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P.O. Box Love: A Novel of Letters

by Paola Calvetti (Goodreads Author), Anne Milano Appel (Translation)

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 117 ratings · 21 reviews

A charming epistolary novel that chronicles the love story between Emma and Frederico, former high school sweethearts who meet again thirty years later.

At Dreams & Desires, 50-year-old Emma’s quaint bookshop in Milan dedicated to romantic fiction,the passionate bookseller serves coffee and tea to her customers and completes order slips in pen rather than using a comput...more

358 pages

Published January 31st 2012 by St. Martin's Press (first published January 1st 2009)

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Feb 27, 2013 Alta added it

I only read this book because someone gave it to me--but I should say that it is better than the title makes it sound. By the way, the English title was given by the American publisher--the original title is less cheesy: "Noi due come un romanzo." Initially, I hated it because it seemed like a formulaic story: middle-age woman has a crisis and opens a bookstore, then meets former high-school boyfriend (now married) and begins an epistolary romance (he's in NYC, she's in Milan) while attending to...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Teresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

P.O. Box Love was an interesting read. Even after two day I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m not sure what I expected after reading the blurb we got from the author. It sounded interesting, and the story was. I just never fell in love with it. It needed more emotion.

P.O. Box Love is written as love letters and a story. Meaning part of the time you’re reading love letters between two characters and the other time you’re reading the story from the main female’s POV. The main characters are Emma...more P.O. Box Love was an interesting read. Even after two day I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m not sure what I expected after reading the blurb we got from the author. It sounded interesting, and the story was. I just never fell in love with it. It needed more emotion.

P.O. Box Love is written as love letters and a story. Meaning part of the time you’re reading love letters between two characters and the other time you’re reading the story from the main female’s POV. The main characters are Emma and Federico. Emma’s a fifty something bookshop from living in Milan and Federico is a fifty something successful architect, working in New York City. Emma is divorced and has been for many years. She has a son, Mattie, whose graduating high school and about to attend University. Federico on the other hand is married and has been for twenty some odd years. He and his wife have a daughter, Sarah, who’s also a teenager.

Emma and Federico, in their youth, had been boyfriend/girlfriend and something happens to break them up. Now after all this time, Federico finds Emma in her bookshop, Dreams & Desires. Dreams & Desires is a bookshop designed and furnished for romantics. All Emma sells are romance novels, it doesn’t matter the size or shape. This is the part that confuses me, Emma is such a romantic, yet I didn’t get much feeling from her. She can remember just about every book she’s ever read, yet she forgets her personal history. She does this on purpose, which doesn’t make sense to me. I would’ve thought she’d care about her memories, since romantics usually do. (At least romantic writers that is, their memories give inspiration.)

When Emma and Federico decide to start corresponding with each other they do so by writing letters. These, hand written, letters are the only line of communication they have, because Emma has decided technology is a bad thing. She doesn’t own a cell phone and she dislikes the internet and computers. Needless to say she doesn’t touch either. So the story starts with former high school sweethearts becoming “pin-pals.” It’s truly a twist on You’ve Got Mail, without the technology. Emma and Federico us a P.O. Box to send, receive and store their letters so no one will find out. Their affair including the correspondence spans over six years during which Federico opens up to Emma about his life and emotions. Things he can’t share with his family. Emma begins to look at life a little different too as she adds architecture to her life. What I mean by this is that she starts looking at the beauty of buildings, whereas she’d never done that before. She seems to like hearing about Federico’s work on the Morgan and she tells him about different bookshops around New York City. They also talk about their lives but not too much. Federico stops in the stores she tells him about and he starts to enjoy the peace the stores and parks give him as he writes to her.

