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Lucia, Lucia
It is 1950 in glittering, vibrant New York City. Lucia Sartori is the beautiful twenty-five-year-old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. The postwar boom is ripe with opportunities for talented girls with ambition, and Lucia becomes an apprentice to an up-and-coming designer at chic B. Altman's department store on Fifth Avenue. Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the steadfast Dante DeMartino, Lucia is torn when she meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury that career girls like her only read about in the society pages. Forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams, Lucia finds herself in the midst of a sizzling scandal in which secrets are revealed, her beloved career is jeopardized, and the Sartoris' honor is tested.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
Adriana Trigiani
63books6,273followersJoin Adriana Trigiani and the great authors and luminaries of our time on the YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ PODCAST! Available wherever you listen to podcasts:
Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is "a master of palpable and visual detail" (Washington Post) and "a comedy writer with a heart of gold" (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People's Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana's screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.
Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.
Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is "a master of palpable and visual detail" (Washington Post) and "a comedy writer with a heart of gold" (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People's Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana's screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.
Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,760 reviews
February 13, 2025
The most nostalgic, lovely, full-circle story of women, family, & Italian-American culture! I just loved it! ❤️ such a perfect pallet cleanser for me & my reading!
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August 11, 2011If Jane Austen were somehow transported to the 20th century Manhattan, I'm pretty sure she'd would have written a novel like Lucia, Lucia. Author Adriana Trigiani has channeled many of the recurring themes in Jane Austen's novels; an interesting family dynamic, filled with the inevitable crises, the plight and constraints of women in society, the search for love, and ensuing heartbreak. I loved the characters, especially the protagonist Lucia. Born into a large Italian family, Lucia respects tradition, but not to the point where she allows it to overtake her dreams. Her family runs a grocery in Greenwich village, and Lucia has turned her sewing skills into a job outside the home at B. Altman's Custom shop. She is supported, sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly by a family that adores her, especially atypical (for the 1950's at least) parents, who are proud of their daughter's accomplishments, and want her happiness, even if it is not what tradition demands. In the end, Lucia must compromise: I'll let you decide if it is a happy one or not.
March 25, 2022
A very enjoyable light read, as the lovely elderly upstairs apartment dweller Lucia Sartori's story unfolds. It takes us back to the early 1950's in NYC as Lucia who is from a tight knit Italian family tries to navigate a changing world. She is torn between the expectations of her family to get married and settle down and her own career aspirations. She loves her job as a couture seamstress and can't imagine giving up her job to become a housewife. It's a peek into a slice of life that gave me a few hours of escape from the depressing news of the day.
October 27, 2009
Immediately, I *hated* the frame story. The opening character, Kit, is a struggling playwright living in Greenwich Village who ventures up to the apartment of the aged but elegant "Aunt Lu" and has tea while listening to her story, which is the basis of the book. My dislike of the frame only got worse when it finally reappeared (after no mention of it throughout Lucia's story) at the end of the book. The characters, including the old Lucia, are flat and there is very little to connect them to the rest of the story.
Lucia's story, told in first person, at first engaged me quite a bit. I know very little about fashion, New York City, the 1950s, and the life of Italian immigrant families, yet I found myself interested in all of these. I was enthusiastic when Lucia breaks off her engagement and her role as a traditional Italian girl--choosing instead to continue her career as a seamstress working for an up-and-coming designer in the customs department of a swanky department store. I thought, hey, cool, it's about a girl who is going to be ahead of her time, who fashions herself after her own pattern rather than the rigid expectations of tradition and culture.
Unfortunately, not so. Even though she sometimes flirts with the idea of striking out and becoming an independent woman throughout the rest of the book, every choice she makes--falling in love with a suave man who eventually cons her out of her heart and life savings, assuming the role of dutiful daughter when the family needs her, and submitting to the will of her traditional brothers--dashes my hopes for her character. In addition, each event and emotion is laid out in such a way as to be completely transparent--no subtlety to speak of.
