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Loading... The Shoemaker's Wife (original 2012; edition 2012)by Adriana Trigiani
 writestuff | Jul 5, 2012 | 
This book just went on too long. Not bad but not excellent, either. Glad I got it from the library, no need to own. (  ) Dianekeenoy | May 12, 2013 | Firstly and as always I would be remiss if I didn't note that I received this book free as a Goodreads giveaway. I entered the Giveaway, as I always do, knowing absolutely nothing of the book in question and intentionally avoiding any background. The fact that the book was free (as anyone who looks at my other reviews of free books will note) will have no impact on my review of it. Unlike many of the free books I've reviewed this one wasn't free because it was new and just coming out and needed reviewing. It was free because the book was already well established and coming out in paperback after being on the NYT best sellers list. Typically I give very little credence to the popularity of a book in assessing the quality but after having tramped my way through the nearly 500 pages of this one I can assert that its popularity is well deserved. There have been so many reviewers before me that there's little I can say that hasn't already been covered. Trigiani's book is at its heart a romance but only so in the way that all stories drawn from life are at their hearts romances. She encapsulates with incredible skill an entire lifetime and draws us a portrait that makes its way into your soul and is sure to be remembered long after the last page turns. The author's attention to detail is meticulous without becoming dull or redundant and reminds me strongly of the Dickensian tendency to stop and patiently draw out all the intimate nuances of a scene. I would leave potential readers with two recommendations. Firstly, take the time to read this one but do so with an open mind and let it wash over you. Immerse yourself in it and have patience. Secondly, the book is not to be taken lightly. You cannot go after it in fits and starts. If you cannot read 100 pages at a sitting then read something else until you can. It is a vastly rewarding novel but one that requires utmost and concentrated attention. (  ) slavenrm | Apr 28, 2013 | Loved this. Her best book since Big Stone Gap. ( ) rglossne | Apr 26, 2013 | This is not only a love story but a story about family and people that we meet along the way that become family. Ciro and Enza meet in italy when they are only fifteen. They meet again in America where they are trying to make their way in the world. (  ) teeth | Apr 14, 2013 | The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani Challenges read for: Goodreads, EBook, Historical Fiction, Immigrant Stories Book Cover: Love it! I'm not so sure of the historical accuracy of the dress, but who cares--it's still beautiful! I loved the last paragraph of the book: "She twisted the gold ring Ciro had placed on her hand so many years ago on the day they were married. She had never taken it off. Enza remembered Ciro's words: Beware the things of this world that can mean everything or nothing. Love. Gold. Somehow, Ciro had managed to give Enza both, but the love had been the everything." And that summed up a beautiful story of a very powerful love that began in the Alps of Italy and ends in the heartland of America. We travel through time with Enza and Ciro, learning the stories of their youth, their passages to America, finding and losing each other and finally, finally able to unite, become a family, and for Enza, suffer a great loss. Enza's story takes us from a ramshackle house in Hoboken, NJ to a fabulous career as a costumer to Enrico Caruso and working at the Met in NYC. Ciro learns his trade of expert shoemaker and then feels compelled to join up and fight for his country in what was then called "The Great War". It is the aftereffects of this war that will eventually end their love story, but the story of family continues--this is the story based on Adriana Trigiani's grandparents. It is also a story that we readers have been blessed with, for Adriana has truly given us a gift with this one! ( ) dragonflydee1 | Apr 3, 2013 | The novel, The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani, isn’t only a love story; it’s about family and friends, fate and destiny. It’s not just about the family you are born into but also the people in your life who become your family. They impact your life and shape your past, your present, and your future. This story could have easily just been a romance but it ends up being so much more. It’s about sacrifice, hard work, and loss. It’s about growing up and finding out what you want in your life. The main characters, Enza and Ciro, meet in Italy when they are teenagers living in different villages. The attraction between them is instant and even though they were apart, they think about each other all the time. Due to different circumstances for each, Enza moves to America with her father and Ciro becomes a shoemaker’s apprentice in New York City. Through the years, they meet again and again as they live their lives and meet new people. I don’t think it’s spoiling anything to say that they eventually get together. The journey of them getting together and what happens after is a journey the author takes the reader on. Ms. Trigiani’s descriptions of the landscape, of the mountains in Italy and the streets of New York City, make it seem as though the reader is there with the characters, experiencing their experiences. Enza