Memphis Reads Archive

Fiction/Genre: Mainstream

Wendi Glenn reviews LUCIA, LUCIA by Adriana Trigiani (Random House, 2003):

Kitt Zanetti is a play writer who lives in a New York City apartment building with Lucia Sartori or Aunt Lu as they call her. Aunt Lu is a peculiar woman who walks around wearing a fur. One day over tea, Lucia recounts her life story to Kitt. Kitt finds out that Aunt Lu was once a beautiful seamstress who worked at B. Altman’s department store. She was engaged to be married to Dante DeMartino, but broke off the engagement when she realized that she’d have to give up her career for her family. Later, she meets John Talbot, whom she thinks is the man of her dreams. He gives her a fur coat, the one she still wears, and she makes plans to marry him. He leaves her at the altar and she later finds out he’s a crook. Lucia decides to take a job in California, but is sidelined by her ailing family.

This story contains well developed characters and a detailed setting. The plot is mainly written in flashback. The author transports you to 1950's New York City with her descriptions of fashion and classic Italian cooking. If you like Lucia, Lucia then try the Big Stone Gap trilogy also by Trigiani. Other books that may interest you include Sometimes I Dream in Italian by Rita Ciresi, No Place Like Home by Barbara Samuel, and Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi.


Wendi Glenn, Raleigh Branch Library

---

Join The Conversation!

Labels: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews by Wendi Glenn