▁of ▁Italian ▁descent ▁and ▁lives ▁and ▁writes ▁in ▁A uck land , ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁Her ▁nov els ▁have ▁been ▁translated ▁into ▁ 1 2 ▁languages . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁P elle gr ino ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Liverpool ▁in ▁the ▁north - west ▁of ▁England ▁to ▁an ▁Italian ▁father ▁and ▁English ▁mother . ▁The ▁family ▁spent ▁summer ▁hol id ays ▁with ▁her ▁father ' s ▁sib lings ▁in ▁southern ▁Italy , ▁experiences ▁which ▁later ▁became ▁the ▁insp iration ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁her ▁books . ▁She ▁studied ▁English ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Lanc aster , ▁comple ting ▁a ▁B A ▁( H on ours ) ▁degree ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating , ▁P elle gr ino ▁moved ▁to ▁London ▁and ▁worked ▁on ▁women ’ s ▁and ▁entertain ment ▁mag az ines . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁she ▁moved ▁to ▁A uck land ▁and ▁became ▁deput y ▁editor , ▁and ▁then ▁editor ▁of   New ▁Zealand ▁Woman ’ s ▁Week ly .   She ▁has ▁also ▁worked ▁as ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁a ▁br idal ▁magazine , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁books ▁editor ▁for ▁the ▁Her ald ▁on ▁Sunday ▁newspaper ▁for ▁seven ▁years . ▁P elle gr ino ▁writes ▁articles ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁List ener ,   Next ▁Magazine ,   N Z ▁Gard ener   and   F ood ▁Magazine , ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁regular ▁book ▁column ▁in ▁the   New ▁Zealand ▁Woman ’ s ▁Week ly . ▁ ▁She ▁began ▁writing ▁her ▁first ▁novel ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1