and Ciro are two likeable people and you want to know how their lives end up. They are surrounded by many other characters you may find yourself routing for throughout the novel. Ciro’s friend, Luigi and Enza’s best friend, Laura, come to mind. You may not find a lot of surprises and some of the story may be predictable but that doesn’t make it boring. This is a novel that will stay in your memory long after you finish reading it. ( ) Tracey8824 | Apr 3, 2013 | Reader's who enjoy historical fiction and cute love stories will eat The Shoemaker's Wife right up. Trigiani is an extremely skilled writer who did an absolutely fantastic job at writing the descriptions of her settings. Every small detail is included whether it be in Italy, New York City, or Minnesota. The reader has no problem feeling like they are right there with Enza and Ciro. Learning so many small historical details was very enjoyable. I was fascinated by this book. The romance portion wasn't quite as perfect. In fact, there was actually a point where I wasn't rooting for Ciro and Enza to be together. There were moments when it just didn't seem like Ciro was good enough for Enza and I didn't feel like he truly loved her. All in all, the romance wasn't as breathtaking and sweeping as I was hoping for, but satisfying enough. The Shoemaker's Wife does a much better job at being a grand historical novel then a epic love story. This was my first novel by Adriana Trigiani and I will be looking into her other works very soon. This was a very special book that deserves to be read with an open mind so I'm keeping this review short so other reader's can experience this beautiful storytelling on their own. Oh, and as far as language and content go: this is a very clean romance. There may be a few stronger words thrown in here and there but it was rare. So that being said, I'd recommend The Shoemaker's Wife to any who enjoys historical fiction, Italian settings, learning about New York life in the 20's and 30's, and immigrant life. ( ) bryantkeli | Apr 3, 2013 | Purple prose monster alert: This is the first paragraph: The scalloped hem of Caterina Lazzari’s blue velvet coat grazed the fresh-fallen snow, leaving a pale pink path on the bricks as she walked across the empty piazza. The only sound was the soft, rhythmic sweep of her footsteps, like hands dusting flour across an old wooden cutting board. And on and on the descriptions continue throughout the book. Some might call the book lush or descriptive, but for me it was just too much. Scenery details are great, but when more time is spent on the details than on the story itself we have a serious problem. There were things that could have been better developed, like the love story. The purpose of the book was to tell this great love story, but instead this plot line came second to everything else. There was too much telling and not enough showing. I felt like they married because they both had some experiences in common rather than they were actually in love. The thing is the story was a good one. The characters were developed really well, although I think Enza could use more some more airtime being that the book’s title implies she is the focus of the book. Which brings me to another point…the title of the book is rather misleading. The whole shoemaking bit doesn’t take place till more than halfway into the story and it doesn’t define the story. I’m also resentful that Enza is even described as The Shoemaker’s Wife because her character is much more than that. Why spend time developing her into a hardworking, independent female to then define her as the shoemaker’s wife? It makes no sense. What Trigani does do well is relate the immigrant experience. The book is divided into three parts. The first part describes Ciro’s and Enza’s childhoods in Italy, the second part is their individual American experience and the third part is life after marriage. While I really enjoyed the first and second parts of the story, the third part lagged for me. Somehow the story lost a bit of its luster during this part. By the end I was ready for the conclusion because I felt like Trigani was starting to stretch the story to wrap up all threads in a warm and happy box. There is nothing wrong with a feel good type of book, but this particular story had so many clichés, coincidences and plain old cheese that it put most Hallmark movies to shame. In case you don’t know…I effin’ hate Hallmark movies. >:( So while I enjoyed parts of this book I didn’t enjoy the whole thing. I found myself skimming much of the over descriptive paragraphs and suspending belief every time a coincidence happened. I recommend this for readers who like their Hallmark movies in book form. ( ) Jaguar897 | Mar 31, 2013 | Okay, I was captured by the story and woke in the night to keep reading it, but in common with a lot of the family saga sort of books it became to me a bit plodding after a while, and also a bit too pat. But I'm sympathetic. The author says she based the tale on her own family history, and who wouldn't want a fated history in which all things are meant to be, at some level? Yet somehow it was all of one tone, a river of language running on to the inevitable end. ( ) jarvenpa | Mar 31, 2013 | Wonderful book. Full of detail, yet moves along at a fair clip. The characters are well-drawn and the locales atmospheric. There is a pervasive sense of longing but the author does not wallow. All in all a perfectly balanced book. Highly recommended. ( ) SamO4 | Mar 31, 2013 | I read this book in a