Audiobook Review: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

The Shoemaker's Wife (17 hours, 51 minutes; narrated by Orlagh Cassidy) by Adriana Trigiani is the sweeping tale of Ciro and Enza and their journey from first love amid the Alps of Italy to the beginning of their lives together in the streets of Little Italy in New York City to the establishment of their own businesses a mining town in Minnesota. The book, loosely based on the author's grandparents' lives is a love story, an immigrant story and the story of dreaming big and making those dreams happens step by small step.

 Ciro Lazari lives in a small Italian village with his widowed mother and brother. When their mother can no longer care for them, she turns the boys over to the care of nuns in a nearby convent. The boys are well cared for and learn important life skills but they sorely miss their parents. Ciro meets Enza Raveneli from a nearby village and their young love is sparked - it is obviously not a mother's love but there is a sense that Enza fills a hole for Ciro and that, in part, fuels his attraction to her. Enza, the oldest in a large family, feels tremendous obligation to her family and despite her fears she knows her family's best chance for survival is for her to go to the US with her father and earn money. And so begins the first of a number of separations (and reunions) between Ciro and Enza.

 Ultimately Enza and Ciro meet again on the streets of NYC and reignite their romance. They both struggle to fit into their new country and work hard to earn a living but they share their sacrifice and are better able to weather the hardships of their immigrant experience and celebrate each success together. When an opportunity becomes available in Minnesota, the family heads West and truly lives the immigrant dream when they establish their own business there. This historical saga covers more than just a broad geography - it spans an entire generation - we travel with Enza and Ciro from their young adulthood through to the young adulthood of their own son.

  My Thoughts
Simply stated, I loved this book. I was completely captivated - by the setting of the Italian Alps and NYC, by the characters and by their story. The author's descriptions are rich and detailed which allow the reader to become immersed in the world she has created.  Even after 17 hours of audio, I did not want the book to end.  It is expertly narrated by Orlagh Cassidy who brings the characters to life.  Adriana Trigiani has raised the immigrant story to an art form with The Shoemaker's Wife.