This affair isn’t just the letters that these two former sweethearts share. They actually do become lovers ad meet once a year on an island. The island fits their “prefect” affair since it doesn’t get any service for phones or internet. In these short encounters we get the most “emotion,” still I expected more. Don’t expect the details of their sex life, it’s not there, what we get is how they fit into each other’s life. That they enjoy each other’s company and the outside world means nothing. We the reader know this relationship is doomed even Emma knows it. She tells us so. Yet when Federico talks about his wife and his actions Emma basically says she’s okay with the status quo. She seems to like being a mistress. This is something else I don’t understand, because I don’t know why she’d want to be the other woman.

As the relationship heads to a close the book seems to skip or loss something. You find more spelling errors and sentences that don’t completely make sense. This also goes along with Emma somewhat losing herself. Plus we have the end of Federico’s letters which doesn’t seem like the right spot, especially when Emma references it within her letters. She states it’s been two weeks when it’s been two months almost to the day. Still she doesn’t make any call to see if everything is okay. There’s also a point when Federico asked to see her about a month or so before his last letter and we see nothing of that encounter. We don’t know if it happened or not, Emma doesn’t even respond to the invite if she could make it or not. Both of these events confused me. But I’d say the ending is what really through me and how we got there we don’t know. There needed to be more so that this ending made sense and could flow. As it stands you have an ending and something like an afterthought. The first would have been fine, the reader could’ve thought of their own “true ending”. What we get falls flat, and doesn’t seem to fit what had been going on.
(less)

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Apr 04, 2013 ★Loredana★ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Diceva Holden Caulfield, nel celeberrimo romanzo di Salinger, "quelli che mi lasciano proprio senza fiato sono i libri che quando li hai finiti di leggere vorresti che l'autore fosse un tuo amico per la pelle e poterlo chiamare al telefono tutte le volte che ti gira."
Ecco, questo libro è per me un esempio che calza a pennello con questa citazione... e la protagonista di questo romanzo, l'adorabile signora Emma, sembra uscita da un romanzo d'appendice d'altri tempi, sembra fuori contesto ai giorn...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Paperback Dolls rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-stars, contemporary-romance, reviewed-2012, reviewed-by-teresa

Previously posted at Paperback Dolls.com

P.O. Box Love was an interesting read. Even after two day I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m not sure what I expected after reading the blurb we got from the author. It sounded interesting, and the story was. I just never fell in love with it. It needed more emotion.

P.O. Box Love is written as love letters and a story. Meaning part of the time you’re reading love letters between two characters and the other time you’re reading the story from the main fe...more Previously posted at Paperback Dolls.com

P.O. Box Love was an interesting read. Even after two day I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m not sure what I expected after reading the blurb we got from the author. It sounded interesting, and the story was. I just never fell in love with it. It needed more emotion.

P.O. Box Love is written as love letters and a story. Meaning part of the time you’re reading love letters between two characters and the other time you’re reading the story from the main female’s POV. The main characters are Emma and Federico. Emma’s a fifty something bookshop from living in Milan and Federico is a fifty something successful architect, working in New York City. Emma is divorced and has been for many years. She has a son, Mattie, whose graduating high school and about to attend University. Federico on the other hand is married and has been for twenty some odd years. He and his wife have a daughter, Sarah, who’s also a teenager.

Emma and Federico, in their youth, had been boyfriend/girlfriend and something happens to break them up. Now after all this time, Federico finds Emma in her bookshop, Dreams & Desires. Dreams & Desires is a bookshop designed and furnished for romantics. All Emma sells are romance novels, it doesn’t matter the size or shape. This is the part that confuses me, Emma is such a romantic, yet I didn’t get much feeling from her. She can remember just about every book she’s ever read, yet she forgets her personal history. She does this on purpose, which doesn’t make sense to me. I would’ve thought she’d care about her memories, since romantics usually do. (At least romantic writers that is, their memories give inspiration.)

