AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "[An] immersive saga. . . . A celebration of family and a paean to the power of storytelling.”—People, "Book of the Week" "Trigiani conveys the beauty of Italy, the hardships of war, the taste of family recipes, and the enduring love of family."—Library Journal (starred) “The beauty of any book by Adriana Trigiani is her ability to interweave life and fiction. . . . Don’t miss your chance to take this unforgettable journey with the Cabrelli women!” —Lisa Wingate, Book of the Month From “a master of visual and palpable detail” (The Washington Post), comes a lush, immersive novel about three generations of Tuscan artisans with one remarkable secret. Epic in scope and resplendent with the glorious themes of identity and belonging, The Good Left Undone unfolds in breathtaking turns. Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. . . . In the halcyon past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until her beloved home becomes unsafe when Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. Her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool—where Italian Scots are imprisoned without cause—as Domenica experiences love, loss, and grief while she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life and their family’s legacy, while Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for. But Matelda is running out of time, and the two timelines intersect and weave together in unexpected and heartbreaking ways that lead the family to shocking revelations and, ultimately, redemption.
To unify her family, Ave Maria must harness the power of love and its abiding truth in this lyrical and heartfelt novel, the third installment of the New York Times bestselling Big Stone Gap series “Trigiani can make you laugh in one sentence then break your heart in the next.”—Mississippi Clarion-Ledger Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney has never been a devotee of tarot cards or crystal balls. And yet when the fortune-teller at the county fair suggests that it is time for her to “redream” her life, Ave Maria realizes she is wide open to suggestion. Not a bad idea considering that her beloved daughter, Etta, is growing up fast. In the face of the trials of adolescence, Ave Maria tries to prepare herself for the day when Etta will rebel big-time. Of course, everyone in Big Stone Gap sees it’s coming: Cranky cashier Fleeta has warned her, county sexpert Iva Lou has consoled her, even Pearl, now a mother herself, has lent her sympathy—but that doesn’t make the changes in Etta any easier to handle. Milk Glass Moon chronicles the challenges Ave Maria faces in her parenting and in her marriage, with more surprising twists and turns than on the mountain roads of southwest Virginia. Don’t miss any of Adriana Trigiani’s beloved Big Stone Gap series BIG STONE GAP • BIG CHERRY HOLLER • MILK GLASS MOON • HOME TO BIG STONE GAP
For the Trigianis, cooking has always been a family affair–and the kitchen was the bustling center of their home, where folks gathered around the table for good food, good conversation, and the occasional eruption. Example: Being thrown out of the kitchen because one’s Easter bread kneading technique isn’t up to par. As Adriana says: “When the Trigianis reach out and touch someone, we do it with food.” Like the recipes that have been handed down for generations from mother to daughter and grandmother to granddaughter, the family’s celebrations are also anchored to the life and laughter around the table. We learn how Grandmom Yolanda Trigiani sometimes wrote her recipes in code, or worked from memory, guarding her recipes carefully. And we meet Grandma Lucia Bonicelli, who never raised her voice and believed that when people fight at the dinner table, the food turns to poison in the body. Adriana Trigiani’s voice springs to life from the first page of Cooking with My Sisters, a collection of beloved family recipes that the Trigianis have been enjoying for generations. But there’s much more here than just the food. Peppered with hilarious family anecdotes, poignant letters, and exquisite color photographs, Cooking with My Sisters draws us into the warm and witty world of the Trigiani clan. Each recipe has a story behind it, and each chapter has tips from different sisters, reflecting the unique personalities of the latest generation of Trigiani women. Here are mainstay meals, featured in sections such as “The Big Life” and “The Big Wow,” which include the chapters “Pasta, or as We Called It, Maccheroni” and “Food We Hated as Kids but Love to Serve Now.” Accessible to any cook, the recipes range from Chicken and Polenta, Zizi Mary’s Rice Soup, and Gnocchi to favorite desserts like Grandmom’s Buttermilk Cake–and all the delectable dishes are geared toward bringing your family together. Written with Adriana Trigiani’s trademark humor and verve, this wonderful book will appeal to anyone who values the bonds that food, community, and cultural tradition can provide. From the Hardcover edition.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A heartfelt novel of the power of love across three generations of an Italian-American family, from the author of the Big Stone Gap series “[An] epic of small-town life . . . A personal saga of American history and a romance woven together with warmth and good humor.”