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The Supreme Macaroni Company: A Novel
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The Supreme Macaroni Company: A Novel
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The Supreme Macaroni Company: A Novel
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The Supreme Macaroni Company: A Novel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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New York Times Bestseller Publishers Weekly Bestseller  

In The Supreme Macaroni Company, bestselling author Adriana Trigiani weaves a heartbreaking story that begins on the eve of a wedding in New York's Greenwich Village and culminates in beautiful Tuscany. Family, work, romance, and the unexpected twists of life and fate all come together in an unforgettable narrative that Trigiani fans will adore.

For over a hundred years, the Angelini Shoe Company in Greenwich Village has relied on the leather produced by Vechiarelli & Son in Tuscany. This ancient business partnership provides the twist of fate for Valentine Roncalli, the schoolteacher turned shoemaker, to fall in love with Gianluca Vechiarelli, a tanner with a complex past . . . and a secret.

But after the wedding celebrations are over, Valentine wakes up to the hard reality of juggling the demands of a new business and the needs of her new family. Confronted with painful 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." Now the proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves—the bitter and the sweet of life itself.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperCollins
Release dateNov 26, 2013
ISBN9780062136602
Author

Adriana Trigiani

Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is “a master of palpable and visual detail” (Washington Post) and “a comedy writer with a heart of gold” (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People’s Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana’s screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 1,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.  Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.  Join Adriana’s Facebook LIVE show, Adriana Ink, in conversation with the world’s greatest authors- Tuesdays at 3 PM EST! For more from Adriana’s interviews, you can subscribe to her Meta “Bulletin” column, Adriana Spills the Ink: adrianatrigiani.bulletin.com/subscribe.

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Rating: 3.52866250955414 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I received this book from TLC Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review.I’m a big fan of Adriana Trigiani’s novels and have been reading them for years. They’re light and usually focus on family in some aspect, with a big of a not-too-wimpy love story thrown in. They also focus on a strong female character.The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani is no exception. Valentine is a shoemaker, a fabulous designer, who has fallen in love with Gianluca, a tanner. This is a modern story, focusing on Valentine’s romance with Gianluca, with the lesson that everything worth having isn’t always easy. In addition, The Supreme Macaroni Company describes the process of expanding Valentine’s shoe empire.For the full review, visit Love at First Book
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Disappointing. Trigiani completely changed Valentine for this novel, making her into a rambling moron confused about fitting her new husband into her life. Valentine, that thinks so clearly about all aspects of her life in the past two books, blindly chooses to marry without any conversation about what will ensue after the wedding itself. Please, Valentine as a character deserved more respect. Also, surely this cannot be the end of this story?
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The Supreme Macaroni Company called to me, both because it was by Adriana Trigiani and because of the Italian heritage I knew would run deep in it. I'm always fascinated by glimpses into the lives of others. I also love Trigiani's ability to bring a whole family, an entire clan of loving, swearing, supportive people, to life. I was ready to get lost in another of her books.

    Keep in mind I had no idea this was the third book in a series. Apparently Valentine's story has been going on for two books previous to this, and therefore I was coming in at the end. On the bright side, it didn't even register that I'd missed anything at first. Valentine and Gianluca were easy to fall in step with. I was a little daunted by their age difference initially, but their family dynamic really drew me in.

    What kept me from falling in love with The Supreme Macaroni Company was that everything moved so quickly. Time flew as Valentine moved from being engaged, to being a married woman and beyond. I adored how much passion she had for her work. I wanted to see more of her creations. More of her personality. It all felt swallowed up by her relationship with Gianluca. Maybe if I had read the first two books I'd feel differently. Perhaps what I was missing happened in books past. All I know is that I ended the book feeling a bit cheated.

