Tales of Life and Surroundings - by Maria Teresa De Donato - Review by Valeria Gatti, Author, and Blogger

 Tales of Life and Surroundings

by Maria Teresa De Donato

 

Review by Valeria Gatti, Author, and Blogger

 

 

"Life, when faced with full awareness, is a treasure of inestimable value and truly worth living." The quote is taken from the work.

 

Without others, our existence would be a sterile, bland, superficial journey. We need hands, minds, eyes, and hearts that are not ours to grow, face climbs, and enjoy the descents that fate has in store for us.

Maria Teresa De Donato, in her "Racconti di Vita e Dintorni," focuses on the importance of curiosity: an essential skill to grasp the possibilities that life gives us, together with a good dose of simplicity and amazement. The experiences are certainly not all positive; on the contrary, the “stumbling blocks” provide the most important and lasting lessons. It is also true that we increasingly need to balance the temporary effects of our existence, and doing so through a complete and profound vision is undoubtedly a suitable method.

The author has collected twenty autobiographical stories, within which the concept on which the entire work is based is always evident. The stories range from memories, experiences, and physical and non-physical journeys, while the narrative voice is sometimes ironic but always authentic. In short, one perceives the author's involvement in drafting the work that she retraced some of the stages (and meetings) that most marked her choices.

The reader thus becomes aware of the fighting spirit that Maria Teresa had (and which, in my opinion, she still retains) as she enters the world of work, as soon as she finishes her studies, of her passion for the Tyrol, the destination of some trips; friendship with a South American woman and dinners based on Italian and Colombian dishes; of meeting a Middle Eastern man who never eats white food… and many other memories, all significant, some moving, some more sympathetic.

From this work of hers emerges the passion for the journey, which is not only the destination or the stay: in the amusing "The train to Monaco," for example, there is a fresco of the author's family that intrigues and makes us think.

Diversity is also another recurring theme. The author talks about cultures and habits that embrace each other, with a lot to say and teach and open the mind, stimulating reflections and positive thoughts.

Finally, the author dwells several times on the importance of letting yourself be taken by the hand to touch that amazement we sometimes need to rediscover.

"It was a long time since something unexpected as pleasant as it was exciting happened to me."

A message that I made my own and would like to become a wish for you, dear readers, for this coming year: May Life give you something unexpected and pleasant every day.

Thanks to the author for the free reading file.

 

This review was also published at the following link:

https://bood.food.blog/2022/12/29/racconti-di-vita-e-dintorni-di-maria-teresa-de-donato/