Using her own journey to self-awareness and happiness as her guide, Goodrich weaves a tale of heartbreak, escapism, cross-cultural conversions, and second chances.
It was in the Spanish Quarter that Heddi first fell for Pietro, an Italian geology student who wanted more for his future than working on the farm. The pair embarked on a whirlwind romance while exploring the wisdom hidden among the Roman ruins and natural beauty surrounding Naples. Told from a foreigner’s perspective, Lost in the Spanish Quarter captures the innocence and wonder of first love, the soul searching of youth, and the crushing realization that sometimes, love isn’t enough to stave off ambition and obligation. When Heddi gets an email from Pietro years after their separation, she’s thrust right back into the throes of passion and discovery, as well as the leftover pain she’s carried with her all the way to her new life in New Zealand.
Told with the raw and honest voice of someone who has been through a similar experience, Goodrich writes with both enthusiasm and wisdom. Her prose lends itself well to the experiences of both youth and maturity, and depicts it all with such clarity so as to unify the two halves of one overarching story. Readers will enjoy a trip down memory lane as well as seeing firsthand the culmination of years of life and love.
K. Watkins 