When Emma and Federico decide to start corresponding with each other they do so by writing letters. These, hand written, letters are the only line of communication they have, because Emma has decided technology is a bad thing. She doesn’t own a cell phone and she dislikes the internet and computers. Needless to say she doesn’t touch either. So the story starts with former high school sweethearts becoming “pin-pals.” It’s truly a twist on You’ve Got Mail, without the technology. Emma and Federico us a P.O. Box to send, receive and store their letters so no one will find out. Their affair including the correspondence spans over six years during which Federico opens up to Emma about his life and emotions. Things he can’t share with his family. Emma begins to look at life a little different too as she adds architecture to her life. What I mean by this is that she starts looking at the beauty of buildings, whereas she’d never done that before. She seems to like hearing about Federico’s work on the Morgan and she tells him about different bookshops around New York City. They also talk about their lives but not too much. Federico stops in the stores she tells him about and he starts to enjoy the peace the stores and parks give him as he writes to her.

This affair isn’t just the letters that these two former sweethearts share. They actually do become lovers ad meet once a year on an island. The island fits their “prefect” affair since it doesn’t get any service for phones or internet. In these short encounters we get the most “emotion,” still I expected more. Don’t expect the details of their sex life, it’s not there, what we get is how they fit into each other’s life. That they enjoy each other’s company and the outside world means nothing. We the reader know this relationship is doomed even Emma knows it. She tells us so. Yet when Federico talks about his wife and his actions Emma basically says she’s okay with the status quo. She seems to like being a mistress. This is something else I don’t understand, because I don’t know why she’d want to be the other woman.

As the relationship heads to a close the book seems to skip or loss something. You find more spelling errors and sentences that don’t completely make sense. This also goes along with Emma somewhat losing herself. Plus we have the end of Federico’s letters which doesn’t seem like the right spot, especially when Emma references it within her letters. She states it’s been two weeks when it’s been two months almost to the day. Still she doesn’t make any call to see if everything is okay. There’s also a point when Federico asked to see her about a month or so before his last letter and we see nothing of that encounter. We don’t know if it happened or not, Emma doesn’t even respond to the invite if she could make it or not. Both of these events confused me. But I’d say the ending is what really through me and how we got there we don’t know. There needed to be more so that this ending made sense and could flow. As it stands you have an ending and something like an afterthought. The first would have been fine, the reader could’ve thought of their own “true ending”. What we get falls flat, and doesn’t seem to fit what had been going on.(less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Literary or Epistolary Love Stories

Shelves: general-fiction, read-2012, womens-fiction

Reviewed for THC Reviews
I agreed to review P. O. Box Love because it was billed as a romance and the theme of reunited loves is a favorite of mine. It definitely is a love story, however, I will caution my fellow romance readers that this is a literary romance rather than a genre romance. When I first started reading the book and realized this, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not, but in the end was very pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. P. O. Box Love is the story of two...more Reviewed for THC Reviews
I agreed to review P. O. Box Love because it was billed as a romance and the theme of reunited loves is a favorite of mine. It definitely is a love story, however, I will caution my fellow romance readers that this is a literary romance rather than a genre romance. When I first started reading the book and realized this, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not, but in the end was very pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. P. O. Box Love is the story of two high-school sweethearts who serendipitously find one another again after thirty years apart. They then rekindle their relationship through writing letters to one another over a period of four years, punctuated by once a year romantic interludes in France. P. O. Box Love is primarily an epistolary novel comprised of the letters exchanged by the two main characters, but these missives are interspersed with the heroine's first-person narratives. This is another way in which the story is much different than most romances I read in that Emma and Frederico spend most of the novel apart. Their romance also takes on a somewhat melancholy tone, because it is a rather impossible one due to Frederico already being married and very reluctant to leave his wife. Normally, this thread of infidelity would be quite troublesome to me, but for some reason it didn't bother nearly as much as I thought it would. I think this was mainly owing to the fact that, much like Emma, the reader gets to know very little about Frederico's wife, and as a result, it almost seems like she doesn't exist.

