#32 Books to read instead of visiting Sicily

top Sicilian reading recommendations

This week on my blog I was asked the best question ever from one of my readers. She asked which books she should be reading about Sicily.

So I happily send her my top recommendations. This question reminded me about my ultimate Sicilian themed reading list, which I am currently updating and will inevitably share as soon as it’s done.

I'm big on reading, and the journey books can take us on in our lives. If you can't travel, a book can give you an authentic experience without leaving your armchair.

Sometimes travelling isn't always possible, but this is no reason not to experience a place through its literature. 

Sicily has inspired many locals and foreigners with its history, culture, language and unique character.

The Sicilian migrant diaspora has created a rich selection of island-inspired literature worldwide.

So if Italy is out of your reach, dip into my personal reading list to experience Sicily in all its splendour.

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The Leopard is a beautiful historical novel set in the ancient Sicilian aristocratic world filled with sumptuousness and decadent expressions of baroque Sicily. The Leopard of the title is Prince Don Fabrizio di Salina, the last in a line of Sicilian aristocracy.

The story is told from the Prince's point of view; the novel recounts how Sicily was dragged into becoming a part of a unified Italy during the civil struggles of Risorgimento, which in turn also ushered in a new type of middle class and modern society that transformed Sicily forever.

This classic work of literature was written by one of the island's most famous writers and is superbly crafted with many truths about the nature of Sicily.

Sweet Lemons: Writings With a Sicilian Accent

Edited by Venera Fazio and Delia De Santis

This anthology, published in Canada, collects the best of Sicilian literature and contemporary migrant Sicilian voices. It is a good read for those keen on having a general taste of modern Sicilian culture and works from all Sicilians around the world.

Sweet Lemons is a wonderfully crafted mixture of voices and perspectives from Sicilian authors in translation to writers with personal connections to the island.

The Stone Boudoir: Travels Through the Hidden Villages of Sicily and Mattanza: Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily by Theresa Maggio

Theresa Maggio is one of my favourite writers; her works are filled with gorgeous descriptions, refreshing brevity and a stunning understanding of her subject matter. Her writing style is poetic, vivid and straightforward. Absolute magic.

I couldn't resist putting these two slim volumes on the list simply for their mixture of autobiography and travel writing. They document ancient Sicilian traditions, perspectives and Maggio's personal love story. They are currently out of print, but it is worth the trouble if you can track them down through a public library. I also managed to interview Theresa Maggio a while ago.

Click here to read our conversation.

 On Persephone's Island: A Sicilian Journal by Mary Taylor Simeti

This personal journal depicts Taylor Simeti's unique journey to Sicily and is an authentic portrait of life on this ancient island. Her writing is strong, honest and stunningly beautiful.

Simeti is a living legend; she has written many books about Sicilian food and has a business based around the island's agricultural traditions.

 A House in Sicily by Daphne Phelps

A House in Sicily is a little dated now. However, it is still an excellent biography of a colourful English dame who inherits a house near Taormina, moves to Sicily after World War Two, and ends up staying forever.

Phelps was a psychiatric nurse during the war and saw the psychiatric damage the war created first-hand. I like to think her move to Sicily helped her recover from her harrowing experiences and led her to live a calm yet fascinating life on the island, where she hosted some of the most famous and fascinating writers and artists of the last century.

This classic is currently out of print, but it is a beautiful book that will make you fall in love with the idea of Sicily and the late Daphne Phelp's quirky adventures running a guest house with terribly famous guests in the then semi-rural town of Taormina.

Incidentally, the town of Taormina has purchased the beautiful house Daphne inherited, which was designed by her uncle, artist Robert Hawthorn Kitson.

Today the Casa Cuseni is a luxury B&B whose doors, botanical gardens and library are also open to the public through organised group tours.

 Midnight in Sicily by Peter Robb

Peter Robb is an Australian journalist who spent many years living and working in Palermo, Sicily.

Midnight in Sicily is a heavy book to make your way through, filled with loads of history, but it is excellent for anyone who wants to know the facts behind real-life politics and the mafia in Sicily.

Midnight gives you a sense the real danger and tension in daily life at Palermo during the 90s when judges Falcone and Borsellino were assassinated.

The Volcano by Venero Armanno

The Volcano is a prime example of great Australian migrant literature. Armanno is a son of Sicilian migrants who uses the magic of his parent's Sicily as the backdrop to this wonderfully crafted novel. It is an epic journey through the Etna hinterlands from a cruel time and tracks the journey of a migrant to Brisbane, Australia.