—The Oregonian In the late 1800s, the residents of a small village in coastal Italy migrated to the promised land of America. They eventually settled in Roseto, Pennsylvania, where they re-created every detail of their former lives, including the centerpiece of Roseto’s colorful old-world tradition: the annual pageant for Our Lady of Mount Caramel—or “the Big Time,” as it’s called by the young women competing to be its Queen. The industrious Castellucas farm the land outside Roseto. Nella, the middle daughter of five, aspires to a genteel life “in town,” far from the rigors of life on the farm. But her dreams of making her own fortune shift when she meets and falls in love with Renato Lanzaro, a worldly, handsome, devil-may-care poet. When Renato disappears without explanation, Nella is shattered. Four years later, Renato’s sudden return just before Nella’s wedding to the steadfast Franco Zollerano leaves her shaken. For although Renato has chosen a path very different from Nella’s, they are fated to live and work side by side for the rest of their lives in Roseto, where the past hangs over them like a brewing storm. Etched in glorious detail in Adriana Trigiani’s trademark style, The Queen of the Big Time is the story of a determined, passionate woman who can never forget her first love.
The heartwarming novel from bestselling Richard & Judy author Adriana Trigiani 'A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything.' The Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has been creating sumptuous shoes for a hundred years. And now it falls to Valentine Roncalli, heir to the family firm, to turn its esteemed past into a glorious future. Uniting both professionally and romantically with master craftsman Gianluca Vechiarelli, with his full and complex past and a secret to hide, proud, passionate Valentine is determined to make her mark. Once their wedding celebrations are over, she wakes up to the reality of juggling the demands of a business and the needs of her new family. And as she is confronted by painful choices, she must fight for everything she wants and savour all she deserves – the bitter and the sweet of life itself. Romantic and poignant, told with Adriana's trademark humour and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, this is an unforgettable feast of delights and the most beautiful handmade shoes. ‘I don't know how Adriana goes into her family's attic and emerges with these amazing stories, I'm just happy she does’ Kathryn Stockett, bestselling author of The Help ‘Feisty and poignant... Readers will root for Valentine and the lessons she learns – which apply equally to designing elegant shoes and to crafting a rewarding life’ People ‘Superb. Trigiani's ability to bring the large, warm, enveloping – if somewhat dysfunctional – family to life will keep any reader engrossed and entertained’ Publishers Weekly
From the bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick One unforgettable woman. One heart and dream as big as New York City. Makers of custom wedding shoes since 1903, the Angelini Shoe Company is one of the last family businesses in Greenwich Village. Now on the brink of financial ruin, thirty-three year old Valentine Roncalli, the talented apprentice, and her grandmother Teodora, the master artisan, are trying to bring the family’s old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century. Juggling a romantic relationship with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family and a design competition for a prestigious department store, Valentine accompanies her grandmother to Italy in the hope of finding inspiration. Sweeping from the streets of Manhattan to picturesque Tuscany and the Isle of Capri, she discovers her artistic voice and so much more, turning her life around in ways she never expected. ‘Charming, charismatic and addictive… an absolute treat’ Company ‘A funny, heart-warming tale of a woman looking for love, family harmony and the perfect shoe’ Heat ‘Load up on cappuccino and biscotti before getting lost in the super froth of Adriana Trigiani's romance-soaked novel, Very Valentine’ Marie Claire ‘This hymn to Italian New York is a treat’ Elle ‘Sex and the City meets Moonstruck... sly, sensual and dripping in style’ People ‘Like tucking into a plate of homemade manicotti: irresistible and delicious’ BookPage
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This heartwarming tale is full of lessons about taking risks in life and love.”—Cosmopolitan “Funny, visual, and moving . . . A vibrant, loving, wistful portrait of a lost time and place.”—Richmond Times-Dispatch It is 1950 in glittering, vibrant New York City, and Lucia Sartori is the beautiful twenty-five-year-old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. The postwar boom is rife with opportunities for talented girls with ambition, and Lucia becomes an apprentice to an up-and-coming designer at chic B. Altman department store on Fifth Avenue. Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the steadfast Dante DeMartino, Lucia is torn when she meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury that career girls like her only read about in the society pages. Forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams, Lucia finds herself in the midst of a sizzling scandal in which secrets are revealed, her beloved career is jeopardized, and the Sartoris’ honor is tested.
