The Reading Bud

Book Blog by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi

Book Spotlight: Italian By Default by MJ Walker

Welcome to the TRB Lounge. Today, we are featuring author MJ Walker for her latest release, Italian By Default.

Book: Italian By Default
Author: MJ Walker
Publication Date: July 25th, 2025
Genres: Women’s Literature, Memoir, Humour
Page Count: 283
For Readers Who Loved Reading: Bill Bryson’s works
Formats Available: e-Ebook ($3.99 USD)


About the Book

AN ADOPTION REUNION
– based on a true story –
Meet Polly, her Italian husband Joe and his identical twin brother Cicero. Polly is adopted and wants to find her heritage, but the twins’ passion for Italy dominates her life. She gets more style than Gucci, more opera than Verdi and more pasta than she can eat.
If this isn’t bad enough, Polly’s friends insist that she belongs where she is loved – safe and secure in her wealthy Sydney suburb.
What should Polly do?
She has met her birth mother, but not only will that lady refuse to discuss the past, she has barred Polly from ever meeting her siblings. Then one day Polly reads in the newspaper that her mother has been murdered.
Or has she?
Polly’s longed-for adoption reunion finally happens but not in the way she expects.

You can find Italian by Default here:
Amazon | Goodreads | UBL


About The Author

MJ Walker

Margaret Walker is a teacher. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her family. Her first two novels His Most Italian City and Through Forests and Mountains were published by Penmore Press in the USA.

You can find author Walker here:
Website | Instagram | Facebook


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I’m Heena

Welcome to The Reading Bud, my cosy corner of the internet dedicated to all things books and authors. Here, I invite you to join me on a journey of discovering under-represented books, independent and small press authors, and all things book with a touch of love and loud purrs. Let’s get Reading!

Book of the Month

Read this captivating story on the adventures and hardships of Frank Knightlite, a man who strives to illuminate darkness with his lantern in search of answers to life’s questions.
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