    It's true that it's harder to judge The Supreme Macaroni Company, simply because I didn't know this was the last book in a series. Still, I can't deny that I enjoyed the ride. The relationship between Valentine and Gianluca was bittersweet, and I did love the family as well. If nothing else I know I'll be going to back to read the two books before this.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I don't know what it is exactly about this author but I love everything she's ever written and this book was no different. I laughed, I cried, and I just can't wait to see what she does next. I highly recommend this author to anyone, but you have to start her trilogies in their intended order.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've been a fan of Adriana Trigiani for a while now. I absolutely loved her last novel, The Shoemaker's Wife, and thought she had risen to an entirely new level with the story. In fact, I loaned the book to my aunt to read and it's been making the rounds with her friends in the year since that occurrence. I was excited, as you can imagine, to be offered the chance to review The Supreme Macaroni Company, the third book in Trigiani's Valentine Series, as a result. I was anxious to see if she would continue the story in a way that showed the influence of that previous novel. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on Jan 1, 2014.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In the final novel of the Valentine trilogy, Valentine marries Gianluca Vechiarelli. The book begins on Christmas Eve when the nearly engaged couple arrives at Valentine's sister's house to tell her entire family the news. I did not care for this section of the book because the family argued amongst themselves for the entire evening, and I found it monotonous reading. Afterward, the tone of the book changed, and it became quite a good read. After they marry, Gianluca wants them to live in Italy while Valentine is committed to staying in New York City to run her family's shoe company. (What couple would not at least discuss something of this magnitude before the wedding?) The balancing of family life against running the business forms the focus of the novel's plot. The book seemed to over-stretch things at points, but for those who have read the previous two books in the series, it is a must read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is not intended to be a full review. Several readers at my library expressed disappointment in this book. Like me, they had read and enjoyed the first two in the series. I decided I'd better take a look so I could be more prepared to discuss with future readers. I too was disappointed, not at the story line, which seemed to be one of the major problems with several people, but with the trite, hackneyed writing. This book seems to be one stereotype and cliché after another. The whole story could have been told in about 2/3 of the words and not lost anything but a lot of melodrama. Essentially, it is the continuation of the romance of Valentine Roncalli and Giancarlo Vechiarelli. As the wedding day approaches, Valentine struggles with worries about her factory in Argentina closing down and the conflicting expections between Valentine and Giancarlo concerning a permanent home. It's a beautiful romance, spoiled by Valentine's rather, IMHO selfish desire to have it all. Her unwillingness to bend caused me a lot of angst. At times, it was like listening to a four-year-old stamping her foot and demanding her way. It's hard to review this one without a major spoiler, and for those of you who are fans of the series, I don't want to spoil the story. If you're a fan, it's still a good story; if you haven't read the first two, I'd recommend you start at the beginning.A final note: I did listen to parts of this on audio. The narrator, Cassandra Campbell did an excellent job giving Valentine's angst a true interpretation. In fact, she was so good, I had to go back to reading it because I wanted to grab Valentine and give her a good talking to.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While I enjoyed this book, I didn’t love it as much as I did The Shoemaker’s Wife. That was a hard book to top. This book is able to stand alone without reading the first book, but beware there are a lot of characters. Valentine is a woman who is going through many changes in her life and finding herself. What she finds in the end is that her husband loved her much more than she thought possible, but it takes his death for her to learn this. He gave up everything for her. I enjoyed learning of the Italian celebrations and culture. The book kept me reading and involved in the story and along the way many of Gianluca’s secrets are unraveled. This was a great love story. Adriana also uses great descriptive language that is not too flowery and sometimes I could almost feel and smell the things she was describing. She is a very talented writer and has a great writing style. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I thought the true feelings of Valentina came through. However, I like a happier ending.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    THE SUPREME MACARONI COMPANY by Adriana TrigianiWay too much navel gazing for me this time around. I usually enjoy Trigiani’s books, this one just seemed to spend too much time on Valentine’s inner thoughts and self-recriminations. You do find out why she chose the title three fourth of the way through the book. A new factory in the US already has a name and she keeps it – kind of clever but not enough to rescue this book.2 of 5 stars
