Jul 22, 2022AlteredStaite rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Definitely not my cup of tea. For a historical novel, it was really badly researched. It read like a love sick teenager wrote it back before emancipation. It was gushy, obsessed with Italian architecture, food, cooking, cleaning, sewing,…
If you enjoyed reading the book Brooklyn by Colm Toibin (or watching the movie based on the book), you'll like The Shoemaker's Wife. This novel is much better than Trigiani's other book Big Stone Gap.
A passionate, romantic saga of two young people from poor Italian villages who fall deeply in love--only to lose each other as the world falls under the grip of war. Based on the author's own family stories.
Oct 24, 2014DorisWaggoner rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A family saga, from Victorian Italy to post WW II MN. Ciro and Enza are born on the same poverty-stricken mountain, but don't meet until they are 16. For Enza, it's love at first sight, but it takes him years to realize her worth. He's…
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ARamos123
Apr 01, 2014ARamos123 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written book. I loved it. Def. a keeper. I'm buying it in the future.A beautiful love story that will keep you on your toes. This book will sweep you to the 20th century. I was always drawn to Victorian things so I really…
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Zeesa
Jan 22, 2014Zeesa rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I really liked this book. I later read the author's non-fiction book about her grandmothers. This book really comes from their experiences.
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mrsgail5756
Dec 18, 2013mrsgail5756 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Sep 05, 2013trini2 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What a great story and so beautifully told. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me look at life and what's important to me from a different perspective and when I closed the last page I felt like I'd said goodbye to a dear friend.…
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hania4987
Jul 23, 2013hania4987 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
sentimental without being sappy ... a truly beautiful love story of friendship and family, courage and perseverance, faith, and becoming American
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ScrollAdore
Jul 17, 2013ScrollAdore rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I wanted to get into it, but I couldn't. It just dragged.
Jul 07, 2013jkherm rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Excellent book - two points of view of the main characters. The story begins in Italy and then the characters both immigrate to the U.S. Read to discover what happens on their journey.
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BookEnthusiast
Jun 28, 2013BookEnthusiast rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I read this on a whim and was pleasantly surprised by it. I enjoy epic love novels that weave historical fiction into the plot. This book doesn't disappoint on those two fronts.
Feb 23, 2013Neens rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I thought this book would be a sweet love story from all the reviews but it was probably the cheesiest thing I've ever read. The author created very sappy one-dimensional characters and too many things happened towards the end; a simpler,…
Written in overly descriptive, repetitive prose, this unimaginative, sappy book failed to get my attention. I finished hoping it would pick up in plot or depth, but was sadly disappointed to see it was another immigrant story - of which I…
Sep 16, 2012Tica77 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This old-fashioned love story, which starts in the Italian alps and ends in Minnesota, brought me to tears. Adriana Trigiani writes about Ciro and Enza in a way that seems so real you cannot help but fall in love with them as if they were…
Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco's book buyer, has chosen The Shoemaker's Wife as her pick of the month for September 2012. "Inspired by the story of the author's grandparents, who grew up five miles apart in the Italian Alps but didn't…
Aug 25, 2012lsmarkova rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Lovingly told immigrant story - I wasn't surprised to discover that it was a tribute to Ms. Trigiani's grandparents.
I found the middle section too draggy and implausible. YMMV.
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The Shoemaker's Wife