New York Times bestselling adult novelist Adriana Trigiani and beloved illustrator Amy June Bates team up for a heartwarming picture book about a how a family comes together to celebrate Valentine's Day. Mia Valentina Amore loves valentines. After all, her name means My Valentine. When she wakes up on Valentine's Day, it looks like just another morning in the rickety old Amore house in the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia. But over the course of the day, her home is transformed into the House of Love. Mia and her mama festoon the halls, build a gumdrop tree, bake cupcakes, and most importantly, make valentines for all six of her siblings. But when Mia doesn't receive her own valentine, she wonders if Mama could have forgotten her. New York Times bestselling novelist and filmmaker Adriana Trigiani has crafted a tender mother-daughter story that celebrates Valentine's Day or any day that brings family together. And acclaimed illustrator Amy June Bates brings warmth and coziness to a story that affirms it doesn't matter where you come from as long as that place is full of love.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTELLER • Ave Maria starts a new chapter in this wise, powerful, and humorous novel, the fourth book in the beloved Big Stone Gap series “[Adriana Trigiani is] one of the reigning queens of women’s fiction.”—USA Today Nestled in the lush Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the town of Big Stone Gap has been home for Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney and her beloved family and friends for generations. But with her daughter, Etta, having flown the nest to enchanting Italy, Ave Maria has reached a turning point, and she realizes that it’s time to go in search of brand-new dreams. Yet before she can put her foot on the path, her life is turned upside down. Ave Maria agrees to helm the town musical, a hilarious reunion of local talent past and present. A lifelong friendship collapses when a mysterious stranger comes to town and reveals a long-buried secret. An unexpected health crisis threatens her family. An old heartthrob reappears, challenging her marriage. An opportunistic coal company threatens to undermine the town’s way of life and the mountain landscape Ave Maria has treasured since she was a girl. Now she has no choice but to reinvent her world, her life, and herself, whether she wants to or not. Millions of readers around the world have fallen in love with the novels of the New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, and she’s at her best in this exquisite page-turner. Home to Big Stone Gap is an emotional and unforgettable journey that reminds us that you can go home again and again. Don’t miss any of Adriana Trigiani’s beloved Big Stone Gap series BIG STONE GAP • BIG CHERRY HOLLER • MILK GLASS MOON • HOME TO BIG STONE GAP
As devoted readers of Adriana Trigiani's New York Times bestselling novels know, this "seemingly effortless storyteller" (Boston Globe) frequently draws inspiration from her own family history, in particular from the lives of her two remarkable grandmothers, Lucia Spada Bonicelli (Lucy) and Yolanda Perin Trigiani (Viola). In Don't Sing at the Table, she reveals how her grandmothers' simple values have shaped her own life, sharing the experiences, humor, and wisdom of her beloved mentors to delight readers of all ages. Trigiani visits the past to seek answers to the essential questions that define the challenges women face today at work and at home. Don't Sing at the Table is a primer, grandmother to granddaughter, filled with everyday wisdom and life lessons handed down with care and built to last.