The book had a couple of good lines, such as my favorite spoken by Lucia's mother: "In my mind, the most dangerous people in the world are insecure women. They can do more damage in a day than an army." Overall, though, the writing was...well, plain. It was writing that got the job done, but it didn't evoke any impressive images in my mind or any real emotion for Trigiani's characters. I know I'm not emotionally invested in the characters or the writing when I find myself skimming paragraphs toward the end. And the ending, ugh. The author goes back to the ugly frame story and slaps on the most sentimental ending ever, with the final act of the book going back and essentially undoing Lucia's original admirable decision at the beginning of her story.
It's not fair, perhaps, to judge a character of the 1950s because she doesn't eschew her family and society's expectations of her in a way that I expect her to, in a different era. Still, the author could have done a better job of helping me to understand her, to sympathize with her plight instead of making me skim over it.
Lucia's story, told in first person, at first engaged me quite a bit. I know very little about fashion, New York City, the 1950s, and the life of Italian immigrant families, yet I found myself interested in all of these. I was enthusiastic when Lucia breaks off her engagement and her role as a traditional Italian girl--choosing instead to continue her career as a seamstress working for an up-and-coming designer in the customs department of a swanky department store. I thought, hey, cool, it's about a girl who is going to be ahead of her time, who fashions herself after her own pattern rather than the rigid expectations of tradition and culture.
Unfortunately, not so. Even though she sometimes flirts with the idea of striking out and becoming an independent woman throughout the rest of the book, every choice she makes--falling in love with a suave man who eventually cons her out of her heart and life savings, assuming the role of dutiful daughter when the family needs her, and submitting to the will of her traditional brothers--dashes my hopes for her character. In addition, each event and emotion is laid out in such a way as to be completely transparent--no subtlety to speak of.
The book had a couple of good lines, such as my favorite spoken by Lucia's mother: "In my mind, the most dangerous people in the world are insecure women. They can do more damage in a day than an army." Overall, though, the writing was...well, plain. It was writing that got the job done, but it didn't evoke any impressive images in my mind or any real emotion for Trigiani's characters. I know I'm not emotionally invested in the characters or the writing when I find myself skimming paragraphs toward the end. And the ending, ugh. The author goes back to the ugly frame story and slaps on the most sentimental ending ever, with the final act of the book going back and essentially undoing Lucia's original admirable decision at the beginning of her story.
It's not fair, perhaps, to judge a character of the 1950s because she doesn't eschew her family and society's expectations of her in a way that I expect her to, in a different era. Still, the author could have done a better job of helping me to understand her, to sympathize with her plight instead of making me skim over it.
October 17, 2010
This is the first novel that I have read by Trigiani, and I am totally hooked with her writing, and can't wait to get started on Rococo, which is now sitting on my nightstand.
Kit is a young career girl and aspiring playwright living in an aging apartment building in Greenwich Village in the early 2000s. One day, she's invited for tea by one of the older women living on the top floor of the building. Reluctantly, she takes time out of her busy schedule, but has no idea what a treat is in store for her!
The story of Lucia is an amazing glimpse into what life was like for a first-generating Italian women in 1950s New York City. As societal barriers begin to fall after WWII, doors are opened for Lucia, yet she still struggles to balance her desire for a career and independence, with the life her family wants for her which includes marriage and children. The struggles she faces throughout the book are at times agonizing, but it makes you realize just how far women have come in the last 50 years.
Lucia and Kit both learn important lessons about life and love in this dramatic, page turner. Savor every bit of this wonderful book, it really is quite a treat!
Kit is a young career girl and aspiring playwright living in an aging apartment building in Greenwich Village in the early 2000s. One day, she's invited for tea by one of the older women living on the top floor of the building. Reluctantly, she takes time out of her busy schedule, but has no idea what a treat is in store for her!
The story of Lucia is an amazing glimpse into what life was like for a first-generating Italian women in 1950s New York City. As societal barriers begin to fall after WWII, doors are opened for Lucia, yet she still struggles to balance her desire for a career and independence, with the life her family wants for her which includes marriage and children. The struggles she faces throughout the book are at times agonizing, but it makes you realize just how far women have come in the last 50 years.
