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A2 · Book 2

La ricetta perduta

Italian Short Novel for Pre-Intermediate Learners (A2)

1954. A yellow house. A lemon cake.

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Aiko Tanaka, 42, a pastry chef from Kyoto, arrives at Pensione Aurora with her late grandfather's sailor's notebook. In 1954 Kenji, then 20, spent three weeks on the island of Procida while his ship was repaired in Naples. On one page: a yellow house, a lemon, a cake, and one sentence in Japanese: 'The lady of the lemons. I never asked her name.' Aiko wants the recipe. Giulia takes the ferry with her. A short, adult novel for pre-intermediate learners of Italian (A2).

Inside

  • 45 short chapters, about 115 words each
  • Every new word in bold, explained in easy Italian
  • A glossary, a summary and 3 questions after each chapter
  • Answer key, full vocabulary list and a one-page grammar guide
  • A free printable worksheet on the book's web page

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Read chapter 1: Aiko

Il primo dicembre a Roma piove. Una pioggia fredda, sottile, che non finisce mai.

Alle tre del pomeriggio un taxi si ferma davanti alla Pensione Aurora. Scende una donna con un ombrello trasparente e una piccola valigia grigia.

— Buongiorno. Sono Aiko Tanaka. Ho una prenotazione. Per due settimane.

Parla un italiano lento, preciso, con tutte le parole al posto giusto. Ha quarantadue anni, i capelli neri e corti, un cappotto blu.

Giulia nota una cosa. Aiko tiene contro il petto un vecchio quaderno, con la copertina di pelle consumata. Lo tiene come un tesoro. Anche quando firma il registro, il quaderno resta sotto il braccio.

Glossary

pioggia
rain
preciso
precise
quaderno
notebook
tesoro
treasure
petto
chest

Check yourself

  1. Aiko arriva…
    1. il primo maggio
    2. a Natale
    3. il primo dicembre
  2. Aiko viene da…
    1. Kyoto
    2. Tokyo
    3. Osaka
  3. Aiko tiene contro il petto…
    1. un gatto
    2. un quaderno
    3. un ombrello

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  1. Un giorno a Napoli A2
  2. La ricetta perduta A2
  3. Il fotografo di Bologna A2
  4. Lo sposo in fuga A2
  5. Carnevale a Venezia A2
  6. L'angelo di legno A2
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