‘Trigiani is a master of palpable and visual detail’ Washington Post A sweeping epic of risk and destiny, of family, and of the power of love to change lives forever At the turn of the last century, Ciro, a young dreamer raised in a convent orphanage, and Enza, a practical girl born into poverty, meet as teenagers in the Italian Alps. Stumbling onto a scandal, Ciro is sent to hide in America and work as apprentice in Little Italy. Enza is bereft, but her life too is about to change. Unbeknownst to one another, Ciro is later a shoemaker and Enza is working in a factory in nearby Hoboken when fate reunites them. But it is already too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in the war, and Enza has a new job at the Metropolitan Opera House that will sweep her into the glamorous salons of Manhattan and into the life of 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, The Shoemaker’s Wife defines an era with operatic scope and splendour, in this breathtaking multigenerational love story that spans decades and continents as two star-crossed lovers weave their paths to each other. ‘Gloriously romantic… exquisite writing and a story enriched by the power of abiding love’ USA Today ‘Completely wonderful: a rich, sweeping epic which tells the story of the women and men who built America dream by dream’ Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help ‘An old-fashioned, romantic tale of two star-tangled lovers... but also a paean to artisanal work, food, friendship and family’ Washington Post ‘Breathtaking’ Hufffington Post
For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This historic business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the school-teacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret. A piece of surprising news is revealed on a fateful Christmas Eve when Valentine and Gianluca join her extended family. Now faced with life altering choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: "A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything." The proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweetness of life itself.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • One small Italian American town in America gets the makeover it never expected in this “eccentric, unpredictable, entertaining” (The Boston Globe) novel from the author of the beloved Big Stone Gap series “An artfully designed tale [with] characters so lively they bounce off the page [and] wit so subtle that even the best jokes seem effortless.”—People Bartolomeo di Crespi is the acclaimed interior decorator—not to mention the most eligible bachelor—in Our Lady of Fatima, New Jersey. From the dazzling shores of the Garden State to the legendary fabric houses of New York City, from the prickly purveyors of fine art in London to the Mediterranean coast of Italy, Bartolomeo is on a mission to bring talent, sophistication, and his aesthetic vision to his hometown. So when the renovation of the local church is scheduled, he assumes there is only one man to oversee the job. Recruiting an artist and a stained-glass artisan to help with the project—two handsome men who create romantic mayhem among Bartolomeo’s sister, his erstwhile fiancée, and all the other lovelorn ladies of OLOF—Bartolomeo struggles to create art while remaining the steadfast linchpin of the volatile di Crespi clan. Together, Bartolomeo and his team will do more than blow the dust off the old Fatima frescoes—they will turn the town upside down, challenge the faithful, and restore hope where there once was none.
Seventeen favorite American women authors contribute to this scintillating collection of short stories. Red-hot authors include Jennifer Weiner, Lauren Weisberger, and Adriana Trigiani. Proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Barnardo's, the largest children's charity in Britain.
New York Times Bestseller • People’s Book of the Week “A heartfelt tale of love too stubborn to surrender to human frailties." — Kirkus Reviews Set in the lush Big Band era of the 1940s, this spellbinding saga from beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani tells the story of two talented working class kids who marry and become a successful singing act, until time, temptation, and the responsibilities of home and family derail their dreams. Shortly before World War II, Chi Chi Donatelli and Saverio Armandonada meet one summer on the Jersey shore and fall in love. Both are talented, and dream of becoming singers for the legendary orchestras of the time: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman. They’re soon married, and it isn’t long before Chiara and Tony find that their careers are on the way up as they navigate the glamorous worlds of night clubs, radio, and television. All goes well until it becomes clear that they must make a choice: Which of them will put their ambitions aside to raise a family and which will pursue a career? And how will they cope with the impact that decision has on their lives and their marriage? From the Jersey shore to Las Vegas to Hollywood, and the dance halls in between, this story is vivid with historical color and steeped in the popular music that serves as its score. Tony’s Wife is a magnificent epic of life in a traditional Italian family undergoing seismic change in a fast paced, modern world. Filled with vivid, funny, and unforgettable characters, this richly human story showcases Adriana Trigiani’s gifts as a storyteller and her deep understanding of family, love, and the pursuit of a dream.
