G213 Book Review of The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
Author: Adriana Trigiani
ISBN: 978-0-06-213658-9
Publisher: Harper
Part of a Series: Valentine
Type of book: Italian-American, Italy, shoe-making, marriage issues, family, 2010?-2012?, motherhood, compromise, growth
Year it was published: 2013
Summary:
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 at The Feast of the Seven Fishes when Valentine and Gianluca join her extended family on a fateful Christmas Eve. 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.
Romantic and poignant, told with humor and warmth, and bursting with a cast of endearing characters, The Supreme Macaroni Company is a sumptuous feast of delights: a portrait of a woman and the man she loves, her passion for craftsmanship, and the sacrifices it takes to build and sustain a family business while keeping love and laughter at the center of everything.
Characters:
Valentine is best described as stubborn, strong, impetuous, creative, talented and intelligent when it comes to making shoes and how to best expand her business. For me she didn't seem to genuinely go through growth and through understanding what she has chosen. She is also close to her family members just as they are to her and they all are always there for one another. She is also Italian-American. Her husband Gianluca is full Italian and he is portrayed as very supportive of her and her dreams, a devoted father as well as son and is willing to compromise and to do whatever he can to make Valentine happy. Other characters have also played a role in the book such as Valentine's family members as well as her finding out an interesting secret that has something to do with her husband. (I honestly would have liked there to be more details about Gianluca's mother and why she has made the decisions she did,) but I really got the impression that the entire book was more about Valentine rather than they.
Theme:
Marriage is hard work; family helps one feel better
Plot:
This is written in first person narrative completely from Valentine's point of view and takes place from 2010? up until 2012 or 2013. The dialogue and character relationships are very addictive for me, and there are moments of humor whenever Valentine describes her family members and what they are like. However, I couldn't feel genuine growth and understanding from Valentine, and I also felt that fights between her and Gianluca didn't feel real but were something to add tension, not to mention one of their fights wasn't completely resolved and instead the author chooses to move few months later. There are a lot of life lessons to be learned from the book such as the fact that with marriage there has to be compromise, or that you can no longer do what you want, and unfortunately these lessons aren't properly demonstrated in this book.
(from goodreads.com)
url https://www.goodreads.com/AdrianaTrigiani
born Big Stone Gap, Virginia, The United States
gender female
website http://www.adrianatrigiani.com/
member since January 2011
Bestselling author Adriana Trigiani is beloved by millions of readers around the world for her hilarious and heartwarming novels. Adriana was raised in a small coal-mining town in southwest Virginia in a big Italian family. She chose her hometown for the setting and title of her debut novel, the critically acclaimed bestseller Big Stone Gap. The heartwarming story continues in the novel's sequels Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon, and Home to Big Stone Gap. Stand-alone novels Lucia, Lucia; The Queen of the Big Time; and Rococo, all topped the bestseller lists, as did Trigiani's 2009 Very Valentine and its 2010 sequel Brava, Valentine.
Trigiani teamed up with her family for Cooking with My Sisters, a cookbook coauthored by her sister Mary, with contributions from their sisters and mother. The cookbook-memoir features recipes and stories dating back a hundred years from both sides of their Italian-American family.
Adriana's novels have been translated and sold in more than 35 countries around the world. Trigiani's latest blockbuster Brava, Valentine (Very Valentine's sequel) debuted at number seven on the New York Times bestseller list following its February 2010 debut. Valentine Roncalli juggles her long-distance romance, as she works to better the family's struggling business. A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Val 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.
Trigiani's first young adult novel, Viola in Reel Life--the first in a series--debuted in September 2009. Fans fell in love with fourteen-year-old filmmaker Viola Chesterton, who moves from Brooklyn to a South Bend, Indiana, boarding school. In Spring 2011, readers will delight in Trigiani's follow-up novel Viola in the Spotlight, as Viola and friends spend an adventure-filled summer vacation in Brooklyn.
