Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton was such a sweet and delightful read! Quite easily in a single sitting. But I found myself wanting to savor it. I carried it around for days, escaping into it here and there throughout the day.
The book reminded me of a fairytale, especially with the animal characters and their point of view. The writing style brings a lot of the magic– vivid poetic descriptions that linger (and made me maniacally underline every page, ha). These sensory details created such an immersive world. The cast of colorful characters felt like one big, huge, happiest, feisty family constantly bickering, teasing, laughing, and cheering for each other. They all became so alive in my mind, Stefano with his bright yellow pants and Nonna, an angel on earth, “slicing apart the world’s problems with her positivity.” And I loved how the book satisfied so many curiosities– food, nature, animals, and what makes relationships meaningful! By the end, I felt like I learned something new and made a bunch of new best friends, haha. Who knew mushrooms were filled with so much mischief!
This is a book I will be throwing in the hands of everyone this summer! What did you think?
What visuals from the book stuck out to you? Here’s what we brought to life:
Of course, the “little tiny god,” “the mystery visitor,” is the reason for our story! The truffle!
I loved the bee’s point of view and all the animals!
A Saint Christopher necklace, Nonna Amara, stole my heart and reminded me so much of my own Nana.
Espresso, of course! Giuseppina, we are looking at you!
The shining stars of the show, Aria and funny Fagiolo!
The vespa!!! An Italian flag-painted one, that is.
Funny Stefano in his quirky outfits and his “tennis ball-yellow trousers are singing about spring” had to be brought to life!
The skeleton key!
Paolo’s Persimmon tree, I adored this moment of the book, seeing Giovanni’s grief evolve and settle.
The almost mayor donkey whose life we see saved and whose birthday celebrated!
Mamma Fortuna’s crystal ball (the fire setter) and the reading that ultimately saves the village.
The chewy chestnut cake is from Vitorria’s recipe book for cooking with her Nonna. This and every mention of any food made my mouth water.
And a red gingham tablecloth, a classic Italian sighting, and probably covering the tables at Bar Celebrità!
discussion questions:
here’s an overview of the questions I will post in the comments section where you can join in.
- First of all, have you ever gone mushroom hunting?!
- Do you agree the story felt like a fairy tale? What elements of a fairy tale stuck out to you?
- The story unfolds with shifts from different perspectives. Was there a particular perspective you were drawn to?
- There is a mystery surrounding the character Sofia. This felt random to me, but it also gave insight into the loyalty and love of the village. What did you think?
- The language and writing of this book were a massive highlight for me. How did it enhance (or not!) your reading experience?
- This would have been a fun book for an in-person book club because of the FOOD! Would have loved to gather with readers and share dishes from the book. Is there one that you can’t stop thinking about? Mine is the chestnut cake!
some of what I maniacally underlined 🙂
“Between them– a bright citrusy burst of hope.”
“…eye bags bulging with the weight of unburied secrets…”
“Tables wear dormant white cloth like sundresses made of marble.”
“But in a tiny tight-knit village– try as you might– you can never hide from who you are.”
“Grief is a sea. At times placid, still, and gray as glass. And others, squalling and savage. The chaos of a muscular undertow and wicked winds.”
“When a dog chooses to love a human, it is a timeless affair of the soul and spirit, a meeting far beyond the mortal bod. An eternal entanglement is this mingling of the souls. A loyolty beyond language and all of life’s earthly matter.”
“He licks the small purple painting left when someone dropped a squashed blackberry.”
“… snowing of Parmesan…”
“I’ll be in the breeze. I’ll be in the songs of birds and bright shivers through leaves.”
“Nonna Amara lifts her head to share the welcoming dawn of her smile. A latticework of lins grace her olive face. Long lobes host sentimental earrings. Saint Christopher winking in silver from her throat.”
“Nonna is undoubtedly quite magical. She changes the shapes of horrible things. She makes miracles from things she pulls from the dirt. Her laughter turns blood to warm butter.”
“Time is terrifying because, much like nature, it is a power too great.”
“… silent enough to hear snails painting in silver.”
“Moments fly fast, gone before you know it. One day, buildings and time-old traditions and loved ones will be gone. But moments tucked into a mind and held by the heart live on in a human.”
“Fears don’t prevent death, they prevent life.”
“Grief is a tax. One you pay if you were lucky enough to love.”
“The forest performs an irresistible earther symphony.”
and if you missed it here is our intro to Tartfugo.
photo 01 sarah sherman samuel, photo 02 + 03 from roam and thrive
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