Set in the lush Big Band era of the 1940s and World War II, this spellbinding saga from beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani tells the story of two talented working class kids who marry and become a successful singing act, until time, temptation, and the responsibilities of home and family derail their dreams. Shortly before World War II, Chi Chi Donatelli and Saverio Armandonada meet one summer on the Jersey shore and fall in love. Both are talented and ambitious, and both share the dream of becoming singers for the legendary orchestras of the time: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman. They’re soon married, and it isn’t long before Chiara and Tony find that their careers are on the way up as they navigate the glamorous worlds of night clubs, radio, and television. All goes well until it becomes clear that they must make a choice: Which of them will put their ambitions aside to raise a family and which will pursue a career? And how will they cope with the impact that decision has on their lives and their marriage? From the Jersey shore to Las Vegas to Hollywood, and all the dance halls in between, this multi-layered story is vivid with historical color and steeped in the popular music that serves as its score. Tony’s Wife is a magnificent epic of life in a traditional Italian family undergoing seismic change in a fast paced, modern world. Filled with vivid, funny, and unforgettable characters, this richly human story showcases Adriana Trigiani’s gifts as a storyteller and her deep understanding of family, love, and the pursuit of the American dream.
New York Times Bestseller • USA Today Bestseller • Publishers Weekly Bestseller People's Book of the Week Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Nominee for Fiction Adriana Trigiani, the New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker's Wife, returns with her biggest and boldest novel yet, a hypnotic tale based on a true story and filled with her signature elements: family ties, artistry, romance, and adventure. Born in the golden age of Hollywood, All the Stars in the Heavens captures the luster, drama, power, and secrets that could only thrive in the studio system—viewed through the lives of an unforgettable cast of players creating magic on the screen and behind the scenes. In this spectacular saga as radiant, thrilling, and beguiling as Hollywood itself, Adriana Trigiani takes us back to Tinsel Town's golden age—an era as brutal as it was resplendent—and into the complex and glamorous world of a young actress hungry for fame and success. With meticulous, beautiful detail, Trigiani paints a rich, historical landscape of 1930s Los Angeles, where European and American artisans flocked to pursue the ultimate dream: to tell stories on the silver screen. The movie business is booming in 1935 when twenty-one-year-old Loretta Young meets thirty-four-year-old Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild. Though he's already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious young actress instantly. Far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent and begin a new journey that leads her to Loretta. Becoming Miss Young's secretary, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, she and Loretta encounter scandal and adventure, choose love and passion, and forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty that will be put to the test when they eventually face the greatest obstacle of their lives. Anchored by Trigiani's masterful storytelling that takes you on a worldwide ride of adventure from Hollywood to the shores of southern Italy, this mesmerizing epic is, at its heart, a luminous tale of the most cherished ties that bind. Brimming with larger-than-life characters both real and fictional—including stars Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, David Niven, Hattie McDaniel and more—it is it is the unforgettable story of one of cinema's greatest love affairs during the golden age of American movie making. Praise for All the Stars in the Heavens: "Trigiani spins a tale of star-crossed lovers... A heartwarming tale of women's lives behind the movies." - Kirkus Reviews "A thoroughly entertaining tale that brings Hollywood's golden age alive." -People "A tinsel-trimmed treat for movie buffs and Trigiani fans alike." -Library Journal
Adriana Trigiani's bestselling novels, called "dazzling"* and "tiramisu for the soul,"** are beloved by millions of readers around the world. Very Valentine, an instant New York Times bestseller and the first in a series about the life of shoemaker Valentine Roncalli, was hailed by critics as "Sex and the City meets Moonstruck . . . sly, sensual, dripping in style."*** In this sumptuous follow-up, a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine from the winding streets of Greenwich Village to the sun-kissed cobblestones of Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncallis, while Valentine is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her. Brava, Valentine is Trigiani's best novel yet, delivering a hilarious and poignant mix of colorful worlds and unforgettable characters as only she can create them. *USA Today **The Examiner (UK) ***People
In the hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the bestselling "Big Stone Gap," Ave Maria and Jack MacChesney find their marriage strained by a summer spent apart. "Trigiani is a wonderful storyteller . . . readers will enjoy "Big Cherry Holler" immensely."--"USA Today.
