Love and Gelato | Jenna Evans Welch | Cliff Note Books
“Love & Gelato” is a young adult novel by Jenna Evans Welch, published in 2016. The story follows Lina, a teenage girl who embarks on a life-changing journey to Italy after her mother’s death from cancer.
After her mother’s passing, Lina is sent to Tuscany to live with Howard, a man she’s never met but who her mother claimed was Lina’s father. Upon her arrival, Lina is handed a journal that belonged to her mother, detailing her time in Italy years ago.
As Lina reads through the journal, she learns about her mother’s past, her love story with Howard, and the secrets that were kept from her. Lina decides to retrace her mother’s footsteps in an attempt to better understand her and find closure. Along the way, she meets Ren, a charming Italian boy who becomes her friend, confidant, and potential love interest.
Together, Lina and Ren explore the beautiful Italian countryside, visiting historical sites, enjoying local cuisine (including plenty of gelato), and uncovering the truth about Lina’s family history. As Lina delves deeper into her mother’s past, she discovers that her mother’s life in Italy was far more complicated than she initially believed.
“Love & Gelato” is a heartwarming coming-of-age story that blends romance, self-discovery, and the magic of the Italian landscape. Through Lina’s journey, the novel explores themes of love, loss, forgiveness, and the importance of embracing one’s own personal history.
CHARACTERS
- Lina (Carolina) Emerson: The protagonist, a teenage girl who moves to Italy after her mother’s death to live with her supposed father, Howard.
- Ren (Lorenzo) Ferrara: Lina’s Italian friend and love interest, who helps her uncover the truth about her mother’s past.
- Howard Emerson: The man Lina’s mother claimed to be her father, an American living in Italy who takes Lina in after her mother’s death.
- Hadley Emerson: Lina’s late mother, who had spent time in Italy and left a journal for Lina to read, detailing her experiences and love story.
- Addie: Lina’s best friend back in the United States, who provides support to Lina throughout her journey in Italy.
- Sonia: Ren’s mother and the owner of the local gelateria, who becomes a friend and confidante to Lina.
- Thomas Ferrara: Ren’s older brother and soccer player, who helps Lina and Ren on their quest to understand Lina’s mother’s past.
- Elsa: An older woman living in the same cemetery as Howard, who provides guidance and advice to Lina.
QUOTES
- “People come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it’s for the same two things: love and gelato.”
- “But no matter how much planning you do, one tiny misstep, one moment of distraction, and it’s all gone. You couldn’t have planned it better, really, the way the world can come at you with its claws out.”
- “Maybe it was because everything was so different here, but I was finally starting to see that different didn’t necessarily mean bad. It was just…different.”
- “Adventures are funny things. They may creep out of holes, appear down a seldom trodden path, fall out of a tree, or even arrive in an envelope, but they always start the same way. Adventures always begin with the unexpected.”
- “Turns out there’s a reason they call it falling in love, because when it happens – really happens – that’s exactly how it feels. There’s no doing or trying, you just let go and hope that someone’s going to be there to catch you.”
- “You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they stay, it’s for the same two things.” “What?” “Love and gelato.”
- “A life without love is like a year without summer.”
Jenna Evans Welch is an American author, best known for her young adult novels “Love & Gelato” (2016), “Love & Luck” (2018), and “Love & Olives” (2020). She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to a family with a literary background. Her father, Richard Paul Evans, is a bestselling author known for his book “The Christmas Box.”
Jenna’s passion for writing and storytelling was nurtured from a young age, and she spent much of her childhood surrounded by books and immersed in her father’s writing career. She attended Brigham Young University, where she studied writing and editing.
Her debut novel, “Love & Gelato,” was inspired by her own experiences traveling and living abroad. The novel’s success allowed her to continue writing stories with similar themes, focusing on love, self-discovery, and adventures set against beautiful international backdrops. “Love & Gelato” is set in Italy, “Love & Luck” in Ireland, and “Love & Olives” in Greece.
Jenna Evans Welch’s writing has been praised for its heartfelt storytelling, vivid settings, and endearing characters. Her novels have resonated with readers worldwide and have earned her a dedicated fan base.
In addition to her writing career, Jenna has worked as a travel writer, a wedding planner, and a librarian. She is married and has children, and she currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah.
SUMMARIES
Chapter 1: Lina arrives in Florence, Italy, after her mother’s death, with the intention of living with her supposed father, Howard. She is overwhelmed by the beauty of the city but also feels disoriented and out of place.
Chapter 2: Lina meets Howard, who lives in an unusual location—a cemetery. Despite his kindness, Lina is unsure about living with a man she hardly knows.
Chapter 3: Lina receives her mother’s journal, which recounts her mother’s time in Italy. She begins reading it and learns about her mother’s life, her love story with Howard, and the secrets she kept from Lina.
