Harper
ISBN: 978-0061257094
Published April 3, 2012
Hardcover, 496 pages
To say that I loved reading this book is an understatement. It's a story that touched me deeply because it explores themes I am familiar with: the immigrant experience, the Italian setting, and characters that remind me of my own relatives. I savoured every page! I have read only one other book from Trigiani, which was Very Valentine (read my review), and although I enjoyed it, I found the storytelling and writing in The Shoemaker's Wife far superior.
This epic story begins in the early
1900s in the Italian Alps, where we first meet Enza and Ciro who are
children. Enza is raised in a loving family while Ciro is left with
his brother at a convent to be raised by nuns. Ciro and Enza meet as
teenagers and form a bond when they share a deeply moving experience,
but shortly after Ciro must leave the mountain against his will to
set sail for America where he learns the trade of a shoemaker. Enza
also travels to America and works hard to send money home to her
family, eventually making a career as a seamstress. She and Ciro
briefly meet again in America, but only come together years later
after World War I.
Trigiani's skill as a writer is clearly
shown as she deftly takes us from the fresh Italian Alps to bustling Little
Italy in New York City at the turn of the century, to the glamorous Metropolitan Opera House and later to Minnesota. I enjoyed every
setting and found the events flowed smoothly in this novel. Rich with
details and believable characters, I was transported to a different
era, to a time when my own great-grandfather sailed a ship that took
him from Italy to Boston.
I smiled and I cried (no, I bawled
toward the end of the story) as I was so invested in the lives of all
the characters, from the loving nuns in the village of Schilpario,
Italy to Caruso at the Opera House. I loved both Enza and Ciro's
story. They were so well-developed and real to me. Ciro was
wonderfully flawed, but Enza seemed so perfect. She could do anything
it seemed, but I loved her anyway because she had strength of character and was loyal. Ciro had a great sense of humour and Trigiani beautifully transforms him from an innocent teen to a man who knew exactly what he wanted in life and went after it. Oh, and shall I mention all the
food descriptions of homemade gnocchi, freshly-churned butter and
cream, and chestnuts that made my mouth water?
For me this book brought back memories
of chatting late into the night with my Nonna in Rome when I was a
teenager myself. She would tell me about her childhood growing up in
a noble family in Naples and how she left home as a young woman
because she could not get along with her stepmother. The story of
Enza and Ciro made me appreciate what my grandparents and parents
went through to forge a life for us here in North America. Truly, any
Italian descendant living in North America could relate to the story
of The Shoemaker's Wife, based on the love story of Trigiani's own grandparents.
I consider this to be one of the best books I've read in 2012 and highly recommend it for all who love a good old-fashioned and moving saga.
Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: I Love Italy Reading Challenge
For more reviews, please visit the TLC Book Tour Page.
Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. The author of the Big Stone Gap series; Very Valentine; Lucia, Lucia, The Queen of the Big Time, and Rococo, she has also written the bestselling memoir Don’t Sing at the Table as well as the young adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. Her books have been published in thirty-six countries, and she has written and will direct the big-screen version of her first novel, Big Stone Gap. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Visit Adriana at her website: www.adrianatrigiani.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.
Reviewed by Laura
The writing is beautiful and provides a glimpse into the lives of immigrants who flocked to the U. S., in hopes of a better life, during the early part of the 1900s through WWII. Thank you Adriana Trigani for a heart stirring read!
ReplyDeleteI cannot say enough, so suffice it to say, if you love a good story that is well researched and elegantly pieced together, buy it you will soon find yourself sharing it with your friends and family.
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