From the bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick With her plans gone awry, can Valentine find a new way to make her dreams come true? Snow falls over Tuscany at the beautiful wedding of Valentine’s grandmother to her longtime love. But despite Valentine and Gianluca’s passion for one another, their own long-distance relationship seems impossible. And Valentine’s dreams are dashed as Gram announces Valentine’s brother, Alfred, as her partner at Angelini Shoes. As Valentine turns away from romance and devotes herself to her work, a once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes her to Buenos Aires. Unearthing a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal, Valentine is determined to hold her family together. Longing to create a family of her own, Valentine is torn between two loves: one that has nurtured her and a new one that promises to sustain her. ‘Rattles along at an astonishing pace, throwing up hidden mistresses, family secrets and the possibility of tantalising romance’ Irish Independent ‘Valentine is one of Adriana Trigiani’s most winsome characters (yes, she even rivals the Big Stone Gap gang)... an unexpectedly poignant examination of the power and pull of family, faith and love’ BookPage ‘Trigiani spoke to women’s hearts with Big Stone Gap, and her Valentine series continues to do so… essential reading for fans of humorous, touching family fiction’ Library Journal ‘[A] charming valentine to love, forgiveness and family’ Publishers Weekly
High in the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century, Ciro, a strapping mountain boy, meets Enza, a practical beauty. But when scandal rocks Ciro's tiny village, unbeknownst to Enza, he is sent to hide in America. When disaster strikes Enza's family, she, too, is forced to go to America. Ciro and Enza build fledgling lives—until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I and Enza finds success in the costume department of the Metropolitan Opera House. Over time, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until the power of their love changes both of their lives forever. Inspired by Trigiani's own family history, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with operatic scope that will live on in the imagina-tions of readers for years to come.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Millions of readers around the world have fallen in love with the small town of Big Stone Gap, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and the story of its self-proclaimed spinster, Ave Maria Mulligan. In the series' enchanting debut, Ave Maria reaches her thirty-fifth year and resigns herself to the single life, filling her days with hard work, fun friends, and good books. Then, one fateful day, Ave Maria's past opens wide with the revelation of a long-buried secret that will alter the course of her life. Before she knows it, Ave Maria is fielding marriage proposals, trying to claim her rightful inheritance, and planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy--one that will change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Full of wit and wonder, hilarity and heart, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book, and one that you will share with friends and family for years to come. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE - Features behind-the-scenes bonus material from the film--including photos, excerpts from the script, and favorite recipes from on the set "Charming . . . Readers would do well to fall into the nearest easy chair and savor the story."--USA Today "Delightfully quirky . . . chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists."--People " A] heartfelt tale . . . In an anecdotal style reminiscent of Fannie Flagg, Adriana Trigiani engagingly captures a slice of small-town America."--San Jose Mercury News
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! In this warm and moving anthology, a group of bestselling authors and writers pay tribute to legendary, larger-than-life New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank and her literary legacy. Inspired by the title Dorothea Benton Frank planned for her next book—Reunion Beach—these close friends and colleagues channeled their creativity, admiration, and grief into stories and poems that celebrate this remarkable woman and her abiding love for the Lowcountry of her native South Carolina—a land of beauty, history, charm, and Gullah magic she so brilliantly brought to life in her acclaimed novels. From Elin Hilderbrand, #1 New York Times bestselling author, a sequel to Summer of ’69. From Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author, comes a heartwarming, humorous interview from the hereafter with Pat Conroy and Dorothea Benton Frank, two beloved icons of Southern literature. From Patti Callahan, bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis and Surviving Savannah, comes The Bridemaids, a story about a trip to the South Carolina beach. From Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author, Mother and Child Reunion, a heartwarming story set under the warm South Carolina sun. Reunion Beach also features letters, short stories, poems, and essays from: Mary Norris, New York Times bestselling author and staff writer for The New Yorker Cassandra King Conroy, bestselling and award-winning author of Tell Me A Story Nathalie Dupree, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Marjory Wentworth, former Poet Laureate of South Carolina Gervais Hagerty, author of In Polite Company Jacqueline Bouvier Lee, Peter Frank, Victoria Peluso, and William Frank Infused with Dorothea Benton Frank’s remarkable spirit, Reunion Beach is a literary homage and beautiful keepsake that keeps this dearly missed writer’s flame burning bright.
