Out of the Nest: An Italian Summer

by Gaia B Amman

Overview

1990 Italy. Raging hormones. The Soccer World Cup.
And one unforgettable summer.

Leda-who goes by Lee-has always felt more at home with the boys.
But puberty hits like a bad Italian soap opera, and suddenly, nothing makes sense: periods, crushes, girlfriends, boyfriends, gender roles...and Nico.

Their best friend is turning into a heartbreaker, and Lee swears they're the only one immune to his charm. Or so they keep telling themselves.

Lee doesn't need anyone. Right?

But when first love comes calling and everything Lee thought they knew about themselves begins to shift, this fiercely independent "tomboy" is forced to face the chaos of adolescence, identity, and heartbreak-while surviving the most incredible summer of their life.

An Italian Summer, Out of the Nest is a bold, funny, and heart-tugging memoir-style novel about coming of age-and coming of gender-in 1990s Italy. Whether you're queer or straight, teen or adult, this story will stay with you.

Perfect for fans of queer coming-of-age stories, childhood friendship-to-romance, and the warmth of Italian culture.

Each book in The Italian Saga can be read as a standalone.

Based on a true story.

Go to Italy. Fall in love. Find yourself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544695921
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	02/01/2016
Series:	Italian Saga , #2
Pages:	204
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.47(d)

About the Author

Gaia B Amman was born and raised in Italy. She moved to the United States in her twenties to pursue her Ph.D. in molecular biology. She's currently a Professor of biology at D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York, where she was voted "the professor of the month" by her students. Her research and commentaries have been published in prestigious peer-reviewed international journals including Nature.



A bookworm from birth, she wrote throughout her childhood and won two short story competitions in Italy in her teens. Gaia is an avid traveler and many of her adventures are an inspiration for her fiction. Mostly she is passionate about people and the struggles they face to embrace life. Her highest hope is to reach and help as many as she can through her writing as well as her teaching. She authored the Italian Saga, an irreverent series of humorous and insightful young adult novels taking place against the gorgeous backdrop of Northern Italy. The books, light-hearted and funny at first sight, deal with issues like sexuality, divorce, friendship, abuse, first love, and self-discovery.




Among her favorite authors are J.K. Rowling, Jandy Nelson, Neil Gaiman, Chuck Palahniuk, Kurt Vonnegut, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Antoine de Saint Exupèry.

Editorial Reviews

"I love Leda. Finally a kickass female heroine! She's like some sort of modern girl-version of a classic Tom Sawyer." (Claudia, Goodreads review)
"Great characters, a well written storyline, and a beautiful setting...this book will appeal to all ages." (Amy Joslyn, librarian)
"A charming and thoughtful read! I loved how the detailed descriptions really put you there." (C. Cedano, Amazon reviews)
"This is a wonderfully written book and real hook. You're literally in the mind of Leda, with all the fears, doubts, wants, likes and dislikes of a girl growing up in Italy. If you would have told me that I'd be drawn into the life of a twelve year old girl I would have told you, 'you're nuts'. I would HIGHLY recommend this book for any man with daughters for no better reason than you'll learn what goes on in the mind of a 12 year old girl. Quite honestly, it blew me away. It's like Suzuki without the violins." (Mike, Amazon reviews)

From the Publisher