Received this lovely gift from a reader, Augusto (who doesn’t mind me sharing that he lives in Australia, was born in Fossa, Abruzzo and was pleased to discover the books). At 80, for the first time he’s learnt copper smithing and made me this little, copper conca and ladle, like those larger ones traditionally used in Abruzzo to collect water (women like my bisnonna Maddalena carried them on their heads).
Thank you to Augusto, such a beautiful kindness. I will treasure it always! And many thanks to all who’ve connected through messages and letters. It’s such a pleasure to hear from you. What most drives me to write is to preserve experiences of ‘everyday’ people and their often overlooked yet I believe significant parts of history. Thank you for your interest (and I’m working hard on the next book!!) xx
Zoë Boccabella 
❤️ Thank you Zoe , thank you very much for the beautiful and lovely story, always a pleasure ❤️
Grazie mille to you, Augusto for your beautiful and unexpected gesture. I will cherish it. Warmest wishes, Zoe xx
What a delightful gift!
Yes, so thoughtful! x