The Shoemaker's Wife: A Novel
1 journaler for this copy...
I have enjoyed all of Trigiani's novels, the Big Stone Gap novels were my first non-mystery serial novels that I absolutely loved and Lucia, Lucia is one of my top ten all time favourite novels.
I admit though, that I did buy this novel because the main character has my first name and I've never before read a novel with a character who had my name. That said, I'm sure that I would enjoy it even if the main character had been called Maria instead of Enza.
From amazon.ca:
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The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future.
Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America, Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso.
From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever.
Lush and evocative, told in tantalizing detail and enriched with lovable, unforgettable characters, The Shoemaker's Wife is a portrait of the times, the places and the people who defined the immigrant experience, claiming their portion of the American dream with ambition and resolve, cutting it to fit their needs like the finest Italian silk.
This riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write, one inspired by her own family history and the love of tradition that has propelled her body of bestselling novels to international acclaim. Like Lucia, Lucia, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with clarity and splendor, with operatic scope and a vivid cast of characters who will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come.
I admit though, that I did buy this novel because the main character has my first name and I've never before read a novel with a character who had my name. That said, I'm sure that I would enjoy it even if the main character had been called Maria instead of Enza.
From amazon.ca:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, who meet as teenagers, despite growing up in villages just a few miles apart. At the turn of the last century, when Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished from his village and sent to hide in America as an apprentice to a shoemaker in Little Italy. Without explanation, he leaves a bereft Enza behind. Soon, Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America with her father to secure their future.
Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America, Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job in Hoboken until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza, determined to forge a life without him, begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of the international singing sensation, Enrico Caruso.
From the stately mansions of Carnegie Hill, to the cobblestone streets of Little Italy, over the perilous cliffs of northern Italy, to the white-capped lakes of northern Minnesota, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until, finally, the power of their love changes both of their lives forever.
Lush and evocative, told in tantalizing detail and enriched with lovable, unforgettable characters, The Shoemaker's Wife is a portrait of the times, the places and the people who defined the immigrant experience, claiming their portion of the American dream with ambition and resolve, cutting it to fit their needs like the finest Italian silk.
This riveting historical epic of love and family, war and loss, risk and destiny is the novel Adriana Trigiani was born to write, one inspired by her own family history and the love of tradition that has propelled her body of bestselling novels to international acclaim. Like Lucia, Lucia, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with clarity and splendor, with operatic scope and a vivid cast of characters who will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come.
This novel is much more romance oriented than anything I normally read and although I wasn't sure if I'd be able to stick with it, it wasn't syrupy sickly sweet or over the top sexual so it was easy to see the romance as a side to the real story which is about personal strength and determination.
Enza and Ciro reminded me so much of the stories my Nonna and Papa would tell me when I was a little girl and the descriptions of Enza cooking and sewing reminded me of my own Mom when I was little. She was always baking, rolling out pasta or gnocchi, starting the sauce first thing in the morning, roasting peppers and sewing clothes for me and my brothers and cleaning our home. My dad worked long hours and I know his proudest achievement was providing for and taking care of his family.
I didn't mean to make this journal entry about me but it resonated so much with me.
The last 1/4 of the novel I was pretty much in tears the whole time and had to stop every few pages and put the book down, I'm not sure if its because of my own emotional state (my Papa passed away in April) or its because Trigiani is so masterful with evoking empathy - maybe a combination of both.
This was well worth the read.
Totally off topic, as I said in my first journal entry I've never read a book with any character, let alone the main character, who had my name and it felt wierd to keep repeating my own name as I read and it took until the middle of the book that "Enza" became just another word in the book and not my name - does that make sense?
Enza and Ciro reminded me so much of the stories my Nonna and Papa would tell me when I was a little girl and the descriptions of Enza cooking and sewing reminded me of my own Mom when I was little. She was always baking, rolling out pasta or gnocchi, starting the sauce first thing in the morning, roasting peppers and sewing clothes for me and my brothers and cleaning our home. My dad worked long hours and I know his proudest achievement was providing for and taking care of his family.
I didn't mean to make this journal entry about me but it resonated so much with me.
The last 1/4 of the novel I was pretty much in tears the whole time and had to stop every few pages and put the book down, I'm not sure if its because of my own emotional state (my Papa passed away in April) or its because Trigiani is so masterful with evoking empathy - maybe a combination of both.
This was well worth the read.
Totally off topic, as I said in my first journal entry I've never read a book with any character, let alone the main character, who had my name and it felt wierd to keep repeating my own name as I read and it took until the middle of the book that "Enza" became just another word in the book and not my name - does that make sense?