Being every bit as passionate about books as Emma is, it would have been impossible for me not to like her. She is the owner of a bookstore in Milan called Dreams & Desires which specializes in books relating to love and romance. I think that Emma's store shows that she is something of a hopeless romantic, which is probably why her heart was open to the possibility of reigniting a long lost love when Frederico reappears in her life, and also why she continued the relationship in spite of several times being tempted to end it. Emma is rather old-fashioned as well. She refuses to use a computer or a cell phone, and has a general aversion to most forms of technology which is how she ended up writing letters to Frederico rather than e-mailing, texting or phoning. On some level, I agree with Emma's views, because technology has created a certain loss in the art of communication. Hardly anyone ever sits down to write a letter anymore, so this aspect gave the story a very quaint feeling that I adored. I also thought it was rather sweet and funny that Emma's friends and family seemed to subconsciously view her as some sort of expert on love and romance because her store was focused on those subjects, as they all bring their relationship woes to her.

Frederico is an architect who is working in New York City on the reconstruction of the Morgan Library. We really only get to know him through his letters to Emma and the tidbits of dialog they share when they are together. He is definitely a man who is conflicted. Emma had always thought that Frederico broke up with her due to a youthful indiscretion that led her to kiss another man, but in reality, he had given in to pressure from his family who didn't feel Emma was good enough for him. In the end, he married a woman befitting his station and who was good at being a wife, but whom he never loved in the same way as Emma. He didn't deliberately seek Emma out, but when he found her again, he couldn't resist starting over with her in spite of his marriage. I believe a part of him wanted to leave his wife and be fully with Emma, but his sense of responsibility toward her and their daughter wouldn't allow him to. While I don't condone his infidelity, I did understand it on some level. It was never just about the sex, but about the fact that he enjoyed a deep friendship and an intimacy with Emma that I don't believe he ever had with his wife.

I really enjoyed the progression of Emma and Frederico's relationship and the way that they communicate their emotions through the language of books and architecture. Throughout the story they influence each other a great deal. Through Frederico's passion for architecture, Emma learns to appreciate buildings and their design more, and through Emma's passion for books, Frederico learns to appreciate them more. Suddenly, his work on the Morgan library is much more than just building something as he begins to think more about the things that will be housed there. The language of books was such a lovely way for Emma and Frederico to express their emotions. Even though I have to admit that I've read virtually none of the books mentioned, I couldn't help but feel connected to them anyway, especially Emma. The titles of the books may have been different than the ones that I usually read, but I believe wholeheartedly that the language of books is a universal one to anyone who is passionate about them.

Paola Calvetti does a wonderful job of conveying a sense of time and place too. Emma's bookstore is almost a character unto itself. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it grow and change. It was kind of like watching a butterfly emerge from it's cocoon, as was Frederico's work on the Morgan. I loved all of Emma's window displays and shelf themes. Organizing by themes is something I can definitely relate to as I do that a lot myself. All the “peaceful oases” that Frederico finds within the bustling metropolis of New York City made it seems like a much more tranquil place than I'm sure it is. The Strand bookstore and the Morgan Library itself both sound like little slices of heaven on earth to a book lover like myself. Emma and Frederico's romantic hideaway in Brittany sounded absolutely wonderful as well, a secluded place that is almost outside of time and space.

The decidedly literary quality of P. O. Box Love in many ways puts me outside its target audience. This style made for a bit more dense reading than I'm used to, but I'm very glad that I had the opportunity to read it and take a step outside my comfort zone. The prose had a beautifully lyrical, almost poetic feel to it that I appreciated for its ability to draw me into the story and make me feel like I was there with the protagonists. There were only a couple of small trouble spots that I found. One was that there were occasional major jumps in time and/or thought processes with no warning such as a page break which could be a little jarring. The other is that sometimes in the dialog it was hard to figure out who was speaking, at least when those passages first begin. Otherwise, P. O. Box Love was a well-written story. Considering that it was originally penned in Italian and translated to English, I'd say that the translation process was handled very well too. The only reason I didn't mark it higher is that in spite of enjoying the story, I can't honestly say that it was difficult to put down which is the true mark of a keeper for me. However, it was a very pleasant read that was a solid four stars and a surprising winner which has left me open to reading more from Paola Calvetti if any of her other novels are translated to English.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the publicist via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Luna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Circa a tre quarti, avevo l'impressione che, pur essendo scritto bellissimo, fosse un polpettone romantico e buonista..... ma poi ci ho riflettuto, ed ho capito che siamo cos� abituati alle cose che vanno male, agli inganni, alle disillusioni, che il fatto che una persona sia se stessa, serena pur nelle sue contraddizioni, buona, e testona, stride con la vita che leggiamo sui giornali e sulle cronache. Il libro � bello. E' semplice, e parla di una persona che crede in quello che fa e che � bella...more

