Title: Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani | Category: Adult Fiction, 560 pages | Genre: Historical Fiction | Publisher: Harper Paperbacks | Release date: January 2018
Book Description:
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 and 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 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 and to the determined Calla Borelli who inherited the enterprise from her father, Nicky must choose between the conventional life or new course and risk losing everything he has known.
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 an absorbing, 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.
My Thoughts:
When I travel, I love to read a book based in the place where I'm going. I would have loved to have been in Valfortore, Italy, New York or even South Philly when I read Kiss Carlo. But since I couldn't be there, experiencing the trials of this wonderful Italian-American family, especially the charming but troubled Nicky, was a treat in itself. As an Italian-American myself, I can attest to the fact that the descriptions of the food, the family interactions and the personalities are so real you feel you know these people. I, for one, didn't want them to go on with their story without me when then book ended.
The best part about Trigiani's writing, imho, is her ability to create a vast array of characters with such deep emotions and quirky characteristics that you are completely drawn into their lives. From a mayor to a jilted girlfriend to a conflicted middle-aged man, Trigiani provides them all with pitch perfect personalities. They aren't stereotypes and they aren't so extreme that you can't reach them. They are just like you and me and they'll stick with you long after the end of the book. Kiss Carlo is another absorbing story from Trigiani about life, love and family...Italian style.
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| Photo Credit: Tim Stephenson |
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Giveaway! Ends Feb. 7th (US only)
CLICK HERE to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway and one winner will receive a paperback copy of Kiss Carlo. Good luck!
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