In Sicily

May 1, 2002
Sicily, a place of recurring interest to prolific British author Lewis (Voices of the Sea; Naples 44), is the setting of this mixture of straightforward travel narrative and social commentary. As Lewis visits different towns on the island, he compares modern-day Sicily with his World War II memories, noting the changes that have taken place over the last few decades. Along the way, he not only encourages readers to visit and experience Sicily but also creates vacation destinations out of many small towns on the island through his colorful anecdotes. He devotes a great deal of space to the Mafia and its influence on Sicily's daily life and includes chilling stories of a 1947 massacre. There are also reflections on the effects of recent African immigration and the island's changing sexual mores. The author eventually concludes that despite the addition of numerous hotels and caf s and the cleaning and modernization of urban areas, Sicilian culture and traditions have changed little since his first visit. Recommended for academic or public libraries collecting books on Italy. Sheila Kasperek, Mansfield Univ., PA

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2002
This renowned British travel writer has visited Sicily several times over the past half-century, and now he draws together his impressions into an edgy portrait of this fascinating Mediterranean island. From then to now, from the first time he visited to the last time, the Mafia has dominated Sicilian life. How this hardly underground organization has exerted such power is graphically related in Lewis' personal encounters with people who live under its shadow: "under assault by a species of social disease, the Mafia, for which no cure is yet apparent." But just as Sicilians no doubt wish they had less violence in their lives, readers may wish for less buzz about the Mafia and more talk about geography and non-Mafia history and customs. On the other hand, such is the orchestration of Sicilian life; for Lewis, all points of discussion lead back to the Mafia.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)