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Aug 31, 2012 Kia76 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: prestatomi, girodelmondoin80libri, italia

Una storia d'amore "maturo" molto dolce e tenera. Bellissima la storia della "rinascita" di Emma, cinquantenne proprietaria di una libreria fuori dal comune a Milano. Quanto l'ho invidiata per aver realizzato quello che anche il MIO sogno! Meriterebbe anche mezza stellina in pi per gli spunti di letture d'amore che offre... (da ritrovare anche nel sito internet dedicato al libro) Una nota stonata, ma magari solo per me: l'ostinazione anti-tecnologica di Emma, il rifiuto di tenersi al passo con i...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

When is the last time you wrote a letter. I mean a real snail mail letter? These days with email, instant messaging, and social networking why would someone pick up a pen and paper? It is a dying art. Paola Calvetti takes us this very scenario in her fifth novel, P.O. Box love. Set in Milan Italy the protagonist, Emma, opens an old fashion bookstore. The inventory is kept in a ledger along with the financial books. The store, Dreams & Desires, doesn’t even have a website. Emma has filled the...more When is the last time you wrote a letter. I mean a real snail mail letter? These days with email, instant messaging, and social networking why would someone pick up a pen and paper? It is a dying art. Paola Calvetti takes us this very scenario in her fifth novel, P.O. Box love. Set in Milan Italy the protagonist, Emma, opens an old fashion bookstore. The inventory is kept in a ledger along with the financial books. The store, Dreams & Desires, doesn’t even have a website. Emma has filled the shelves with contemporary and classic romantic fiction. She does not send emails, doesn’t own a personal computer, and rarely carries a cell phone. My goodness could any of us survive in this manner?

One day while dusting the shelves she has organized by types of love stories, she finds a handwritten note stuck between pages of a novel. Her high school sweetheart Federico, who is quite successful and living in New York City, is the writer. She has not seen him in thirty years. When he asks her to to communicate with him through ‘real’ letters that will be sent to his P.O.box.

“I put the key in the lock and, before turning it, stared as the matte brass box with the same eagerness I would have felt stumbling upon a large seashell hidden in the sand. In it—so they told me when I was a child (and I believed it!)—was the pearl that would make me a rich man. I opened the box. The pale blue Smythson of Bond Street envelope was right in front of my nose. I tucked it safely away in my jacket, climbed on the Vespa, and felt like Gregory Peck, while you, my invisible Audrey, tightened your arms around your prince’s waist. I drove to Manhattan as excited as an idiotic kid; the manhole covers looked like medallions set in the cement and the patrician residences along Madison Avenue seemed like abbesses ready for evening vespers. The envelope stayed in my pocket until the afternoon. I always put things off when I have to face something important. What if you told me to leave you alone, so long and good-bye, ti’s been nice remembering the good times, and so on?”

Emma believes her life is about turn into an international fairy tale between Italy and America. But Federico is married, and even though he presents himself very well on paper, will the relationship go anywhere? Should it?

