Released last month, the book is her second novel and explores her decision to move to Rome.

Pasquale was born in Melbourne to Italian parents, who both hail from Prezza, in the central region of Abruzzo.

Her parents always encouraged her to deepen her ties with Italy and explore her heritage.

Now an award-winning travel and food writer, Pasquale originally studied history and political science at university.

She has collaborated with publications such as USA Today, CNN, Conde Nast, Fodor’s and The Telegraph.

Passionate about stories, she also has a blog – Heart Rome – where she captures the magic of the cities in which she has lived.

Her family has always followed Italian traditions, speaking the language, eating the food and watching films from their homeland.

“I’ve had the opportunity to travel a lot, and in every corner of the world that I’ve visited, I realised how much people were in love with our Italy, not only with the places but also the lifestyle,” Pasquale said.

“My book describes this phenomenon; it’s a journey into the Italian mentality.

“Page by page, the reader will begin to understand who Italians really are and the reasons they’re like that.

“I wanted to share the love I feel for Italy by trying to open a small window into the lives of the people who live there.”

Pasquale has always been convinced that sooner or later she would live in Italy.

Her paternal grandparents did not follow suit and migrate to Australia, preferring instead to remain in Italy, and this strengthened her bond with the Belpaese.

She made many fond memories during her first visit to Italy when she was six years old, which have remained imprinted in her mind.

Pasquale recalls the shape and purpose of the piazza as a meeting place in which to share stories, and the adventurous trips to the market with her aunts, where the aromas, colours and sounds all seemed incredibly exciting.

Pasquale never took these seemingly simple aspects for granted; perhaps this was the key to her appreciating them even more as an adult.

When she was 16 years old, she returned to Italy and began to understand the complexity and diversity of a country with such a rich history, becoming more and more enraptured by it.

In 2011, Pasquale decided to move to the Italian capital.

“Rome has this particular ability to make the past, present and future coexist in a uniquely magnificent way that truly fascinated me,” she said.

“The Romans are so welcoming that I couldn’t resist.

“The light in the capital seems to be different from other places in the world – there’s something special that makes it even more beautiful.”

Pasquale will return to Melbourne for Christmas and to meet readers in January.

Her first book, I Heart Rome, will be reprinted next year, and Pasquale is sure she still has much to reveal about Italy to readers around the world.