THE AUTHOR NEXT DOOR: Meet Linda Cardillo
Published In Longmeadow Neighbors | November 2025
When she was in high school, Linda Cardillo wrote to John Knowles, the author of A Separate Peace, about the impact his book had had on her. She also revealed to him her dream of becoming a novelist.
“He wrote back,” said Linda, “not only thanking me for my comments but also praising my writing and offering me encouragement. It was a pivotal moment for me and helped me to sustain the dream of one day writing a ‘Great American Novel.’” Understanding the practicality of making a living at a “real” job, Linda deferred her intention to write but continued to nurture her aspirations.
Decades later, some might say Linda has made her living and lived her literary dreams. A twist of fate brought her to Longmeadow where she raised her family, improved her community, and became an award-winning author of historical fiction and historical romance.
“It may sound simple, but one of the aspects I appreciated when we first moved here and our children were in elementary and middle school was the sidewalks! Having a town where it’s easy and safe to walk is a great benefit,” said Linda. “We previously lived in a rural area in New Jersey where a car was necessary for every activity of daily life. Walking leads to connections and fosters community when so much of our lives are led in isolation.”
What brought Linda and her husband Stephan Platzer to Longmeadow 30 years ago began as a chance meeting in the mid-sixties and then blossomed into love in the mid-seventies.
“Stephan and I were classmates at Tufts University, although we barely knew each other as undergraduates. I had actually dated his roommate when we were freshmen, but our paths rarely crossed,” she recalls.
“He was a chemistry major and an athlete; I was an English major and an artist. We went separate ways after graduation but both returned to Tufts for our tenth reunion. We were both invited to the home of a mutual friend before we went to the formal activities on campus and started talking. Later in the evening, we were on the roof of the library overlooking the Boston skyline and our hands touched as he passed me a glass of wine. The connection was instantaneous and still strong.”
“At the time, Linda was living in Boston and running a catering business, and I was in New Jersey,” Stephan Platzer recalled. “When I came to visit her, she cooked and I cleaned up after her, which I continue to do to this day.”
In the ten years before the reunion, Cardillo had been succeeding in building up a career in the “real” world while still enjoying her youth. After graduation from Tufts, she worked as an editor at Houghton Mifflin Company in its College Division. She then received her MBA from Harvard—where, in addition to surviving the case method, she wrote comedy for the annual student musical and performed in a platinum blonde wig while seven months pregnant. Following Harvard, Linda managed the circulation of Inc. magazine during its successful start-up, founded a catering business, and then built a career as the author of several works of nonfiction, from articles in The New York Times to books on marketing and corporate policy with The Conference Board, a non-profit business think tank.
Cardillo also carved out a career in Development, raising needed funds for the University of Hartford, Suffield Academy, UMass Medical School, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
Despite her success in America, Cardillo, Stephan, and their young family then decided to jump out of their comfort zone—to a different time zone.
“A pivotal experience for our family was living in Germany for five years on an exchange program Stephan’s company offered. Luke and Nicola attended school there and became fluent in German, as did I,” said Linda. “We lived in the Rheingau, a wine-growing region, and became immersed in the culture and community. We experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent changes following the reunification of Germany. It was a fascinating time that left a lasting impression.”
Eventually, as it does for so many, Longmeadow came calling and in 1996, Stephan and Linda moved back to his hometown with their three children: Luke, Nicola, and Mark. The pair are so proud of their family.
“Luke is an accomplished lawyer in Washington, DC. He is an avid runner, a world traveler, and does pro bono work for LGBTQIA+ rights,” she writes. “Nicola is a dedicated physical therapist with the Veterans Administration in Albany, NY. She is also an avid runner and world traveler, as well as an adventurous hiker and rock climber.”
“Mark is a gifted financial analyst in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to raising and enjoying his children, he enjoys exploring new environments, composes music, and stays in touch with a network of friends through gaming.”
While Linda was working full-time at “day jobs,” she began writing fiction, and in 2005, sold her first novel to Harlequin. Dancing on Sunday Afternoons was based on her Italian immigrant grandparents’ love letters.
“I wrote three more books for Harlequin before starting my own publishing company with another Harlequin author. Bellastoria Press published forty books written by twenty-six authors over the course of its ten-year history.”