Lucia and Kit both learn important lessons about life and love in this dramatic, page turner. Savor every bit of this wonderful book, it really is quite a treat!
December 11, 2007
so i just finished listening to this book read by Mira Sorvino. i liked it but i find it hard to believe that Lucia's life decisions really made her happy. i don't know how a person could love their job more than having a life with people you love. i think she would have felt quite lonely in her life. this is the second trigiani book i've read and it seems that her stories focus on being an independent career woman and how that sometimes trumps being married and having children. i think my priorities/values are just different from trigiani's which makes it hard to really love her novels.
August 4, 2021
I hope I'm not being patronizing when I call this a sweet little book, since that's precisely what it is. It's not great literature, and it's not even a terrific tale. It's simply a very delightful read on a summer afternoon when it's far too hot to do anything more active than locating a shady spot to relax and read.
It's a sweet story about a large Catholic family with Venetian roots and the women in the kitchen. Lucia is unique. She wants to work and make something of her life, but her family and her fiancé's family believe she will stop working once she marries. She's divided between her family, her work, and the man she adores. This is the account of how she reconciles her competing interests.
The characterization is adequate but not outstanding. Lucia is the main character, and she is well-drawn. I warmed up to her and empathized with her, but others were not as moved. Even at the end of the novel, I was having trouble telling one of Lucia's brothers from another - and she only had three. The man she fell in love with is, at best, two-dimensional.
One thing I wasn't keen on was the "bookend" format. The story begins with Kit, an aspiring playwright, being invited to tea by Lucia, and once there Lucia tells her story. Most of the book is this story, told in the first person. Towards the end, we revert to Kit and she brings the story up-to-date. I can understand why it was done this way, but Kit did seem rather superfluous and too obvious a device.
Yes, it's chick-lit at its most basic, but it has a feel-good factor. There are no graphic sexual scenes or violence. It's just a nice, pleasant read for when you don't want to put in the effort with something more demanding.
It's a sweet story about a large Catholic family with Venetian roots and the women in the kitchen. Lucia is unique. She wants to work and make something of her life, but her family and her fiancé's family believe she will stop working once she marries. She's divided between her family, her work, and the man she adores. This is the account of how she reconciles her competing interests.
The characterization is adequate but not outstanding. Lucia is the main character, and she is well-drawn. I warmed up to her and empathized with her, but others were not as moved. Even at the end of the novel, I was having trouble telling one of Lucia's brothers from another - and she only had three. The man she fell in love with is, at best, two-dimensional.
One thing I wasn't keen on was the "bookend" format. The story begins with Kit, an aspiring playwright, being invited to tea by Lucia, and once there Lucia tells her story. Most of the book is this story, told in the first person. Towards the end, we revert to Kit and she brings the story up-to-date. I can understand why it was done this way, but Kit did seem rather superfluous and too obvious a device.
Yes, it's chick-lit at its most basic, but it has a feel-good factor. There are no graphic sexual scenes or violence. It's just a nice, pleasant read for when you don't want to put in the effort with something more demanding.
April 10, 2017
This will definitely go into my "favorites" bookshelf. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Although funny and heartwarming most of the time, the story did have some very sad moments but isn't that how life is anyway? Lucia Sartori is the kind of leading female character I adore. She is strong-willed with the courage to step outside of the stereotypical gender-role boundaries of the 1950s (specially in a Catholic Italian home). Lucia is the only daughter in a family of five children. As the girl, her role is to look after her brothers and help her mother with keeping the family home in order until she meets the right man and marries. At which time, she will be expected to move into his family home and continue her domestic responsibilities for her new family. However, Lucia, at age 25, is a seamstress for the customs department of a big NYC department store. She is not only a skilled worker but she likes the freedoms of being a single, working woman who loves her job. In the 1950s this is equivalent to being an old spinster. But she is true to herself and lives her life as so.
