Sylvia Cicetti is the mom of Bookreporter.com’s Carol Fitzgerald. An ardent Adriana Trigiani fan, she attended her event Monday night at Spring Lake Public Library in Spring Lake, N.J., which was part of Adriana’s tour for THE SHOEMAKER’S WIFE, her latest New York Times bestseller. Carol asked her mom to share her thoughts on this event in the following Q&A.
Tell us a bit about THE SHOEMAKER’S WIFE and why it resonated with you.
THE SHOEMAKER’S WIFE begins in the Italian Alps where Enza and Ciro meet as teenagers under unusual circumstances. Following their attraction to each other is the basic plot of the book. Their lives encounter many twists and turns, and the story continues from Italy to America. It covers two World Wars and three generations of characters.
The strength of women portrayed in Enza was so realistic. She knew how to love and encourage her husband without sacrificing her own talents and strengths. I adored her. Adriana brought out so many kinds of love and caring --- between husband and wife, parent and child, and loyalty to a friendship --- even when it involved different cultures. Also, the dichotomy of the religious beliefs of Ciro and Eduardo was so realistic and handled beautifully.
The book has it all --- a plot that captures the reader, character development that makes each one so real, and descriptive locations that make you feel you are there. There are threads of philosophy and wisdom throughout the book that could bring much discussion to Book Groups. An example: "Beware the things of this world that can mean nothing or everything."
How large was the audience, and what was the mix of people like?
It was a sell-out crowd with an audience of about 360 people of all ages and backgrounds; reservations had been taken in advance. There were just a few men in the audience.
What makes an event with her so special? Many readers have said they travel to see her again and again --- like you did.
Adriana knows how to connect with her audience. Each person feels she is speaking directly to them.
Adriana tells great stories. Were there all new stories?
Her presentation included her usual humor, but with all new stories. Although she draws her material from her Italian Catholic family, she covered topics with which many in the audience could identify. For instance, having shoes dyed to match bridesmaids gowns, which was very popular in her grandmother's time. Her story about presenting a "swatch" of the gown fabric to the shoemaker had the audience chuckling and agreeing at the same time.
Another story was about the sale of a statue of The Infant of Prague in a garage sale was priceless. Again, the audience identified and agreed.
Were there any interesting questions from the audience?
Audience questions showed a true interest in her future writing.
So, were there any hints as to what she is working on now?
Adriana announced that the third book of the Valentine trilogy will be available next. The title is CIAO VALENTINE. And everyone is awaiting the film version of her books, whether on TV or the big screen.
