The Girl Who Said No
She Broke a 1000-Year-Old Tradition
Eighteen-year-old Franca Viola made history in 1966 as one of the first “#metoo” heroines of modern times, when she refused to go along with a centuries-old forcible marriage custom in Sicily. Having endured kidnap and rape, she publicly defied the expectation that she would marry the rapist to “restore her broken honor.” A social uproar occurred throughout the island—and beyond.
In Natalie Galli’s The Girl Who Said No, Viola’s remarkable story unfolds when the author arrives in Palermo to search for her, with little more than the memory of a tiny article she had spotted two decades prior. Galli wanted to know: whatever had become of this courageous girl who had overturned an ancient, entrenched tradition?
Throughout her search for the enigmatic Franca, Galli shares her own poignant and hilarious observations about a vibrant culture steeped in contradiction and paradox. Does she succeed in locating the elusive proto-feminist whose case forever changed Italian culture and history? Travel along on Galli’s engaging odyssey to find out.
“Engrossing from the very first page. I was totally swept away.” —Lavinia Spalding, author of Writing Away
The Best Women's Travel Writing, Volume 11 presents stimulating, inspiring, and uplifting adventures from women who have traveled to the ends of the earth to discover new places, peoples, and facets of themselves. The common threads connecting these stories are a female perspective and fresh, compelling storytelling to make the reader laugh, weep, wish she were there, or be glad she wasn't.
The 31 true travel stories in this year's collection are, as always, wildly diverse in theme and location. They tell of places like California and Cuba, Switzerland and Singapore, Iran and Iceland, Montana and Mexico and Mongolia and Mali, our own back yards and some of the farthest, most extreme corners of the world. They are the personal stories we can't help but collect when we travel, stories of reaching out to embrace the unfamiliar and creating cross-cultural connections while learning more about ourselves.
“A vicarious delight for the virtual tourist, as well as an inspiration for the most seasoned culinary voyager.” — Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook.
Taste the World One Culture at a Time, From the casual cook to the seasoned traveler to the serious gourmand, The World Is a Kitcheninspires its readers to experience food in a new way, exploring new lands, new cultures, and new cuisines. Chefs, travel writers, and dedicated foodies share their unique experiences, transporting readers into kitchens in Morocco, Italy, Belize, Cypress, Kenya, Vietnam, and elsewhere around the world, revealing the diverse traditions of other countries through their cuisine. Explore the gastronomic side of travel through these stories, trying the hard-won and treasured recipes as you go along, and then get ready to plan your own adventure. 37 first-person culinary adventures at cooking schools, on the road, in homes, and B&Bs across the globe. 30 international recipes, including African mafe, Russian pelmeni, Mexican mole verde, and a classic French tarte tatin, Extensive resource section including research tips, cooking schools and classes, culinary tours, internet resources, and recommended reading.
"An unforgettable taste of the connection between the table and the world." - ALICE WATERS, chef/owner Chez Panisse
Women's relationship with food is passionate and obsessive, embracing and comforting, complex and frustrating. This savory sampling of stories—by some of the best writers in and out of the food and travel fields—journeys to the heart of this age-old relationship, taking the reader from the familiar kitchens of contemporary America to the far reaches of the globe. In France, an over-enthusiastic waitress serves M.F.K. Fisher the lunch of a lifetime to sustain her on her walk to Avallon. In Tunisia, Ruth Reichl dines at the home of a local, where the meal is eaten with the hands and a dash of sensuality. And in Fiji, where the women are big and beautiful and walk like royalty, Laurie Gough encounters food as a grand and constant celebration.
“All travelers, whether they are novices or seasoned pros, can profit from this book.”
—The New York Times
“Sterling makes you want to book the next flight to some exotic place so you can chow down with gusto as he does.”
—Chicago Herald