day and half, couldn't stop once I really got into it. It is not a *great* book but it is an epic, heartbreaking, beautiful story. I cried. Sure there were problems with it,unanswered questions,out of place characters etc. but as a story to suck you in it was wonderful. (  ) ingriddoris | Mar 30, 2013 | Meh. Overly descriptive, is that a bad thing? Sometimes. Sometimes it is so oppressive that you just breeze over the chapter. Sometimes it's kind of lovely. Despite a book where SO MUCH happens, not much happens, you know? I mean, one moment you are in the Italian Alps, the next NYC, then Minnesota. So what. So much happens in the book but is so bogged down in description that the change of scenery just kind of happens as an incident. Take World War I for example. Though it deeply affects a character, the actual dedication to it in the narrative is like MAYBE 5 pages. Granted, there are some tender moments and a plethora of sadness in the book, particularly toward the end, and yes, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. The most fascinating part of the book is the era, and the wide-eyed POV of Ciro when he arrives from the simple hills of Italy to the bustle that is the United States, particularly New York City. That is what really keeps the interest, and it seems that Trigiani did some decent research for the novel. NOTE: I was also listening to the audio while reading and the abrupt change of narrator from the Italian actress to author Trigiani is AWFUL. The author even skips words! (  ) noblechicken | Mar 26, 2013 | I know this was supposed to be Adriana Trigiani's masterpiece epic novel, but honestly? To me, it was just okay. It does contain the history of her family, and their immigration here to the US from a mountain-top in Italy. And it does contain some great history of golden days at the Met. But it just proves to me that while most of us have some fascinating moments in our lives, there's a lot of everyday stuff. Well written, though, and only helps to firm up in my mind that despite my mother's death bed wish that I "write a book about her", it would be really hard to carry off. ( ) bookczuk | Mar 23, 2013 | A very pleasant and predictable read. I very much enjoyed the descriptions of Italy, I felt like I was there. ( ) Quiltinfun06 | Mar 16, 2013 | Firstly and as always I would be remiss if I didn't note that I received this book free as a Goodreads giveaway. I entered the Giveaway, as I always do, knowing absolutely nothing of the book in question and intentionally avoiding any background. The fact that the book was free (as anyone who looks at my other reviews of free books will note) will have no impact on my review of it. Unlike many of the free books I've reviewed this one wasn't free because it was new and just coming out and needed reviewing. It was free because the book was already well established and coming out in paperback after being on the NYT best sellers list. Typically I give very little credence to the popularity of a book in assessing the quality but after having tramped my way through the nearly 500 pages of this one I can assert that its popularity is well deserved. There have been so many reviewers before me that there's little I can say that hasn't already been covered. Trigiani's book is at its heart a romance but only so in the way that all stories drawn from life are at their hearts romances. She encapsulates with incredible skill an entire lifetime and draws us a portrait that makes its way into your soul and is sure to be remembered long after the last page turns. The author's attention to detail is meticulous without becoming dull or redundant and reminds me strongly of the Dickensian tendency to stop and patiently draw out all the intimate nuances of a scene. I would leave potential readers with two recommendations. Firstly, take the time to read this one but do so with an open mind and let it wash over you. Immerse yourself in it and have patience. Secondly, the book is not to be taken lightly. You cannot go after it in fits and starts. If you cannot read 100 pages at a sitting then read something else until you can. It is a vastly rewarding novel but one that requires utmost and concentrated attention. ( ) slavenrm | Mar 7, 2013 | An enjoyable family saga. I found myself speaking Italian halfway through it! ( ) jeanne.h.robinson | Mar 6, 2013 | I always love a saga, and this did not disappoint. (  ) scgervais | Feb 12, 2013 | I loved the images that the writing in this book evoked. The characters were so warm and real and the story was very heartwarming! Overall very enjoyable! ( ) dgmlrhodes | Feb 9, 2013 | The Shoemaker's Wife was a lovely story about immigrant kids coming to America for very different and very similar reasons. The love story is one to last through the ages and remembered as one of the great ones. I love passing on stories as good as this and hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. ( ) angela.vaughn | Jan 29, 2013 | the love story of two Italian immigrants who meet briefly in Italy before renewing their relationship in New York City and then starting their marriage in the Iron Range of Minnesota. great story,, even if Enza, the heroine is way too good to believe. based on the author's grandparent's lives. ( ) mojomomma | Jan 19, 2013 | What a treasure of a book! After her husband dies, Catherine Lazzari does not rebound. She therefore takes her two young sons to be cared for by the Sisters of San Nicola in a mountain village in her native Italy and disappears from