It’s a guidebook.

It’s a history book.

It’s a language guide.

And it has two language CDs that can help whip your Sicilian into shape.

Hippocrene Books’s Language and Travel Guide to Sicily (yep, that’s Sicily above), written by Sicilian born Giovanna Bellia La Marca, may be titled simply, but what its title promises is exactly what it delivers. And remarkably, the book remains small enough to be able to carry along on your trip.

The book’s chapters are organized around all the important themes–geography, food, art, architecture, annual events, and customs–and ends with a generous section loaded with restaurant and hotel recommendations.

I’d keep this book myself, but I’ve got no plans to go to Sicily anytime soon. Instead, I’m giving it away (and it’s brand new!) to the first Matador member who posts the URL for his or her profile and tells us about any past experience in Sicily or any future plans to travel there.

Community Connection: If you’re planning an Italy trip, be sure to check out Marla Seidell’s helpful guide, Slow Food, Slow Travel: Italy, over at MatadorTrips.

Photos: Macorig Polo (Flickr creative commons)

Julie Schwietert

Julie Schwietert Collazo is a writer, editor, researcher, and translator who lives in New York and Mexico City. She is the managing editor of the Matador Network.