Instant New York Times Bestseller • People’s Book of the Week From Adriana Trigiani, the beloved New York Times-bestselling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife, comes an exhilarating epic novel of love, loyalty, and creativity—the story of an Italian-American family on the cusp of change. It’s 1949 and South Philadelphia bursts with opportunity during the post-war boom. The Palazzini Cab Company & Western Union Telegraph Office, owned and operated by Dominic Palazzini and his three sons, is flourishing: business is good, they’re surrounded by sympathetic wives and daughters-in-law, with grandchildren on the way. But a decades-long feud that split Dominic and his brother Mike and their once-close families sets the stage for a re-match. Amidst the hoopla, the arrival of an urgent telegram from Italy upends the life of Nicky Castone (Dominic and his wife’s orphaned nephew) who lives and works with his Uncle Dom and his family. Nicky decides, at 30, that he wants more—more than just a job driving Car #4 and more than his longtime fiancée Peachy DePino, a bookkeeper, can offer. When he admits to his fiancée that he’s been secretly moonlighting at the local Shakespeare theater company, Nicky finds himself drawn to the stage, its colorful players and to the determined Calla Borelli, who inherited the enterprise from her father, Nicky must choose between the conventional life his family expects of him or chart a new course and risk losing everything he cherishes. From the dreamy mountaintop village of Roseto Valfortore in Italy, to the vibrant streets of South Philly, to the close-knit enclave of Roseto, Pennsylvania, to New York City during the birth of the golden age of television, Kiss Carlo is a powerful, inter-generational story that celebrates the ties that bind, while staying true to oneself when all hope seems lost. Told against the backdrop of some of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies, this novel brims with romance as long buried secrets are revealed, mistaken identities are unmasked, scores are settled, broken hearts are mended and true love reigns. Trigiani’s consummate storytelling skill and her trademark wit, along with a dazzling cast of characters will enthrall readers. Once again, the author has returned to her own family garden to create an unforgettable feast. Kiss Carlo is a jubilee, resplendent with hope, love, and the abiding power of la famiglia.
Ave Maria faces unexpected tests of her faith, conscience, and understanding as her daughter, Etta, confronts adulthood, her friends in Big Stone Gap deal with major life changes of their own, and her husband sets out to reinvent his life.
Adriana Trigiani's two remarkable grandmothers, Lucia and Viola, lived through the 20th century from beginning to end as working women who juggled careers and motherhood. From the factory line to the family table, the two of them - the very definition of modern women - cut a path for their granddaughter by demonstrating courage and skill in their fearless approach to life, love and overcoming obstacles. Trigiani visits the past to seek answers to the essential questions that define the challenges women face today: how we hold on to the values that make life rich and beautiful, how we can take risks and reap the rewards, how to stand resilient in the face of tragedy. 'Be bold; 'be direct'; 'be different'!
Rufus McSherry, a handsome painter, arrives in a New Jersey town at the behest of Bartolomeo di Crespi, an interior decorator assigned to Our Lady of Fatima Church, and breathes new life into the old church as well as the women of the town.
Stories by: Lauren Willig • Adriana Trigiani • Jo Beverley • Alexandra Potter • Laurie Viera Rigler • Frank Delaney & Diane Meier • Syrie James • Stephanie Barron • Amanda Grange • Pamela Aidan • Elizabeth Aston • Carrie Bebris • Diana Birchall • Monica Fairview • Janet Mullany • Jane Odiwe • Beth Pattillo • Myretta Robens • Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway • Maya Slater • Margaret C. Sullivan • and Brenna Aubrey, the winner of a story contest hosted by the Republic of Pemberley “My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” If you just heaved a contented sigh at Mr. Darcy’s heartfelt words, then you, dear reader, are in good company. Here is a delightful collection of never-before-published stories inspired by Jane Austen—her novels, her life, her wit, her world. In Lauren Willig’s “A Night at Northanger,” a young woman who doesn’t believe in ghosts meets a familiar specter at the infamous abbey; Jane Odiwe’s “Waiting” captures the exquisite uncertainty of Persuasion’s Wentworth and Anne as they await her family’s approval of their betrothal; Adriana Trigiani’s “Love and Best Wishes, Aunt Jane” imagines a modern-day Austen giving her niece advice upon her engagement; in Diana Birchall’s “Jane Austen’s Cat,” our beloved Jane tells her nieces “cat tales” based on her novels; Laurie Viera Rigler’s “Intolerable Stupidity” finds Mr. Darcy bringing charges against all the writers of Pride and Prejudice sequels, spin-offs, and retellings; in Janet Mullany’s “Jane Austen, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!” a teacher at an all-girls school invokes the Beatles to help her students understand Sense and Sensibility; and in Jo Beverley’s “Jane and the Mistletoe Kiss,” a widow doesn’t believe she’ll have a second chance at love . . . until a Miss Austen suggests otherwise. Regency or contemporary, romantic or fantastical, each of these marvelous stories reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors.