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I cried like a baby!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Reading one of this author’s books is like reading a Christmas letter from a family you have known for years. The characters are all so familiar it doesn’t seem like it is fiction at all. And this is true even if you haven’t read the previous books in this series, for after the first chapter you will feel like - in a good way - that you have known this family forever!Valentine Roncalli is 35 and is about to be married for the first time to the older, dashing and handsome Italian, Gianluca Vechiarelli. Valentine isn’t worried as much about the 18-year-age difference as the possibility that her family might seem too much for Gianluca. But in fact, it already is Gianluca’s family too, since his father married Valentine’s grandmother. When Gram got married to Dominic Vechiarelli, she handed over her shoe-making business to Valentine, who goes at it with American ambition and drive. This creates a bit of a culture clash with Gianluca, who explains:"We don’t eat ambition three times a day to sustain ourselves. We work hard, but it doesn’t fill us up. Only love can do that.”[See? This is one of the reasons why I always wanted to move to Italy. That, and the pasta.]How they work out these differences forms one of the plot lines of this book, but the importance of family is the main story. As Gram tells Valentine:"There are no lone wolves in the family structure - there shouldn’t be. It’s the community of your heart, your allies in a very difficult world. You don’t know what the future holds, but your family will be there to hold you when you need them.”As we follow this family over the next two years (the book begins in 2010), we learn about what goes into a marriage, and just how important family can be. You will laugh and cry and feel like you’ve spent a long Thanksgiving with the Roncallis and Vechiarellis. You will also emerge several pounds heavier, since you will be inspired to start cooking because of the many food scenes in this book! But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Valentine’s sister Tess says: “...if I can’t be the eater who stays skinny, I’d want to be invisible, so I could eat whatever I want and no one would look at me.” Valentine’s friend Gabriel replies, “That’s called marriage.”And yes, this book is full of funny lines like the one cited above. You will not only feel like you are at a Thanksgiving dinner, but at one that takes place during a Comedy Channel reality show.At one point, Gabriel observes to Valentine, “You realize that you’ve hired every Roncalli in the family except for the goldfish in your mother’s koi pond.... Family: the gift that keeps on taking.”And giving. Like this book. The author shares with you her wonderful sense of humor, her warmth, and her love for others. And you get to take. And enjoy.Evaluation: Whether or not you have read any previous books about Valentine Roncalli and her colorful extended family and labor-intensive designer shoe business, you will love this book. This is a family you won’t want to live without, just as Valentine herself feels.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This novel focuses on Valentine Roncalli, a custom shoe maker and a member of a large, extended Italian family. She has just become engaged to an old family friend from Italy and she has doubts about well, everything. She doesn't want to give up her so called independence for marriage not seeming to understand that a true partnership will make her stronger. She waffles and moans and seems to get married because she is getting older and it's expected of her. The man she is marrying does everything for her and she is for the most part very unappreciative.I did not realize that this was the third book of a series and perhaps if I had read the preceding books I would have a better appreciation for Valentine but I just couldn't understand her. I did enjoy her family though - I've met families like hers and they are warm and embracing. I just couldn't understand Valentine or her motivations and when I have a main character like that it is hard for me to love a book. She was not a teenager; she was over thirty and yet she acted like a spoiled child. As to other aspects of the book I did thoroughly enjoy the passages that detailed the making of shoes and that took place in Italy.I don't want to spoil the plot but I think there is some hope for Valentine as she does eventually realize that marriage doesn't have to mean giving up your independence and freedom. It just takes her a while to figure it out and it comes a bit late. I don't know if there are going to be further books in this series that will explore this new side of her. If there are I would be interested to read them to see if the life lessons stick.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Although you may not know it from the title, The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani is the third book in the saga of Valentine Roncalli, following Brava, Valentine and Very Valentine. We pick up our story on Christmas Eve as Valentine and her fiance Gianluca are headed to Christmas Eve with the raucous Roncalli family.My favorite scene in all three books has been the family holiday dinner scene; it doesn't matter if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve, these scenes are pure joy. Trigiani makes the reader feel like she is a guest, and you'll want to pull up a chair for this party.There is Aunt Feen, who says everything that is on her mind, and that is not a good thing. When Valentine's father Dutch gets nervous, he confuses words to everyone's embarrassment. Her brother Charlie just