I have seen other reviews for this book and a lot of people call it "side splitting" and "laugh out loud". I am not sure I would use those exact words. It made me smile at parts but I am pretty sure I did not "laugh out loud" at any point. It is a nice little story of a man returning to Sardinia because his Grandmother is very ill. The Grandmother is the character who made me smile the most and when he arrives it becomes clear she is not going to be on her deathbed any time soon. He seems to have a very complicated relationship with his parents, sometimes it sounds like he hates them, at other times he just wants to be taken back into their fold. He has comical adventures with his old school friend and with a local female doctor who he is trying to build a relationship with. Towards the end of the book we hear about a past tragedy in his life and why his marriage broke down. It was a very easy read and made me smile.

This book had no chapters which I didn’t enjoy.
The story felt very disjointed.
This book didn’t work for me at all

Giacomo has returned to his family home as his grandmother is on her deathbed. He adores her to takes his work with him to settle with his family after a hard period of his life.
This was not for me and I gave up half way through. The one thing I did like was the descriptions of the place. Thank you to netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

An easy entertaining read. Nice to be transported to sunny Sardinia and have somewhere to escape to. A light entertaining read with some humour.

Summary: Giacomo is stuck in a funk he can’t shake – and a translation he can’t finish. When he’s summoned home to Sardinia, to say a final goodbye to his dying grandmother, he’s offered the perfect opportunity to escape.

On the noisy, sun-drenched island, Giacomo reconnects with long-lost friends and overbearing relatives, relives the childhood he once couldn’t wait to leave behind, and rediscovers new joie-de-vivre within him. Never mind that he’s making no progress on his translation. . .

When the time comes to leave once more, Giacomo wonders: has he fallen back in love with his home-island? Or has he been hiding from something which he needs the courage to return and confront?

But most importantly – is his grandma really as ill as she’s claiming to be?

My Sardinian Summer was 'OK'.

It’s one of those novels where nothing really happens except people living their lives. The story is centred around Giacomo, a translator living in Marseille who returns to his home in Sardinia because his grandmother is apparently on death’s door. It’s a very slow moving book which basks in the Sardinian sun, where Giacomo reminisces about events from his past while he struggles to complete a translation of Moby Dick.

The Power Of Reconnecting.....
When Giacomo is summoned to Sardinia for family reasons it is an ideal escape and a reason to reconnect with his past. A feel good and warm hearted read with a vivid and beautiful backdrop.

A really lovely story of rediscovering yourself and facing heartbreak.

Giacomo returns to Sardinia to say goodbye to his dying Grandma. When he is there he reconnects with his friends from childhood, reconnecting with himself in the process.

All whilst trying to complete his translation of Moby Dick. What this novel turns is a lovely journey of self discovery set against the beautiful Island of Sardinia.

I really struggle with this story. It seemed to be very rambling and not getting any where. Translated stories quite often seems to be stilted.

I have to admit I really struggled to get into this, but persevered and enjoyed it in the end.

A heartwarming and thought provoking read but I wouldn't be in a hurry to pick up another book by this author

When I first picked up this book I thought it was going to be a trashy summer read about romance in Sardinia. A chick book, which I don't usually like or read. Not that I have a problem with them (any book is better than no book) but it's just not my kinda thing. And there's yet more proof that you can never judge a book by it's cover.

This book is actually about Giacomo. He is a Sardinian translator, and is working on a very important translation when he learns that his grandmother is dying and he must return to the island to see her. The story follows Giacomo on his journey back to his family and the island they call home.

This book is funny and full of character. I instantly liked Giacomo and his quaint little family. Nothing exciting happens, but there is plenty of heart. It's very well written and truly entertaining.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a lighthearted read about strong family bonds, and anyone who is drawn back to the place they grew up over and over again.

Giving is coming back home to Sardinia after getting the news that his grandma is dying. The book tells us about his childhood and is full of unique characters. I loved the depiction of the Sardinian countryside. Overall it is a charming summer read, thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A very enjoyable story that transports you to the island and completely immerses you in the tale. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

I found it very difficult to get 'into' the story. I did try twice to read the book, but the characters in the village seemed flat, and almost like stock characters you pick off a shelf for villagers in remote area. They could have been any nationality.

This story has an autobiographical quality about it. Giacomo is a translator returning to his home village in Sardinia when his grandmother falls ill. The remote village setting and the quirky characters that live there, give this story its humour, intrinsic interest. and poignancy.

Giacomo is at a crossroads in his life. He uses his time in the village, to come to terms with this and make sense of his existence. There are memories revisited and acquaintances renewed, which create a web of anecdotes and experiences rather than a linear plotted story.

There are literary references and insight into the life of translator which Giacomo equates with his status, the 'nearly' man. It's not a commercial book. It is an insight into an ordinary man's life in a unique place, fascinating but not always relatable.

I received a copy of this book from Hodder and Stoughton via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Giacomo is summoned back home to Sardinia to say goodbye to his Nonna who his family think is on her deathbed.
We learn that Giacomo always feels hemmed in by his village and his family.

The story, at times, can be hard to follow due to the jumping about and the lack of chapters really threw me.

Uplifting and delightful, well written, a nod to the simple pleasures of life, something many of us appreciate. Recommended.

Enjoyed the insight into Italian family life in a small community.
Characters were interesting and varied

Guacamole has returned to his home village in Sardinia as his grandmother is close to death. He is a successful translator but when he returns to the family home it's almost as though he goes back in time. The story covers the dual identity of someone who has gone from small village life to city life. It is told well and with humour and makes entertaining reading.

I have to say I expected this to have a female lead so it was a pleasant surprise that it was a male lead, Giacomo. Feeling despondent in life, when he gets the call to return to his homeland, Sardinia, it seems like perfect timing. However his Grandmother is ill and he is called to say his farewells to her. He soon falls back into the comforts of home, the friendships that sustained him and sees his childhood afresh.. is this the place he should be? Has he been tricked into coming? Brilliantly written and full of sunshine- all about making the most of life and enjoying it, finding pleasure in the day to day. The writing was beautiful, and evoked Sardinia so wonderfully, I could imagine I was there. A brilliant bit of escapism, particularly welcome now when we can’t travel.

It wasn't really for me. There didn't seem to be much of an actual plot or storyline which made it difficult for me to work through.