5 books set in the Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful coastal stretches in the world. It is therefore not surprising that it has been chosen as the setting for numerous books. Among these we have selected five, set partly or entirely in this corner of paradise, that will make you travel (at least with your imagination).

FIORDAMALFI by Flavia Amabile

Among the countless books set in the setting of the Divine Coast, we highly recommend reading ‘Fiordamalfi’ by Flavia Amabile, a Salerno-born writer and journalist for La Stampa. Published in 2009, it narrates the tragicomic adventures of a separated man with a son just a few years old, who decides to leave his job as a fashion photographer and the chaos of Rome to devote himself to making lemons and jam. But the real protagonist of the novel is the Amalfi Coast. The author conveys her love for her homeland in every line. We seem to immerse ourselves in certain scents that she knows well and wants us to savour through this reading.

LA CERAMICA SUGLI SCOGLI by Antonio Forcellino

Another must-read book is ‘La ceramica sugli scogli’ by Antonio Forcellino, a writer, architect and important restorer born in Vietri sul Mare. The book, published in 2017, tells the story of a German Jewish couple who in 1926, under the advance of Nazi anti-Semitism, move to Vietri. Here, the two re-found the Vietri ceramic industry of ancient tradition. Unfortunately, however, with the promulgation of the racial laws in 1938, Max and Flora are expropriated of all their possessions under the unaware eyes of the coastal community, which, after the end of the Second World War, welcomes back Flora who survived the concentration camps.

UNA NOCHE EN AMALFI by Begoña Huertas

‘Una noche en Amalfi’ is the first novel translated into Italian by Begoña Huertas, an Iberian author in love with the Amalfi Coast. Published in 2013, it is a short and intense thriller whose story unfolds over practically a single night. A young Spanish married couple, Sergio and Lidia, arrive in Amalfi to spend a few days’ holiday. But they are not happy because, on arriving at the hotel, the woman leaves her husband alone in the room to run an errand and never returns. After waiting a few hours, Sergio, aided by a mysterious neighbour seemingly out of nowhere, starts looking for her in a crescendo of unease and danger.

IL SENTIERO DEGLI DEI by Valentina Carrano

‘Il Sentiero degli Dei’ is Valentina Carrano’s first novel. Published in 2022, it is based on a true love story, that of her paternal grandparents during the troubled period of the Second World War. The two protagonists, Lina and Luigi, are from Agerola and Vettica respectively. It is precisely from Agerola, precisely from the hamlet of Bomerano, that the Sentiero degli Dei (Gods’ Path) starts, winding for about 8 kilometres to Nocelle. Today it is one of the most evocative and famous hiking trails in the world, but at the time it was part of Lina’s daily routine, carrying messages and food to relatives scattered along the coast. Lina and Luigi get to know each other just by sight when he leaves for the front and is taken prisoner. They grew up apart before meeting again and then choosing each other when the conflict was over.

A LOVE LOST IN POSITANO by Dick P. Rosano

Finally, we highlight the novel ‘A Love Lost in Positano’ written by Dick P. Rosano and published in 2017. The protagonist, Danny D’Amato, after working for years in a war zone needs a break. Stressed out, he chooses Positano for his escape. And, besides, how can one blame him? Soon, the pages of his diary are filled with notes about a woman he met on the cliffs of the coast, Gaia, and his conversion from war-weary veteran to a man in love. Within days the two fall in love but suddenly she disappears. After Danny spends countless days searching for Gaia, the great distance between them is finally bridged, but for reasons they could never have foreseen.