lost his job and is getting roaring drunk. And just as Valentine has second thoughts about subjecting Gianluca to this,"On cue, as dramatized in the biblical epics, the Israelites came pouring from out of the living room as they did during the parting of the Red Sea. In this sweet, small house, they appeared like a cast of thousands, except that unlike the people of peace, my family was arguing. They shouted. They shoved. They threw their hands in the air. "Valentine is trying to have it all, but as most of us know, that is impossible to do all at the same time. Angelini Shoe Company, her shoe design and manufacturing business, is going great guns, until her cousin who owns the manufacturing plant in Argentina that makes her shoes decides to close her plant.And so Valentine has to find another manufacturer, not an easy task for her labor intensive shoe creations. Thus the title of the book comes into play. The Supreme Macaroni Company is an old closed plant in the midwest that could possibly be the answer for Angelini Shoes, and I particularly enjoyed this part of the novel.Trigiani gives the reader a look at the challenges facing small business owners, the backbone of our American economy, and I liked that her family is so involved in saving the business begun by her grandfather.And Valentine has to balance work with family life. Gianluca left his family back in Italy to move to New York with his fiancee. He sacrificed much to make his wife happy, and is seems as if Valentine is not appreciative of this.The author laces this novel with her trademark humor, though the reader senses something tragic lay ahead. Soon Valentine has to dig deep within herself, and allow herself to rely on those surrounding her, to make it through.Reading Trigiani's novels is like catching up with a good friend, and I always look forward to a new novel from her. Her characters are interesting and have a sense of reality about them; they could be your friends or family. (Who wouldn't want a best friend like Gabriel?)These novels are a treat for all of your senses. You can see the beautiful shoes she designs in your mind's eye, and smell the delicious food being prepared for Christmas Eve. They are screaming out to be put up on the big (or little) screen.I also must mention the cover of this book. Trigiani's last novel, The Shoemaker's Wife, featured a gorgeous book cover and The Supreme Macaroni Company follows in that vein with a beautifully rich cover. What is on the outside more than matches the inside of this lovely novel that will touch your heart. This is a book to give your sister, sister-in-law or girlfriend this holiday season.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    In this third book of the series, Valentine is getting married. While on her honeymoon, she discovers something that could be very bad for her shoe-making business and has to figure out what to do about it. I didn’t like her husband, Gianluca. I actually agreed with most of her thoughts, actions, etc, except I couldn’t understand why they rushed into their marriage and didn’t talk about many of the things that ended up creating conflict beforehand. I’m not sure why I didn’t like Gianluca, but every time he did something nice, I had this foreboding feeling. Overall, the story kept me interested. I was listening to the audio and I think the narrator did a good job with accents and such. Overall, I’m rating it ok. Not as good as the others in the series, though; the first book was definitely the best one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I love Adriana Trigiani's books but I wasn't thrilled with this one. There were plenty of things happening but they didn't seem to flow together. It makes me wonder if there will be any more Valentine books?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    WOW! In some spots I was disappointed in this book (in the first 100 pages).I've read the Valentine series and loved it.This one is slow to start and i almost gave up. But I kept with it.The best of the series! In some ways,I hope this is the last of the series,I don't know how Trigianni can top herself after this one.Bittersweet story of love,life and family and pursuit of dreams.A must read for fans and an unforgettable and powerful ending,that I did not see coming.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    After 60 pages of the family squabbling on Christmas Eve, I gave up.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the third book in the Valentine trilogy, featuring shoemaker Valentine Roncalli. I think the second book, Encore Valentine, was my favourite but this one is still a good read. It's no spoiler to say that she finally gets her man in Gianluca Vechiarelli but as usual there are many twists and turns along the way. There's a lot of dialogue to follow in this book, which did get a little confusing at times, especially with Valentine's mad family in the mix and just as I was going along thinking that it wasn't fully grabbing me it picked up and then left me sobbing at the end of it. I can't remember the last time I cried so much at a book. The depth of feeling in the writing was just so moving. I have really loved this trilogy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Adriana Trigiani is one of my favourite writers of women’s fiction, having read eight of her books to date. I enjoyed reading Vera Valentine and subsequently Brava Valentine because I could identify with the main character. However, in this third book I almost feel that Valentine has changed from the smart, thoughtful and endearing character that she was and has become someone that I really feel no affinity to anymore.