My daughter read this book along with me and she too loved it. We both agreed that we felt like we were in the Sartori home as part of the famiglia. Adriana Trigiani does such a great job conveying that sense of the reader being part of an era gone. Kudos to Mrs. Trigiani on a wonderful book. Thank you for letting me and my daughter be part of the Sartoris if only for a couple of weeks.
My daughter read this book along with me and she too loved it. We both agreed that we felt like we were in the Sartori home as part of the famiglia. Adriana Trigiani does such a great job conveying that sense of the reader being part of an era gone. Kudos to Mrs. Trigiani on a wonderful book. Thank you for letting me and my daughter be part of the Sartoris if only for a couple of weeks.
March 17, 2016
I loved this book! This was my first Adriana Trigiani book and definitely will not be my last. Lucia was such a beautiful character that I absolutely fell in love with. The time, the location, the Italian culture...it all weaved together to make a story that just resonated in me. I loved the loyalty and love the family showed each other, and the way they recovered and got stronger after setbacks. Even though she was a minor character, I have to say Rosemary was also one of my favorites. What a sweet girl, who really came into her element throughout the story.
I listened to this one on audio and thought that the reader did an amazing job. She got all the voices right and really helped pull me in.
**Pretty clean book. There ended up being 2 f-words near the end, that I honestly almost would have used myself in that situation, LOL. There is also a time when a couple has sex but there is not detail given. You just know it happens.
I listened to this one on audio and thought that the reader did an amazing job. She got all the voices right and really helped pull me in.
**Pretty clean book. There ended up being 2 f-words near the end, that I honestly almost would have used myself in that situation, LOL. There is also a time when a couple has sex but there is not detail given. You just know it happens.
December 16, 2007
I couldn't put this book down--I absolutely loved it. Lucia is a wonderful protagonist, and one with whom I completely related. The setting of the book is completely engaging, and I believed all the characters. Didn't love the bookend framing technique set in present day, but the rest of the book was so good, I was able to overlook it.
January 27, 2009
This book started strong, and kept me going through the middle. It is a believable tale of a close Italian family and a passionate young Italian girl. The family goes through all kinds of life changing events together, and I love how they all react and then move on together.
Then, the book takes a left turn from normal, good and bad life events and starts just beating the hell out of the main character, taking away everything that she cares about, and then letting her live for others and not be able to follow her own dreams-for the rest of her life! The author's weak attempt at giving the character happy ending with a date with her old, jilted ex boyfriend does not even start to make up for it. Also, the character is a career-oriented, ambitious girl in a time when that was uncommon. Making her end up alone, unmarried and unable to do anything but care for her sick family member for 20+ years just looks like she is being punished for her progressive ideals.
I give the first half of this book 4 stars, and the second half 1 star.
Then, the book takes a left turn from normal, good and bad life events and starts just beating the hell out of the main character, taking away everything that she cares about, and then letting her live for others and not be able to follow her own dreams-for the rest of her life! The author's weak attempt at giving the character happy ending with a date with her old, jilted ex boyfriend does not even start to make up for it. Also, the character is a career-oriented, ambitious girl in a time when that was uncommon. Making her end up alone, unmarried and unable to do anything but care for her sick family member for 20+ years just looks like she is being punished for her progressive ideals.
I give the first half of this book 4 stars, and the second half 1 star.
February 14, 2014
Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani is a poignant story about early Italian immigrants to our great country. It tells of life, it's trial and tribulations along with the joys and sorrows in their lives. A super religious family centering around the Catholic Church. It begins with Kit Zanetti, a hopeful playwrite. She knows of her upstairs neighbor Lu but in typical New Yorkers style you don't want to get too close. So it comes as a surprise when Lu invites her upstairs for tea. Kit is ready to refuse but then changes her mind telling her she'll be up at 4:00. What ensues is a charming tale of life in the 1950's a little after World War II.
November 12, 2011
I loved, loved, loved this chic-lit favorite. I especially loved the 1950's setting which caused a resurfacing of my own memories. It is the second novel of Trigiana's of which I've read and I'll definitely be reading more of this very talented and entertaining author. I listened to the audio version which is an excellent production.