Linda’s Books Include
Dancing on Sunday Afternoons, Across the Table, True Harvest, Two Mothers: A Saigon Pilgrimage, Italian Tales: Stories of the Mezzogiorno, Catriona’s Vow, The Boat House Café, The Uneven Road, Island Legacy, A Place of Refuge, Love That Moves the Sun, A Thing Miraculous, Paint the Wind, The Smallest Christmas Tree, and Come Sit at My Table (a cookbook).
Among the awards her books have received, her most recent honors include the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year for A Place of Refuge and the NYC Big Book Award in Historical Fiction for Love That Moves the Sun.
Her writing has been praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a measured, riveting tale, written in a confident, impassioned voice” and “Cardillo’s prose breathes life not only into the characters, but also environments and objects….A memorable and well-developed cast enriches this rewarding love story.”
Cardillo loves the craft and camaraderie of writing. She offers writing workshops and mentorship, gives lectures and readings, speaks at conferences, and meets with book clubs. She also communicates with her readership through a newsletter.
According to her website, “Linda loves to cook and is happiest when the twelve chairs around her dining room table are filled with people enjoying her food. She speaks four languages, some better than others. She plays the piano every night—sometimes by herself and sometimes in an improvisational duet with her younger son. She does The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in ink, a practice she learned from her mother.”
From her mother she also absorbed a love of opera, especially those of Puccini and Verdi, whose music filled her home when she was a child. “She once climbed Mt. Kenya and has very curly hair,” she adds with a smile.
When Cardillo isn't writing, she’s enjoying many of life’s other artistic pursuits or simple pleasures. You might find her enjoying their granddog, Luke’s German Shepherd, Ravi, who is still a puppy. She could be digging in the dirt, or engaging in advocacy work.
“In addition to maintaining our flower garden at home, I also work from May to October as part of the workshare crew at a farm in East Longmeadow in exchange for a weekly share of vegetables and flowers,” she says.
“Stephan and I have season tickets to the Springfield Symphony and TheaterWorks in Hartford. In addition, we attend concerts and theater performances as often as we can at the Majestic Theater, Hartford Symphony, Hartford Stage, the Goodspeed Opera House, and Tanglewood. We are also members of the Pioneer Valley Yacht Club, where we enjoy wonderful friendships and the beauty of the river.”
Cardillo has also advocated for causes close to her heart—as a member of the Adult Education team at First Church, a lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, and a volunteer with Jewish Family Services helping resettle Afghan refugee families. She’s also part of Freedom Writers, communicating with voters nationwide, and serves on the Longmeadow Democratic Town Committee.
“I’ve been a member of two local women’s clubs for several years. Both have existed for over a century and were founded to offer opportunities for women to learn and expand their knowledge at a time when advanced education was limited. Although times have changed, the clubs continue to provide stimulating and challenging topics to discuss, as well as forge connections between women,” Cardillo says.
“I’m also a member of the National Organization of Italian-American Women and have been part of a small group developing programs in Massachusetts to celebrate the culture and contributions of Italian-Americans. As part of the group, I created two events: ‘Celebrate the Gardens of Our Grandmothers’ at the farm where I volunteer and ‘Strong Women in Renaissance Italy,’ a private tour and dinner at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I also taught a memoir workshop in the North End of Boston.”
Linda Cardillo realized her goals, exceeded a few of them, and raised a beautiful family in a town she’s deeply connected to. Thirty years later, she’s excited for the future and thankful it brought her to Longmeadow.
“I believe Longmeadow is a strong community, with people who care about each other, our environment, and also about the wider world.”
CREATIVITY RUNS IN THE FAMILY!
Since 2021, Linda’s partner, Stephan Platzer, has organized the Longmeadow Arts Community Calendar, which highlights many gifted, local photographers and the flora and fauna of Longmeadow.
“The purpose of LAC calendars is to show others the gorgeous wildlife and historical buildings in Longmeadow,” said Platzer. “We are so fortunate to be surrounded by these wonderful, fabulous things. We are spoiled. We also give copies to the Longmeadow Historical Society, to preserve what Longmeadow looks like now for future generations.”
The calendars were first put together by Cory White in 2020, and Stephan continued the tradition. He feels that we are fortunate to have many gifted, local photographers who live in this area. Platzer has contributed thirteen monthly photos and two cover photos during those seven calendar years. Linda was very active in picking, mounting, and naming the photos. She has also contributed three photos to the calendars.
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