Shoemakers Wife

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.

“Within the pages of this novel, Trigianis 10th, is a gloriously romantic yet sensible world that seamlessly blends practicality and beauty…built around the staggering cultural and social changes the war years swept in…. Trigianis very best…exquisite writing and a story enriched by the power of abiding love.” < b=""> < i=""> USA Today <> <>

“Ive always loved reading Trigiani, but [this] is something totally new and completely wonderful: a rich, sweeping epic which tells the story of the women and men who built America dream by dream. If youre meeting her work for the first time, get ready for a lifelong love affair. Splendid.” < b=""> Kathryn Stockett, #1 < i=""> New York Times <> bestselling author of < i=""> The Help <> <>

“The breathtaking… historical novel sparkles in exquisite details and vivid descriptions.” < b=""> < i=""> Huffington Post <> <>

“[A] great read….Bella.” < b=""> < i=""> People <> <>

“Pure pleasure . . . full-bodied and elegantly written.” < b=""> < i=""> Washington Post Book World <> <>

“Youll have trouble putting this novel down.” < b=""> < i=""> Richmond Times-Dispatch <> <>

“The novel is a sweeping epic, but at its heart, its a love story. It speaks to an era of possibilities.” < b=""> < i=""> Providence Journal <> <>

“Trigianis page-turning newest… is a sweeping saga… More than an epic romance, Trigianis work pays homage to the tribulations of the immigrant experience, and the love that makes the journey and hardships worthwhile.” < b=""> < i=""> Publishers Weekly <> <>

“This expansive epic, which seems tailor-made for a miniseries, manages to feel both old-fashioned and thoroughly contemporary…[an] irresistible love story.” < b=""> < i=""> Booklist <> <>

“Trigianis gift for using vivid details to create a strong sense of place and her warm affection for her characters will make this a satisfying read for her many fans.” < b=""> < i=""> Library Journal <> <>

…an old-fashioned, romantic tale of two star-tangled lovers...but also a paean to artisanal work, food, friendship and family…Trigiani is a master of palpable and visual detail. < b=""> < i=""> Washington Post <> <>

Adriana Trigiani is beloved by millions of readers around the world for fifteen bestsellers, including the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker's Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Lucia, Lucia; the Valentine series; the Viola series for young adults and the bestselling memoir Don't Sing at the Table. She is the award-winning filmmaker of the documentary Queens of the Big Time. Trigiani wrote and directed the major motion picture Big Stone Gap, based on her debut novel and filmed entirely on location in her Virginia hometown, to be released nationwide in the fall of 2015. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.