It's 1978, and Ave Maria Mulligan is the thirty-five-year-old self-proclaimed spinster of Big Stone Gap, a sleepy hamlet in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She's also the local pharmacist, the co-captain of the Rescue Squad, and the director of The
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** THE SWEEPING, SUN-DRENCHED STORY OF LOVE, FAMILY AND UNTOLD SECRETS SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF WWII, FROM THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER 'Adriana is a storyteller second to none' HEATHER MORRIS, bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz 'Trigiani never fails to sweep you away . . . an emotional and beautiful tale of family, love, and loss' TAYLOR JENKINS REID, bestselling author of Malibu Rising 'There is a reason Adriana Trigiani is so beloved by her millions of devoted readers . . . gorgeous' SARAH JESSICA PARKER 'A big, beautiful, wonderful book; romantic, moving, transporting, affecting I will do everything I can to encourage everyone to read it' LOUISE DOUGLAS, bestselling author of The House by the Sea _________ Domenica Cabrelli had two great loves of her life. The first, her childhood sweetheart: a boy from the same small, sun-drenched Italian town of Viareggio. A romance born out of yearning and shared history. Then, on an idyllic French coastline in the shadow of war, Domenica's second love affair: a mysterious captain, with a future on the front line. Many decades later, as her daughter, Matelda, starts to unpack her mother's legacy, she realises there is much Domenica left untold. About what kept her away from Italy for so long. What ultimately brought her home again. And the secret that that bound her two great loves together . . . _________ 'An unforgettable historical epic. This rich family story is magnificent in the telling' Lisa Jewell 'At once epic and intimate . . . A delightful novel' Jess Walter 'This beautiful, sweeping historical epic paints an exquisite portrait of love, loss, the ravages of time and the price a family pays for its secrets. Brava! Kristin Hannah 'Beautifully written, immersive . . . Sweeps you up and takes you on an epic journey. A must-read for 2022' Sarah Pearse 'An exquisite gem of a novel. No one does historical fiction better than Trigiani' David Baldacci 'This is a sweeping story of the complexities of love and family . . . A beautiful historical romance, this book manages to be epic and intimate at the same time' Sun
Viola Chesterton is back home in her native New York after a year in the Middle-of-Nowhere at boarding school. All Viola wants to do is spend the summer doing with her best friends, Andrew and Caitlin. But she should know by now that things don't always go according to plan and, with Andrew being shipped off to summer camp by his parents and Caitlin swept up in her first real romance, Viola finds herself feeling lonely in her home town for the first time. Once again Viola turns to her love of film and theatre for solace as she helps out backstage at the Broadway show. And when she persuades her roommates from the Prefect Academy to come to New York for the opening night, things finally start to look up for Viola. Seeing her friends again makes Viola realise just how much she's missed them over the summer, and when they leave again to head back to school Viola makes a decision that shocks everyone - including herself - she wants to go back to Prefect too...
In 1908, author John Fox Jr. published his best-selling novel The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, and with it, he brought Big Stone Gap into homes across the country. In modern times, Big Stone Gap is best known for a series of novels by hometown author Adriana Trigiani. "The Gap" has always been in the vocabulary of Southwest Virginians but has now taken root on the national scene for a second time in history. Big Stone Gap has since dubbed itself "the Little Town with the Big Story." This story began in the 1880s with the discovery of nearby coalfields that sent Northern investors into an expansion frenzy. The town was touted as the new "Pittsburgh of the South" with its railroads, hotels, and vibrant business and cultural scenes.
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