Behind The Book To Sicily With Love With Jennifer Probst 

Late 2023 I did a Q&A with New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Probst & earlier in 2024 I did a Behind The Book Q&A discussing A Wedding In Lake Como. This Behind The Book Q&A will discuss her 2025 release To Sicily With Love coming out on February 18^th! 

Q: Jennifer for those who haven’t read To Sicily With Love, would you please give a brief description of the book? Where did the idea for the story come from?

A: Of course! Aurora York believes she has the perfect life – a successful career, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. Until she suddenly loses her mother and everything, she worked for begins to unravel. When she realizes she has a family in Sicily she never knew about, Aurora travels to meet them and unravel the mystery of her mother’s past. As the summer unfolds, her family and a new romance changes her life and she needs to make a choice at the end of the summer. 

I loved the idea of exploring how a person is changed by grief, and how family and experiences can change someone’s life. I also loved the idea of setting the story in Sicily – a beautiful old-world town with a traditional family. 

Q: Which scenes in the novel were your favorites to write? It’s hard for me to choose just one favorite scene because I was engrossed from beginning to end, however I will choose one. I loved the scenes where Aurora ate with her family & Quint giving her the wisdom she needed to hear. 

A: Yes, I loved those scenes too! There’s something special about eating a big meal surrounded by people you love. There’s talk and drama and laughter and it’s always been one of my own favorite memories from my family.  I think one of my favorite scenes is when Aurora and her grandfather have a conversation and the walls between them begin to fall. Their relationship is complicated and when they were able to share their feelings with each other, I think Aurora finally began to heal. 

Q: How long did it take you to write To Sicily With Love?

A: Six months. 

Q: In our Q&A back in 2023, I asked you when creating characters do you take bits and pieces of personality traits from real people you know. You responded with, Yes, I do. I always pay attention and am curious about everything – a must for a writer. I use my own traits and patterns, especially as they change as I grow older. I take from strangers, family, and friends, with real life situations, and then spin them into a fictional world. People are endlessly fascinating and exploring humanity and our relationships with love is a never-ending quest of mine. Would you say the character of Aurora is taken from you and the character of Quint is like your husband and Aurora’s grandfather is like your grandfather? 

A: I love hearing back my own words, lol! Yes, I used facets of myself to create Aurora, and memories of my own grandmother and family to create the characters she meets in Sicily. And yes, my grandfather was more of a mystery since I lost him when I was young, but I remember such clear moments of him reading to me and being patient and kind but also mysterious. As for Quint? I adore my husband but no – Quint is simply all fictional hahaha!!! 

Q: If/when To Sicily With Love gets an adaptation in Hollywood, who would be your dream cast to play your characters? Some suggestions would be Al Pacino as Aurora’s grandfather. I would choose Alexandra Daddario & Beatrice Granno to play Aurora & Catena. Both of those actresses were in The White Lotus when the show’s second season was in Sicily. 

A: Oh, I absolutely love those choices! I envision this book as a perfect film – full of interesting characters and Sicily as the setting. For Quint, I’d love to see Michele Morrone in the role – talk about swoony lol! 

Q: What lessons, reminders & emotions do you hope readers learn, remember & feel after reading To Sicily With Love? My favorite quote from the novel was when Aurora’s mother tells Aurora, Wait for the love of your life, even if it’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done. From that I learned or maybe was reminded of a deep truth that sometimes waiting for something like true love is scary. I also learned sometimes it does take something huge like tragedy that forces us to realize things or confront them. 

A: I think there are nuggets of inspiration scattered throughout the book, shown with each of Aurora’s relationships. I love her talks with Quint, and his quiet wisdom. One of my favorite quotes is, “There’s magic within the mess.” I also love the revelations Aurora gets as she spends time in Sicily and learns how a simpler life can be a more joyous one. I would love my readers to simply take what speaks to them within the book, depending on where they are with their life, and come away with the hope and magic of how love and grief will always change us and that we will all be okay. 

Q: If To Sicily With Love were to get a sequel, what would Aurora, Catena, & Quin be doing right now? 

A: Happily living in Sicily making their dreams come true! Catena and Quint open another bar, Aurora leans into her writing and values her relationships more than her ideas of success, and of course – a wedding!!!