romance that begins a new adventure of marriage, self-discovery, and Italian living. This story moves gently yet brilliantly like a sunflower that faces the sun.

I loved the depth of family story in this book and the reminder that life is hard yet good. We all need that. Life will never be easy...we need to dig in where we are.

I've now got a few more classics on my reading list. Thanks to Emily's father-in-law.