The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and Its Citrus Fruit

This is a bit of an esoteric book on a very specialized subject. It has to be reviewed as such. It certainly does not match the quality of classics and books on "more important" subjects. But that is not what Attlee wrote about. What she DID write about was her passionate interest in citrus in Italy. She included interviews and information from a number of people involved in citrus in Italy. She even has some recipes from sources to which, I suspect, few may have access.For those who have an interest in this subject, her book is excellent. Those who have no interest in the subject shouldn't get it in the first place and certainly shouldn't give it a bad rating for doing what it does. What it does, it does quite well. Attlee speaks with love and personal interest about the history of citrus in Italy. I got the book because I actually had a specific need for a history of that industry in Italy — actually, in Sicily. Nonetheless, I also did have to research other books on the subject since I needed even more depth. I found myself enjoying some of her writing, not necessarily because I learned something on every page, though there is much to learn, but because it was interesting to follow the author on her journey to document so much about this. How someone could write so fully on the beauty and history of citrus in Italy seems to me to be a bit unusual. But she did a good job and deserves five stars for the lengthy personal research she did as she traveled the mainland Italy and Sicily. She clearly has a personal love for her subject and that always makes any book better. Although, I have not yet even finished the entire book, I have read most of it and feel fine about posting this review.For anyone interested in this very specialized topic — though I suspect that few in general readership are — I can recommend it and have no problem giving it a full five stars.

I don’t really like oranges or any kind of citrus. But I found this book to be a fascinating history of citrus, and citrus in Italy. I learned something new on nearly every page. I’ve talked about what I’ve learned to most everybody I know, and encouraged them all to read the book. I wish more would because I so want to talk about Citrus!I probably should have given it a 5. However, quite frequently the transition from one topic to another was so dramatic that I had to re-read the previous paragraph to see if I’d missed something.

After reading about the fascinating history of citrus and the places and the food and drink, one has had a delightful vicarious tour of Italy. Ms. Attlee tells her story in a highly readable and personal style. There is indeed a fascinating variety of citrus with interesting histories and uses through to the current day.Grab a lemonade or lemoncello and enjoy a good read!

Although I think some of the writing lacks, it was so informative about the amazing history of citrus generally.. Who knew Bergamot was a citrus fruit. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it for anyone interested in food and history/politics et.

Go to Italy every year. Next year I will look up some of the places/museums mentioned. Very interesting story if you are an Italophile.

I thought I would find a lot of history, and I surely did, and enjoyed it.I also thought I would find a lot of recipes and cooking tales, but I dis not!All in all I did enjoy the chronicles.

Author, Helena Attlee is an Italian garden expert and accomplished writer that made citrus varieties and their historical significance astonishing.

This was truly a fabulous book, it was well written by a knowledgeable author. I passed it on to at least ten other people all of whom raved about it.

Un libro remarcable para todos aquellos interesados en la jardineria y botánica. Auna un conocimiento de del contexto regional y cultural de Italia, que es una delicia¡

Read this whilst on holiday in Italy and bombarded my OH with lemon ‘facts’ whilst reading it.A delightful book which is both a history, a social commentary and a travel book. Loved it

I will never look at any citrus in the same way ever again. Fascinating to know the history of the "lemon" trade in Europe. A really good read!

I enjoyed reading this book on our way through Sicily and parts of Italy. The history of citrus is very interesting and it gives one context into some of the sites you visit particularly in Sicily.

An interesting nonfiction about a woman journey discovery aromas and fragrances of the most beautiful places in Italy. Some botanical details could be a little boring if you aren't interested in the topic, but the reading is light and insightful, and if you love food, Italy and its citrus history, you should read it. I pick it up just for the purpose of learning more about my country, and I love lemons.