P.O. Box is a tribute to old fashion romantic relationships. It takes life down a notch and gives the reader breathing room. If you love a good love story, Italy, and the thought of real letter writing, not to mention books, this novel is a must for your shelves. (less)

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Feb 24, 2012 Cynthia Archer rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a lovely book! There are some books that I rush through and can't wait to finish to find out what happens. This was not one of those. Much like a glass of wine or a luscious slice of cheesecake, I enjoyed savoring this story. I purposely put it down at times to be able to appreciate some of the thoughts and experiences. I did want to know the ending, but I didn't want the book to end. I loved the setting, the characters and the reality of the story. Maybe because I am Emma's age, or perhaps...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Lora Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Calvetti has crafted a magical tale about the promise of love — and how true love can be sparked with a little attention and patience. Through her whimsical writing style, you can feel Calvetti’s passion for literary masterpieces and Emma is perhaps the most knowledgeable bookstore owner ever when it comes to romance novels. It is a story that will take you away to a romance story of yesteryear, of one that is simplified through classic letter-writing techniques rather than the hustle and bustle...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Whatsername rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ritrovare l'amore a cinquant'anni è come scoprirsi di nuovo adolescenti...Tutto gira intorno al passato, e al presente ma non si pensa mai al futuro, ad una conseguenza di un azione.
Si vive e basta!
Emma se lo chiede a volte che cosa fare del futuro e anche Federico, ma subito ricoprono questo pensiero continuando a vivere solo per quel 10 aprile...Brava Paola!
Sono curiosa di leggere altri suoi libri!

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Oct 04, 2012 Ricki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Paola Calvetti (English translation by Anne Milano Appel) has woven a wonderful tale about the promise of love, and how true love can be sparked with patience and a little attention. You can feel the author's passion for writing! It is a story that will take you back in time to a romance story of time gone by, one of hand written missives vs. the elctronic emails and text messages of this modern world.

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Feb 20, 2012 Ana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: unfinished-books

After reading a few other reviews, this book is getting shelved. The writing is oddly florid in a "did not translate well" sort-of way. Add to that a somewhat tepid affair between former high school sweethearts, one who is STILL married, and you have a formula for distasteful of the highest level.

Despite the title, resist the urge, oh ye romantics and letter-writers. This book is not for you.

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Nov 14, 2010 Alice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

un'idea molto originale, la libreria dedicata agli amori. sarebbe quasi da fare davvero...

un libro dai personaggi minori indimenticabili, mentre la vicenda amorosa non è nemmeno la prima protagonista (e, sinceramente, neanche un gran che, un po' scontata). E' il trionfo dell'amore per i libri, del recupero dei tempi lenti, dei rapporti umani, delle chiacchiere tra vicini, del piacere di prendere un tè insieme.

qualche idea infelice (un negozio piccolo che fa libreria, bar, fioraio? e poi un albe...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Jiexin Neo rated it 2 of 5 stars

Lack of emotions involved making it quite dull and description heavy. not really my type of book

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Jun 16, 2012 Elalma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: narrativa, italiana

Difficile scrivere storie d'amore senza essere banali e senza annoiare. La premessa era buona, perch� un amore cartaceo tra due cinquantenni � senz'altro poco usuale. Per� dopo un buon incipit, arguto e divertente, in cui si racconta della piccola libreria che incanta i lettori romantici, la storia � deviata un po' sul patetico, fino a essere scontata e leggermente melensa.

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Jul 22, 2012 Gudrun Gunnarsdóttir rated it 4 of 5 stars

Frábær bók fyrir fólk 45 ára og eldri og fyrir bókaorma almennt.

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Aug 10, 2012 Sheila rated it 2 of 5 stars

The best thing about this book is that the main character opened a bookstore in Italy. I did not like the characters very much and I didn't like the ending at all.

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Sep 25, 2011 61pat rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

mia figlia ha letto il libro per prima e mi ha detto:"ti piacerà" Mi conosce bene e sa che gli ingredienti giusti ci sono tutti: i libri, una storia d'amore e un finale .. come piace a me!

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Apr 16, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Beautifully written just not sure what I think of how it ended.