    It seems that the author just wanted to finish this story and move on. The character development in the previous two novels was so good, I was excited to learn more about Valenine’s new romance, her life with her family (both old and new) and her continuing artistic endeavours. Unfortunately, the plot just sort of peters out and seems unresolved. Adriana’s skill at storytelling is witty and skillful; however, my expectations were not met with this book. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I do look forward to reading more of Adriana’s stories in the future.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Adriana Trigiani is one of my new favorite author's but found this book so disappointing. The protagnist did not deserve the love of her life, he was selfless and most any woman's dream but Val cared more for her business and her way of life to appreciate his love.If you love the trilogy, please read this book but when the end comes you will find only distaste for Val.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I normally like Trigiani's books as little escapes into another slice of life. I've enjoyed this series about Valentine a great deal, watching her grow, and make life decisions. I've also enjoyed the depiction of "the big Italian-American family" and how much it resembles other "big fill-in-the-blank-ethnicity families I know. Also, the design process for shoes that has threaded through the books has been fascinating. This book carried a lot of Trigiani's skill as a script writer, often enabling me to more clearly "see" the scene in my mind as I read. Unfortunately, I didn't always like what I was seeing, in regards to some of Valentine's decisions and approaches to sharing your life with your lover and your work. I'm not saying that I don't believe a woman should have a career, because that's definitely not true. I just found myself wanting to smack Valentine, and point to the words "Compromise" and "Share" in the dictionary. If I'd wanted that much marital discord in my light reading, I'd pick up Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe or War of the Roses .I do read the author's notes and afterwards in books, and was interested to see how much of this one/series was based on a cousin of Trigiani.Based on that paragraph, I also have a hunch where the story is going from here. If the next book falls into my hands (as this one did), I'll pick it up. If not, I'm fine with where Valentine and I are in our relationship.Rounding up to 3 stars, because even though I didn't like the story as much as some of the others, the writing carried the images very clearly to mind. Tags: an-author-i-read, give-me-my-time-back, part-start-of-a-series, read, thought-i-was-gonna-like
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is the third in a trilogy, Very Valentine and Brava, Valentine being the first two. I have read a few other reviews for the Supreme Macaroni Company some negative and some positive. Since this is the only book I read in the trilogy I guess I was not biased as to which one was better. I thought that Valentine and her large family were dysfunctional but so very lovable. Gianluca asks Valentine to marry her and she accepts. What happens next is a wonderful romp through the Roncalli family. Valentine tries to juggle her business as a shoemakeer, her marriage and eventually a child. A poignant story about love, romance, family and loss are told with humor and compassion. These paragraphs at the end of the book really struck me as what everyone should want from marriage and life: "Any happiness we enjoy - any feelings of security and this newfound treasure, our solidarity as a family, all of this and so much more - is because of him. My Gianluca. "What I remember is not what we ate for dinner, or what we were wearing, but what was said - the conversations, the words, the intent and the meaning. These make life full, and the memory of them will carry me through the rest of my life."I really enjoyed this novel of family and love and highly recommend it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This novel began with much humor. I loved the "dry" sarcasm, and the pathetic descriptions of her Italian/American life. It was a truly enjoyable romantic comedy, but all too quickly dissipated. Valentine was very successful, talented, somewhat insecure, and spoiled. Gianluca was very mature, classy, stable, and wise. Valentine was totally self-centered and was determined marriage would not change anything in her life...she just would no longer be alone nor expected to drop everything to assist another family member.This was an engaging, yet circumventing story with romance, compromise, adversity, family tradition and ties. It often provoked conflicting emotions.The three problems I had with this book was #1. The humor was not maintained in Valentine's personality. It seems the girl at the beginning of the story is very different from the one through the rest of the book...I( know...she may be bi-polar). #2. The profanity and some crude language did not fit the proper Italian scene nor was it appreciated by this reader. #3 The ending died down to detached from the story and the title. It did nothing to vindicate the title as a good pick for the story line.It still merited a weak Four Stars rating.