their lives for decades. Eduardo and Ciro are very different from one another but their love and respect for each other is equally strong. Eduardo is quiet , religious and studious while Ciro is a charmer with a zest for life and a strong work ethic. The nuns are their family and they are well cared for and well loved. We follow these brothers for decades and from Italy to America for Ciro where his talents and hard work serve him well. This book has it all; adventure, history, drama, love, disappointment and triumph. It is so well told that every detail of the Italian mountainside and every level of growth and achievement blossoms in the reader's soul. Back when I was in high school, required reading was Steinbeck and Dickens. To stay on as fine a level, today it should be Adriana Trigiani if it already isn't. ( ) stillwaters12 | Jan 9, 2013 | The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani is a beautiful story of grand proportions. Following the lives of Ciro Lazzari and Enza Ravenelli as they come of age in northern Italy and immigrate to America where their paths continue to cross until they accept that their journey is one. The novel begins as Ciro and his brother Eduardo are taken to live with the Sisters of San Nicola as their mother, Caterina, can no longer care for them following their father's death in a mining accident in America. The loss of a father and mother greatly effects the brothers in opposite forms. Ciro turns inward and longs for beautiful women and to find meaning for his life while Eduardo explores his faith, turning later to priesthood to find his peace. Read more at http://thekeytothegate.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-shoemakers-wife-by-adriana-trigi... ( ) rebeccaskey | Dec 12, 2012 | Couldn't put this down and ended up bawling like a baby. What a beautiful book. ( ) srearley | Nov 22, 2012 | I can't remember the last Trigiani book I read, but I know it was back when my most challenging reads were because of length of the novel rather than depth of the prose. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this book. I'm happy to say that I judged this book too harshly before I'd even really taken a look at it. It is, in fact, a nicely told tale of historical fiction. It felt surprisingly true, with little details about the time in which it was set that gave it substance. It's not a time with which we are too familiar and it's not a place we know well either and that adds to the charm of the story. I'm not one for long books and I'm not wild about a romance and I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but somehow this book overcame all my (highly opinionated) objections and won me over. I liked the story and you probably will, too. ( ) debnance | Nov 11, 2012 | This book is very long but I loved this book more as I went along and it wasn't just because of the story, but for the style of writing. I felt comforted by the humaneness and the integrity of the characters. I liked the way that the author detailed the characters' emotions and that these emotions were very rational and insightful. Some might feel that this is unrealistic, which I suppose it is, but this is escapism. I understand Kathryn Stockett's review of this book now when she described it as, "A rich, sweeping epic." ( ) Carolinejyoung | Nov 6, 2012 | |
LibraryThing AuthorAdriana Trigiani is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Enza is the eldest daughter of a large family. She adores her father and mother and cares for her siblings. When disaster strikes, she decides to use her seamstress skills to earn money for her family. Hoping to one day return to her village, Enza boards a ship for America.
Enza and Ciro meet only once in their small village, but fate draws them together in America. While Ciro faces combat in WWI, Enza begins to realize her dreams as a gifted seamstress for the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Despite the challenges of being together, the love they have for each other will forever change their lives.
Adriana Trigiani was inspired to write this book based on her grandparent’s love affair and marriage. The story is a sprawling historical novel which spans decades and moves from the Italian Alps to New York City and finally to Minnesota. Trigiani excels at describing place, including beautiful details of the Italian countryside, as well as the congestion and excitement of New York City.
Despite a book firmly grounded in place, The Shoemaker’s Wife is not without its faults. Ciro is not altogether likable as the dashing womanizer. Enza is almost too good to be true. Together their chemistry is anything but tantalizing. I found the dialogue in the novel stilted and the character development was not as deep as I usually like. The story worked as an historical novel, but fell short as a literary romance.
The early part of the book was interesting. I liked how Trigiani transported me to Italy and showed the underpinnings of a small village. The mid to latter part of the novel dragged for me – and I admit, I did skim many parts.
Trigiani has written many bestselling novels, but this was my first experience with one of her books. Other bloggers who I respect have enjoyed her earlier works and I have seen some raves of this one, so although I did not love it, I would not discourage others from reading Trigiani’s latest effort.
Readers who have liked previous novels by this author, or those who like sprawling historical sagas may want to give The Shoemaker’s Wife a try. (