This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Steven Robson for Readers' Favorite
Savory Sabastian is Anne Marie Citro’s fictional account of an Italian family’s lives after their husband/father Shawn Savage and elder son/brother Marcello were killed in a senseless massacre at a music festival. It chronicles the emotional scarring of such a tragic loss and the recovery process for the mother, Valentina, and her four sons, Sabastian, Alessandro, Luca, and Santino. In a poignant way, Shawn’s influence reaches out from the grave to facilitate this healing in two ways; his planning set up a resort that the whole family becomes involved in running and he led the family to Evangeline Rossi (Emmy), who becomes their cook at the resort. Emmy was in the process of dealing with her own emotional scars, and once she is introduced to the Savage family everyone quickly realizes they are where they all belong.
I found Savory Sabastian to be a wonderful read. The characters are very strong and believable, and a picture is painted very close to what I imagine a true loving Italian family would be. This family comes to terms with their grief in time, and it is the acceptance of Emmy as their new family member that facilitates it to a large degree. As Emmy’s character is revealed through their interaction with her and flashbacks to her past, we discover why she is carrying her emotional damage. The way each and every Savage bonds with Emmy is a joy to experience and truly brings out strong empathy and feelings in the reader as well. This is a book that is difficult to put down once you start reading.
