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The Shoemaker's Wife: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 15,621 listener ratings
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The majestic beauty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century is the setting of the first meeting of Enza, a practical beauty, and Ciro, a strapping mountain boy. When Ciro catches the local priest in a scandal, he is banished and sent to hide in America. Soon Enza's family faces disaster and she, too, is forced to go to America.
Unbeknownst to one another, they both build fledgling lives in America. Ciro masters shoemaking and Enza takes a factory job until fate intervenes and reunites them. But it is too late: Ciro has volunteered to serve in World War I as Enza begins her impressive career as a seamstress at the Metropolitan Opera House. Over time, these star-crossed lovers meet and separate, until the power of their love changes both of their lives forever. Inspired by Adriana Trigiani's own family history and the love of tradition, The Shoemaker's Wife defines an era with operatic scope that will live on in the imaginations of readers for years to come.
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"I loved this novel. From the Italian Alps to America it tells the story of a girl who navigates her way through hardships with strength and conviction. Intertwined is a wonderful love story. The characters are well developed and you get caught up in their lives. You feel their joy and heartaches as the story moves along. I highly recommend this book."
— Debflowers7 (5 out of 5 stars)
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“I’ve 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 you’re meeting her work for the first time, get ready for a lifelong love affair. Splendid.”
— Kathryn Stockett, New York Times bestselling author -
“The breathtaking…historical novel sparkles in exquisite details and vivid descriptions.”
— Huffington Post -
“Within the pages of this novel, Trigiani’s tenth, 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 inTrigiani’s very best…exquisite writing and a story enriched by the power of abiding love.”
— USA Today -
“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.”
— Washington Post
Awards
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New York Times bestseller
The Shoemaker's Wife Listener Reviews
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" Passed along by a friend (who's cousin is the author) it was a lovely read. A lot like floating on a river -- just ambling along, enjoying the scenery, seeing something unexpected every once in a while. And I'll admit, the curiosity to see what truth's to my friend's family might be woven into the story kept my interest piqued! Not something I would have picked up and yet it was so satisfying to just have such an easy time of it! So nice I read another one of Adriana's books and will likely read more just for the joy of it. "
— Sarah, 2/19/2014 -
" Such an enjoyable read that I read it slowly on purpose to savor it longer! "
— Lisa, 2/17/2014 -
" I loved this book. Couldn't put it down and couldn't wait to get back to it at night. "
— Carolyn, 2/8/2014 -
" This is a good story based loosely on the author's grandparents immigration to America from northern Italy. Despite a bit of a drag in the middle, the strong start and finish make this an entertaining and touching read. "
— Hannah, 2/8/2014 -
" This was an epic tale that by the last 100 pages I couldn't put it down. "
— Katie, 2/6/2014 -
" I was disappointed by this book. I was waiting for an epic historical fiction because the book was fairly highly rated. I found the book to be unbelievable. I didn't feel the characters were very developed, in fact it seemed to me the author spent more time on fabric and scenery descriptions than on story and character development. I never really felt connected to any of the characters and frankly had to force myself to finish, which didn't even end up being worth my time. "
— Destonee, 2/3/2014 -
" I wanted to love this book, I really did, and I might even give it an extra half star. The story starts out in the early 1900's on a mountain in Italy and follows the life of two characters. The first 2/3 of the book were good, but it felt like the author was trying to wrap up the story really quickly and neatly at the end. The main character was a strong, intelligent woman, who was very likable. Sometimes the timeline was unclear and I wasn't always sure how much time has passed between certain scenes. "
— Lavon, 1/28/2014 -
" love story and good insite into italian immmigrants. "
— Reddoggo, 1/19/2014 -
" Absolutely wonderful....did not want it to end. "
— Sue, 1/11/2014 -
" The book was a little hard to get through at the beginning given the Italian references. It's about several Ialian immigrants and their lives over many years. I found interesting comparisons to my Irish heritage. Not my favorite historical book but may be worth a read. "
— Beth, 1/6/2014 -
" Although the plot was a bit scripted, I really enjoyed this book. The timing was perfect for me to read a good old-fashioned love story. "
— Mary, 1/5/2014 -
" Loved it! Pure Trigiani... Family, true love, food, Italy.... Sigh... :) "
— Rhonda, 12/31/2013 -
" It was a lovely story. "
— Sara, 12/22/2013 -
" beautiful writing & beautiful story! "
— Kelly, 11/22/2013 -
" Trigiani is a master of providing details and descriptions and the story was engaging. However, there were times where I found the end of the book to be repetitive and at the end a little too melodramatic, in my opinion. "
— Mercedes, 10/30/2013 -
" I really liked this book. I enjoyed the details I felt like I was in the met or on the hillside. What I enjoyed most was that it simulated real life, good and bad. I would recommend. "
— Jenise, 8/27/2013 -
" This was a great read. I loved the characters and the story line(s). "
— Laura, 6/8/2013 -
" Read for my school book club. So sweet and romantic...couldn't bust thru it, like I usually do bc it was just to beautiful. A great "by the fire or beach read" "
— Amy, 5/15/2013 -
" it was above a 5!!! i loved it....the description of Italy made me want to run back!! great read! "
— Beth, 3/30/2013 -
" Enjoyed the continuing story - liked the complexity of the characters. "
— Julie, 1/30/2013 -
" This was a nice Italian immigrant story. A bit soapy at times. I read the first half in bits and pieces. Then the last half in the last couple of days. Very easy to put down and pick right back up again. "
— Marye, 1/24/2013 -
" It started slow, but once I got into it - good. Adriana Trigiani writes with descriptive details and matters of the heart and this book is about immigrants and their dreams in America. The story had lots of heart. "
— Jullie, 12/26/2012 -
" Although this book started out a bit slow, this book ended up being one of the most beautifully written and emotional books I've ever read. This author is excellent And I felt as though I was ENza towards the end of the book because her thoughts and her writing were so truthful. Bravo! "
— Amy, 11/5/2012 -
" What a great story about life, love & family! I loved the story line & the characters in this book especially following the lives of the main characters Enza & Ciro! "
— Colleen, 10/1/2012
About Adriana Trigiani
Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. The author of the bestselling Big Stone Gap series, she also wrote the bestselling memoir Don’t Sing at the Table and the young-adult novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. Her books have been published in thirty-six countries around the world. She wrote and directed the film version of her novel Big Stone Gap.
About Adriana Trigiani
Annabella Sciorra was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, as Annabella Gloria Philomena Sciorra. She is an actress and producer, known for her roles in the films What Dreams May Come, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Jungle Fever. She was previously married to Joe Petruzzi.