July 1, 2010
As a fan of the Big Stone Gap books, I was eager to read more by Adriana Trigiani and quickly devoured this book. Set in New York's Greenwhich Village during the 1950s/ 1960s the book is narrated by Lucia Santori, the only daughter and youngest child of a large, boisterous Italian family.The book begins rather slowly although it quickly picks up speed and is easy to read.Once again, Trigiani has a knack for vivid imagery and selecting appealing adjectives that bring out the best of the story's characters and setting.
Although Trigiani successfully creates another cast of colorful, memorable characters,this books is less straight forward than Big Stone Gap and addresses issues that were rather taboo in the 1950s/ 60s such as career women, premarital sex and pregnancy, breaking ethnic traditions,and women's rights. While the Big Stone Gap series is about loving yourself and your community and finding your place in the world, which everyone can relate to, this book appeals to a more narrow audience and is about dealing with loss, heartache and grief with family members so it does not end as rosily as the Big Stone Gap books. Still, fans of Trigiani should read this to note how the author has grown based on changes in her own life and writing.
Although Trigiani successfully creates another cast of colorful, memorable characters,this books is less straight forward than Big Stone Gap and addresses issues that were rather taboo in the 1950s/ 60s such as career women, premarital sex and pregnancy, breaking ethnic traditions,and women's rights. While the Big Stone Gap series is about loving yourself and your community and finding your place in the world, which everyone can relate to, this book appeals to a more narrow audience and is about dealing with loss, heartache and grief with family members so it does not end as rosily as the Big Stone Gap books. Still, fans of Trigiani should read this to note how the author has grown based on changes in her own life and writing.
February 6, 2009
I don't think 40 plus years working in a department store is happiness. The book focuses on the happy/sad events of one or two years of life, with the mink coat symbolizing that time. Lucia even says that she wears the coat because it is her life's story. Life isn't about a short time with decisions that decide the future. The future is chronically changing because of our decisions--even in our middle age. The writing kept me reading the book, but it lacks the personal values I hold as a person.
April 10, 2009
WOW!! A compelling and bittersweet novel. This is the fourth book of Trigiani's that I've read and she has become one of my 'favourite' authors. I didn't want this story to end!!
From back cover:
"It is 1950 in glittering, vibrant New York City. Lucia Sartori is the beautiful twenty-five-year old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. The postwar boom is rife with opportunities for talented girls with ambition, and Lucia becomes an apprentice to an up-and-coming designer at chic B. Altman department store on Fifth Avenue. Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the steadfast Dante DeMartino, Lucia is torn when she meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury that career girls like her only read about in the society pages. Forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams, Lucia finds herself in the midst of a sizzling scandal in which secrets are revealed, her beloved career is jeopardized, and the Sartoris' honour is tested."
I can hardly wait to read her 5th novel "The Queen of the Big Time".
From back cover:
"It is 1950 in glittering, vibrant New York City. Lucia Sartori is the beautiful twenty-five-year old daughter of a prosperous Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. The postwar boom is rife with opportunities for talented girls with ambition, and Lucia becomes an apprentice to an up-and-coming designer at chic B. Altman department store on Fifth Avenue. Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, the steadfast Dante DeMartino, Lucia is torn when she meets a handsome stranger who promises a life of uptown luxury that career girls like her only read about in the society pages. Forced to choose between duty to her family and her own dreams, Lucia finds herself in the midst of a sizzling scandal in which secrets are revealed, her beloved career is jeopardized, and the Sartoris' honour is tested."
I can hardly wait to read her 5th novel "The Queen of the Big Time".
February 1, 2008
I Love all the story wraped nicely by the story of someone that at first barely noticed except as an old lady who's always dress nice and wearing long jacket everywhere she go.