Readers will take a peek into the lives of the women who shaped Adriana, with her November 2010 nonfiction debut: Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from my Grandmothers. The book makes a lovely gift for family (or yourself!), as Trigiani shares a treasure trove of insight and guidance from her two grandmothers: time-tested common sense advice on the most important aspects of a woman's life, from childhood to old age.
Fans everywhere will soon see Adriana's work on the big and small screens! She wrote the screenplay for and will direct the big screen version of her novel Big Stone Gap. Adriana has also written the film adaptations of Lucia, Lucia and Very Valentine.
Critics from the Washington Post to the New York Times to People have described Adriana's novels as "tiramisu for the soul," "sophisticated and wise," and "dazzling." They agree that "her characters are so lively they bounce off the page," and that "...her novels are full bodied and elegantly written."
Trigiani's novels have been chosen for the USA Today Book Club, the Target Bookmarked series, and she's now officially a regular with Barnes & Noble Book Clubs, where she has conducted three online book clubs. Adriana speaks to book clubs from her home three to four nights a week.
Her books are so popular around the world that Lucia, Lucia was selected as the best read of 2004 in England by Richard and Judy.
After graduating from Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana, Adriana moved to New York City to become a playwright. She founded the all-female comedy troupe "The Outcasts," which performed on the cabaret circuit for seven years. She made her off-Broadway debut at the Manhattan Theatre Club and was produced in regional theatres of note around the country.
Among her many television credits, Adriana was a writer/producer on The Cosby Show, A Different World, and executive producer/head writer for City Kids for Jim Henson Productions. Her Lifetime television special, Growing Up Funny, garnered an Emmy Award nomination for Lily Tomlin.
Opinion:
I hadn't read previous books by Adriana Trigiani, thus this is my first one. The story and dialogue were pretty engrossing for me. Dialogue and family relationships can really suck its audience in and not let go easily. I barely noticed the passage of pages as I got to know Valentine's culture and family. So, why did I give this book four stars instead of five? The passage of time didn't feel real, not to mention there were a number of interesting plots that weren't wrapped up neatly, or else abandoned entirely. I also think that if I was more familiar with the previous books, perhaps I would have gotten more of my questions answered. Somehow the book didn't feel complete for me. I also have an impression that Valentine didn't really go through the growth that marriage and motherhood bestowed upon her.
Adriana’s Tour Stops
Monday, November 11th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
Tuesday, November 12th: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile
Wednesday, November 13th: Becca’s Byline
Thursday, November 14th: Kritters Ramblings
Friday, November 15th: Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
Monday, November 18th: Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Tuesday, November 19th: Peeking Between the Pages
Wednesday, November 20th: Booktalk & More
Thursday, November 21st: Always With a Book
Monday, November 25th: Broken Teepee
Tuesday, November 26th: bookchickdi
Wednesday, November 27th: Bibliophilia, Please
Friday, November 29th: Lesa’s Book Critiques
Monday, December 2nd: Book Addict Katie
Tuesday, December 3rd: Alison’s Book Marks
Wednesday, December 4th: Ageless Pages Reviews
Thursday, December 5th: Seaside Book Corner
Friday, December 6th: Lavish Bookshelf
Monday, December 9th: Joyfully Retired
Tuesday, December 10th: A Book Geek
Wednesday, December 11th: Love at First Book
Thursday, December 12th: A Chick Who Reads
Friday, December 13th: Books and Movies
Monday, December 16th: Read Lately
Tuesday, December 17th: Lisa’s Yarns
Wednesday, December 18th: Col Reads
Thursday, December 19th: Good Girl Gone Redneck
Friday, December 20th: Drey’s Library
Monday, December 30th: red headed book child
Wednesday, January 1st: The Lost Entwife
Wednesday, January 1st: Tiffany’s Bookshelf
Tuesday, January 2nd: Book-alicious Mama
Monday, January 6th: Reflections of a Bookaholic
Tuesday, January 7th: A Bookish Way of Life
Wednesday, January 8th: Time 2 Read
Wednesday, January 8th: Stephany Writes
Thursday, January 9th: Walking With Nora
This is for TLC Book Tour
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
I'm glad that you did enjoy this overall. Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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