*I was gifted this book for an honest review, of which I have given.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Adriana Trigiani is one of my favorite authors, but this was not one of my favorite books. The Supreme Macaroni Company, a terrible title, started off in Trigiani fashion, and I settled in for a good read. However, the middle third of the book dragged terribly. A dramatic twist toward the end of the book was once again pure Trigiani, but ultimately, it was too little, too late. I would rather reread her stellar Lucia, Lucia. A rare miss by Trigiani, although I still would not hesitate to read her next book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This is the third and final book in the series. What a disappointment! I realized after reading all three books that I didn't like Valentine at all - or maybe I liked her in the first two books but I sure didn't like her in this book - she was just a spoiled self centered witch and she treated her husband terribly. I don't think she grew as a person and I was just left with a bad feeling about the series when I finished it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I will tread carefully as I attempt to write a review for the final book of this series without giving too much away. We are swept across the globe once again, from New York to Italy, as we follow Valentine's hopes and dreams. We've been cheering Valentine throughout the series to have the opportunity for love, and now it is at her doorstep.Valentine loves Gianluca with all her heart, but struggles to commit to him as a partner should. She seems to think that compromise is one-sided, not requiring any changes or sacrifices on her part. She is driven to make her shoe business grow and all other events come in second place compared to the Angelini Shoe Company.I found myself bothered by Valentine's selfishness in this novel, but I suppose a woman in her mid-thirties, who has had years of independence, may find it difficult to adjust. With more of her family helping with the business, she learns to delegate, not having to take control of every transaction of the company.This book was a whirlwind for me. Once Valentine allows love into her life it all just blew by so quickly. I tried to savor her experiences the best I could, from the romance to her newfound appreciation of Italy, but being the final segment, I guess it had to end. With themes of love, forgiveness, family, and secrets, you may enjoy this book as much as I did. I recommend this novel for personal leisure or as a book club discussion.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This novel focuses on Valentine Roncalli, a custom shoe maker and a member of a large, extended Italian family. She has just become engaged to an old family friend from Italy and she has doubts about well, everything. She doesn't want to give up her so called independence for marriage not seeming to understand that a true partnership will make her stronger. She waffles and moans and seems to get married because she is getting older and it's expected of her. The man she is marrying does everything for her and she is for the most part very unappreciative.I did not realize that this was the third book of a series and perhaps if I had read the preceding books I would have a better appreciation for Valentine but I just couldn't understand her. I did enjoy her family though - I've met families like hers and they are warm and embracing. I just couldn't understand Valentine or her motivations and when I have a main character like that it is hard for me to love a book. She was not a teenager; she was over thirty and yet she acted like a spoiled child. As to other aspects of the book I did thoroughly enjoy the passages that detailed the making of shoes and that took place in Italy.I don't want to spoil the plot but I think there is some hope for Valentine as she does eventually realize that marriage doesn't have to mean giving up your independence and freedom. It just takes her a while to figure it out and it comes a bit late. I don't know if there are going to be further books in this series that will explore this new side of her. If there are I would be interested to read them to see if the life lessons stick.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An enjoyable read about a large Italian family in NYC who design shoes. Story told through Valentina , the shoe designer in the family. Valentina learns some hard realities of running a business, falling in love, marriage and becoming a mother then a widow. She is a flawed, real character with an endlessly interesting and entertaining family.