I spoke to Venero Armanno about this book and the other two, which make up his Sicilian trilogy. Click here to read more about this fascinating author.

The Volcano is part of a compelling Sicilian-themed trilogy from Armanno, which includes the mesmerising Gabriella's Book of Fire (also published as Firehead) and the eerie tale from Sicily's sulfur mines of last century, Black Mountain. Each of Armanno's books is an immersive and sensual experience that will haunt you afterwards. I couldn't recommend his writing more highly.

Sicilian Summer: a story of Honour, religion and the Perfect Cassata by Brian Johnston

Sicily is inspiring; in fact, Johnston spent only one summer here in Sicily and wrote this beautiful portrait. Johnston is a well-known Australian travel writer, and this book is filled with his signature observations and love of fine food. This little gem is out of print, but if you want to know more about it, read my interview with Brian Johnston here.

Seeking Sicily: A Cultural Journey Through Myth and Reality in the Heart of the Mediterranean and Sicilian Splendors: discovering the secret places that Speak to the Heart by John Keahey

Keahey is an American journalist who has written extensively about Italy and offers many absorbing elements of Sicilian culture, history and literature. Keahey's journalistic eye and sense of story are impeccable. Through extensive and detailed interviews with many proud Sicilians, he digs below any superficial mask to get to the heart of this place with insightful, rich and evocative insight.

While Sicilian Splendors takes us off the beaten path, Keahey reveals his hidden gems around the island.

I spoke to John Keahey. Click here to hear more about this great Italophile.

I always recommend Andrew and Suzanne Edwards great general guide Sicily: A literary guide, as a great place to start as it takes you through the island through its contemporary writers and offers many insights for visitors.

Joseph Farrell's Sicily a cultural history is also a general introduction to Sicily's history and culture for first-time visitors. It's like a mixture of a travel guide and general history. Farrell is an academic, so his book is thoroughly researched and rich in information. Yet the writing style of Sicily a cultural history is anything but dry and academic; it is a straightforward read. It is a good read and takes you effortlessly through Sicily's complex and long-winded history.

Jeremy Dummett's books Syracuse: City of Legends and Palermo City of Kings: the heart of Sicily are two wonderfully in-depth history books about these two specific Sicilian cities if you are interested in this kind of thing. While his books focus on Palermo and Syracuse, their histories are very much a reflection of the entire island's story. I interviewed Dummett a few years ago, so go over and look at our interview here.

I think Sandra Benjamin. Sicily: Three Thousand Years of Human History is the best in-depth and complete academic history book about Sicily. Once again, if you are interested in history, Benjamin is an intellectual, yet her writing isn't difficult to follow. She does a fantastic job telling the story of Sicily's rich and immense history. It is a long read, but I found it all thoroughly enjoyable.

The New Wines of Mount Etna. An Insider's Guide to the History & Rebirth of a Wine Region: Benjamin Spencer

Ben Spencer is a journalist and professional winemaker who lives and works near Mount Etna. He explores the Mount Etna wine-producing area in a mixture of culinary history and a guidebook in his excellent and invaluable contribution to your Sicilian-themed reading list. 

Spencer's passion and knowledge of wine make his book such a pleasant read for anyone who wants to learn about this fascinating area of Sicily undergoing a burgeoning Renaissance of wine production. His book is also a great general guide to the area with many valuable tips, suggestions and ways to explore the area around Etna.

I particularly enjoyed how he takes the reader through the ins and outs of the winemaking process, from its history and the very particular nature of winemaking, specifically in the Etna region. The area outside of Catania is very rich in traditions, and tracking the development of viticulture around Etna. Spencer also gives us great insight into the culture and history of Sicily in general.

I spoke to Benjamin Spencer when the book was released, read more here.

No doubt I will also share my more extensive reading list later down the track, but these are all great books to get you started. Some may be out of print but most of them will be easy to find through your local library service.

Happy reading.

I hate to be long-winded, so I will stop here now.

I'll keep trying to write something worthwhile, well thought out and new here every week, perhaps more often if I get in the zone.

Thanks for subscribing, and be sure to send this to a friend or someone you think might enjoy it.

This week's excerpt from my travel memoir, Sicilian Descent, is exclusively for paid subscribers. Be sure to get a paid subscription if you haven't already.

I publish a free newsletter on Friday with a letter and postcard from Sicily. While on Saturdays, the paid version goes out with the latest excerpt from my memoir.

I usually try to share a list of things I think are worth sharing with you, random reading, viewing, listening and other finds I've stumbled upon during the week.

So please do keep in touch.

Cheers to you

Mille grazie

with love from Sicily

Rochelle