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Aug 17, 2011 Paola Calvetti rated it 4 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I've written it and I love it...

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May 23, 2013 Esther is currently reading it

May 21, 2013 Nuria Casas marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 16, 2013 Pc Privato rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 16, 2013 Miio marked it as to-read

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May 14, 2013 Jen Arnold is currently reading it

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About Paola Calvetti

Paola Calvetti was born in Milan, Italy. She was educated at Liceo Linguistico A. Manzoni (Languages School) and graduated in DAMS (Drama, Art and Music Studies) at Bologna’s University.

After leaving school she wrote her first book Lo spazio fantastico (Emme Edizioni) dedicated to dance and mime for children.Calvetti is married. She has two children, a boy and a girl.
After graduation, she started...more Paola Calvetti was born in Milan, Italy. She was educated at Liceo Linguistico A. Manzoni (Languages School) and graduated in DAMS (Drama, Art and Music Studies) at Bologna’s University.

After leaving school she wrote her first book Lo spazio fantastico (Emme Edizioni) dedicated to dance and mime for children.Calvetti is married. She has two children, a boy and a girl.
After graduation, she started her career as a journalist for the daily newspaper la Repubblica, contributing articles about dance and music.
Meantime she wrote five portraits for Rai 2, the second State Channel dedicated to great dance artists:
Jazz City, Alvin Ailey’s New York; La ville lumière, Roland Petit’s Paris; Water Cities, Carolyn Carlson’s Helsinki and Venice; Madrid, starring Antonio Gades and his dance ballet company, The enchanted Moon, starring Alessandra Ferri. This tv film won the first Price (Award) at the FIPA in Cannes in 1992.
In 1990, she wrote the film for Rai 2 Il ritorno, dedicated to Italian dancers dancing abroad.

In 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 she created and directed Danza&Video, film and video Festival in Milano.
She arranged and directed the series “La danza” (De Agostini), composed of 20 video-portraits of the most important dancers and coreographers of the XX century.
She wrote essays on music and dance for the Teatro alla Scala (the milanese Opera House).
From 1993 to 1997, after leaving journalism, she became chief of the press office at La Scala.
In 1996 she was the curator of the exibition and the essay Riccardo Muti alla Scala (Leonardo Editore).

In 1999 she published her first novel L’Amore segreto (Baldini&Castoldi) based on a secret love story revealed by an old lady to her lover’s daughter 40 years later. In 2000 the novel was finalist at the literary Award Bancarella and it was translated in Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Greek, Japanese.
In 2010 it was translated in Frech (L’amour secret, Presses de la cité), Rumanian, and Germany.

Her second novel, L’addio (Bompiani), again set in the world of classic music, is the story of three women and their lifetime friendship. Olga, the main character, wants to be a costumes and set designer and her dreams come true when she works as assistents for the famous editino of La Traviata directed by Luchino Visconti in 1955. The novel was translated in Portuguese (O Adeus, Rocco…)

Calvetti’s third novel Né con te né senza di te was released in 2004 and was inspired by Truffauts’s masterpiece The woman next door: the omicide-suicide of two lovers narated by their best friend.

In 2006 she published Perché tu mi hai sorriso (Bompiani), a sort of psychological duel between an old mother and her daughter, imprisoned in a mysterious an passionate relationship.
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Books by Paola Calvetti

Olivia: Ovvero la lista dei sogni possibili

Né con te né senza di te: storia di una passione

L'addio: romanzo in due atti e un epilogo

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“P.O. Box Love is a wonderfully engrossing and romantic novel that takes the reader from Milan to New York and back again through the letters Federico and Emma mail to each other. Paola Calvetti’s book will captivate your mind and steal your heart.”

Isabella Rossellini” — 1 person liked it

“Paola Calvetti takes readers on a delicious trip through Italy, books, letters and love, reminding us all of the joys of a completely compelling read."
Cathie Beck, author of Cheap Cabernet: A Friendship” — 1 person liked it

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