The Supreme Macaroni Company (Valentine #3)
Adriana Trigiani
Harper November 26 2013
Pages 352
ISBN 9780062136589
A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review
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.
MY THOUGHTS
“It’s important to accept a happy life when it’s presented to you. The only time you can go wrong is when you make a decision to please others and not yourself.”
Trigiani disappointed me with the predictability of the narrative. I was also surprised by Valentine’s behavior.
The narrative felt hurried, it was almost as if Trigiani ran out of steam and this was what was left on the table.
Valentine’s refusal to compromise in her marriage was a shocker. As we know, any relationship is full of compromise. Her actions spoke of pure selfishness which I found unlike her personality. Gianluca, what a loving, romantic man. Patience is a virtue and Gianluca possessed endless patience. A man proud to be a husband and to have Valentine as his wife. The fact these two mature adults failed to discuss vital topics ‘prior’ to marrying felt implausible and ridiculous.
“What you love, I love. What worries you, worries me. What you dream of, I will try and make come true.”
Trigiani is consistent in creating strong, independent female protagonists facing the brutal blows life often delivers. Her characters refuse to host pity parties, never play the victim role but rather they pick themselves up, dust off the muck and move forward with grace and poise. Everyday women like me and you facing the challenges and successes life drops in our path.
Valentine will be missed, however, her strength, passion and drive will guide her through life and the triumphs and trials yet to be faced.
“I have decided that love is only real and true when it makes you feel safe.”
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.
For more information on Adriana Trigiani follow the links:
AdrianaTrigiani author’s website
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Indiebound
Barnes & Noble
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