Chapter 4: Lina starts school in Florence and meets Ren, a charming Italian boy who becomes her friend and eventual love interest.
Chapter 5: Lina and Ren bond over their shared experiences as foreigners in Italy, as Ren has spent most of his life in the United States. They explore Florence together and grow closer.
Chapter 6: Lina continues to read her mother’s journal, uncovering more about her mother’s past. She becomes determined to retrace her mother’s footsteps to better understand her and find closure.
Chapter 7: Ren helps Lina search for the locations mentioned in her mother’s journal, leading them to a local gelateria owned by Ren’s mother, Sonia.
Chapter 8: Lina shares her mother’s journal with Ren, and they become more invested in discovering the truth about her mother’s past. They decide to work together to uncover the secrets hidden within the journal.
Chapter 9: As Lina and Ren spend more time together, their friendship deepens. They explore the city, visiting famous landmarks and enjoying Italian food, including gelato.
Chapter 10: Lina’s mother’s journal reveals that she became pregnant with Lina while in Italy, and that Lina’s birth was the reason she returned to the United States. Lina becomes more determined than ever to learn the full story.
Chapter 11: Lina and Ren continue their quest to retrace Lina’s mother’s footsteps, visiting the places she wrote about in her journal. Their friendship grows stronger, and they become more determined to uncover the truth about Lina’s family history.
Chapter 12: Lina and Ren visit the Duomo, one of Florence’s most famous landmarks, where they learn more about the city’s history and culture. This adventure helps Lina feel more connected to her mother.
Chapter 13: Lina continues to read her mother’s journal, uncovering more about her time in Italy and her relationship with Howard. She begins to understand her mother’s motivations and feelings during that time.
Chapter 14: Ren introduces Lina to his friends, including Thomas, his older brother. Lina becomes more immersed in the local culture and starts to feel more at home in Italy.
Chapter 15: Lina’s mother’s journal reveals a complicated love triangle between her, Howard, and another man. This revelation sparks more questions for Lina and Ren to investigate.
Chapter 16: As Lina and Ren delve deeper into the mystery of Lina’s mother’s past, they grow closer, and their feelings for each other begin to develop into something more than friendship.
Chapter 17: Lina and Ren, with the help of Thomas, visit the town of Arezzo, where Lina’s mother spent time with the other man mentioned in her journal. They hope this trip will provide more answers about Lina’s family history.
Chapter 18: While in Arezzo, Lina and Ren find a painting that Lina’s mother mentioned in her journal. This discovery helps them piece together more information about her past and her relationships.
Chapter 19: Lina and Ren return to Florence and continue their investigation into Lina’s mother’s past. They visit more locations mentioned in the journal, hoping to find the answers they seek.
Chapter 20: Lina and Ren attend a soccer game with Thomas, further deepening their connection to each other and to Italy. Their feelings for each other continue to grow, complicating their friendship.
Chapter 21: Lina discovers that her mother’s former lover and the other man mentioned in her journal is not Howard, but someone else entirely. This revelation complicates Lina’s understanding of her family history.
Chapter 22: Lina confronts Howard about the truth of her parentage. Howard admits that he is not her father but that he loved her mother deeply and is committed to helping Lina.
Chapter 23: Lina and Ren visit Lina’s mother’s former lover, who reveals more about her mother’s time in Italy and the circumstances of her pregnancy with Lina.
Chapter 24: Overwhelmed by the recent revelations, Lina struggles to process her emotions and make sense of her mother’s past. She finds solace in her relationship with Ren, and they continue to grow closer.
Chapter 25: Lina learns more about her mother’s past, discovering that she had a difficult decision to make when she found out she was pregnant with Lina. This new information helps Lina understand her mother’s actions and choices.
Chapter 26: Lina, Ren, and Howard visit the seaside town of Vernazza, where Lina’s mother spent her final days in Italy. The trip allows Lina to gain closure and find peace with her mother’s past.
Chapter 27: Lina and Ren’s feelings for each other intensify, and they share their first kiss, officially beginning their romantic relationship.
Chapter 28: Howard helps Lina find a way to honor her mother’s memory by scattering her ashes in Vernazza, fulfilling her mother’s final wish.
Chapter 29: With the truth about her mother’s past revealed, Lina decides to stay in Italy and build a life with the people she has come to love, including Ren and Howard.
Chapter 30: Lina and Ren embark on a new adventure together, traveling through Italy and deepening their relationship. Lina finally finds happiness and closure, embracing her new life in Italy.
In these final chapters, Lina uncovers the truth about her mother’s past and comes to terms with the revelations. She finds closure and decides to stay in Italy, building a new life with Ren and Howard, and honoring her mother’s memory.