Lucia is the only daughter in an Italian/American family in the 1950s. She's an accomplished seamstress and works in a famous department store in New York City. She also happens to be engaged to her childhood sweeheart and is stunned to learn that her family expects her to quit her job and stay home to help her future mother-in-law and prepare to have children. Remember - this is the 1950s. Lucia calls off her engagement and begins to lead the most interesting life in the world of fashion. She wants to be a carrier woman in the 1950's. she wants woman to be equall to have a job like a man. The author drew strong characters and I particularly love reading about Lucia's friendships and relationships with her family. Good read! I really enjoyed!
Lucia is the only daughter in an Italian/American family in the 1950s. She's an accomplished seamstress and works in a famous department store in New York City. She also happens to be engaged to her childhood sweeheart and is stunned to learn that her family expects her to quit her job and stay home to help her future mother-in-law and prepare to have children. Remember - this is the 1950s. Lucia calls off her engagement and begins to lead the most interesting life in the world of fashion. She wants to be a carrier woman in the 1950's. she wants woman to be equall to have a job like a man. The author drew strong characters and I particularly love reading about Lucia's friendships and relationships with her family. Good read! I really enjoyed!
July 11, 2015
3 stars? 3.5 stars? Somewhere in that range
Not sure what to say about this book. Lucia's priorities, at least initially, were different from mine. That caused me to sort of think a tiny bit negatively about her. She ended up growing on me even though I didn't always enjoy her decisions and choices. Parts of the story were sad and hard to hear about. I did really enjoy the clothing descriptions and the talk about the department store and the changes it underwent over time. I liked the Italian family dynamics and the descriptions of New York and Italy.
This is the first book I've read by Trigiani. I have Shoemaker's Wife on my kindle already and will read it.
Not sure what to say about this book. Lucia's priorities, at least initially, were different from mine. That caused me to sort of think a tiny bit negatively about her. She ended up growing on me even though I didn't always enjoy her decisions and choices. Parts of the story were sad and hard to hear about. I did really enjoy the clothing descriptions and the talk about the department store and the changes it underwent over time. I liked the Italian family dynamics and the descriptions of New York and Italy.
This is the first book I've read by Trigiani. I have Shoemaker's Wife on my kindle already and will read it.
February 6, 2009
Lucia, Lucia provides a picture of first generation Italian family life in New York's Little Italy from the 1950's to the present. Anyone who is Italian will recognize the stay at home mom, the family deli that is owned and operated by her father and her four brothers. Then there is Lucia, a hardworking, independent, woman who is ahead of her time.
Her independence is partly due to her father's support of her way of conducting her life. ( I loved him.) After all, Lucia is twenty-five. For all intensive purposes, she should be married with children. Her mother can't wait to throw the lavish wedding reception and the onset of grandchildren.
Lucia has other ideas. She wants to have a career. She already is the best seamstress at B. Altman's. She has the benefit of working with and for Delmarr an up and coming designer who appreciates her talent. She has a fiance who looks like Don Ameche, and she has saved $7,500. What could be the problem?
That's where the "curse" that had been cast on her comes into the picture. ( So, what else is new?) It seems her father's brother's wife is the evil fairy who put the mal occhio ( evil eye ) on her when she was born. "Yes, Lucia, will be the most beautiful girl in Greenwich Village, but she will be unlucky in love."
Her nemesis comes in the guise of John Talbot. He steals her heart, her money, and her virginity. But does he end up with Lucia as the prize?
Guess what? I'm not telling you. Read the book.
Note: Trigani adds Italian recipes and fantastic descriptions of the fashions of the time period.
Her independence is partly due to her father's support of her way of conducting her life. ( I loved him.) After all, Lucia is twenty-five. For all intensive purposes, she should be married with children. Her mother can't wait to throw the lavish wedding reception and the onset of grandchildren.
Lucia has other ideas. She wants to have a career. She already is the best seamstress at B. Altman's. She has the benefit of working with and for Delmarr an up and coming designer who appreciates her talent. She has a fiance who looks like Don Ameche, and she has saved $7,500. What could be the problem?
