The Ice-Cream Makers

'Van der Kwast tells his multigenerational tale with great sensitivity, demonstrating through powerful observations the long-term effect of one person's decision upon others throughout the generations. A delightful read; smooth as ice cream on a hot summer day.'

* Kirkus Reviews *

‘A delightfully quirky and sensual exploration of an Italian family’s obsession with two of the greatest pleasures in life: ice-cream and poetry. What’s not to love?’

-- Jo Riccioni, author of The Italians at Cleat's Corner Store

'The Ice Cream Makers is a rewarding novel. A second reading reveals just how perceptively it pits family pressures against the desire for freedom down the generations. The contrast between Giovanni's world of high culture and that of his ice cream making brother Luca is cleverly realised. Van der Kwast leaves the reader in no doubt as to who the real poet is: the ice cream maker, of course.'

* NRC Handelsblad *

'It is an ode to poetry and to women. A tale of the tradition of ice cream making and the price is exacts. But above all The Ice Cream Makers is a book that sweeps you along like an avalanche.

* Noordhollands Dagblad *

'A beautifully poetic family saga.'

* Glamour *

'A compelling novel about the yoke of family relations.'

* El