That's where the "curse" that had been cast on her comes into the picture. ( So, what else is new?) It seems her father's brother's wife is the evil fairy who put the mal occhio ( evil eye ) on her when she was born. "Yes, Lucia, will be the most beautiful girl in Greenwich Village, but she will be unlucky in love."
Her nemesis comes in the guise of John Talbot. He steals her heart, her money, and her virginity. But does he end up with Lucia as the prize?
Guess what? I'm not telling you. Read the book.
Note: Trigani adds Italian recipes and fantastic descriptions of the fashions of the time period.
June 17, 2011
This was such a fun book to read! The author is an Italian-American and writes about Italian-American characters in her stories set in NY. This particular novel was set in the 1950s (it begins as modern-day, flashes back to 1950 for 2/3 of story, then back to modern-day again). I have read several other books by this author and notice a number of similar themes throughout her stories: Italian-American family, trips back to homeland of Italy, fashion-oriented, strong female lead, late to marry, "doesn't need a man" attitude/troubled love life, close-knit family values, set in NY, etc. Anyway, she is a great writer and has a wonderful way of creating enjoyable stories worth reading. Definitely recommend as a Goodread.
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April 10, 2018Adriana captures my heart again with the tale of Lucia Sartori, a fashion forward Italian living in New York's Greenwich Village in the 1950s. Who doesn't love a career girl story centered around family, friendship and love? I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic page turner. The characters were real, relatable and charming. The Italian family drama is captured beautifully. My only complaint is that I lost some beauty rest so that I could finish it!
February 17, 2019
I have never read any books by Adriana Trigiani and I was given a copy of Lucia, Lucia by my friend in America. I have to say I absolutely loved this book. Set in the 1950's in New York city, Lucia Sartori is a 25 year old daughter of an Italian grocer in Greenwich Village. Following the post war boom Lucia gains employment as an apprentice to an up and coming designer at a department store on Fifth Avenue. She is engaged to Dante her childhood sweetheart but soon realises that the life she will have with him, is not the one she dreams of. Lucia meets a handsome stranger who offers her a life of uptown luxuries. Torn between a traditional lifestyle and the more glamorous one she is offered Lucia struggles to find her place in the world.
I loved the character of Lucia, the writing is excellent, the location is fantastic, the characters very well written and I loved the portrayal of the Italian family. The description throughout the book is very evocative of 1950's New York. It was a heartwarming story, and I loved how much the family played its role. There are some very moving parts and I have to admit I shed a tear at some parts. I won't spoil it for you by saying what.
One downside, I wasn't keen on the framing technique at the beginning and the end of the story. I just don't think it added to the book at all. On the whole though I loved this book and will be reading others by Adriana Trigiani.
I loved the character of Lucia, the writing is excellent, the location is fantastic, the characters very well written and I loved the portrayal of the Italian family. The description throughout the book is very evocative of 1950's New York. It was a heartwarming story, and I loved how much the family played its role. There are some very moving parts and I have to admit I shed a tear at some parts. I won't spoil it for you by saying what.
One downside, I wasn't keen on the framing technique at the beginning and the end of the story. I just don't think it added to the book at all. On the whole though I loved this book and will be reading others by Adriana Trigiani.
June 9, 2010
Okay, so you receive a box - handcarved of the finest wood with an intricate inlaid design, studded with gems and traced with gold filgree. The box is exquisite, and you are so excited to see what amazing gift it will contain. You lift the lid and find a silver bangle bracelet - nice enough, but certainly not equal to its container. That is how I felt about "Lucia, Lucia." The setting promises you a wonderful treat, but the plot is fairly ordinary. Even so, the book has a lot to recommend it. The author sets her story in New York City in the early 50s, chock full of Packards, debutantes, custom dresses and cocktails at the Waldorf. The characters are true to the times as well, in both their actions and dialogue, and Trigiani succeeds in moving the story line right along. Unfortunately, the plot is hampered by the fact that you have met Lucia as an elderly woman in the first chapter so when she starts to tell her life story, you know how the book will end. The book's best feature, in my opinion, is the depiction of the limits placed on young talented women - well, actually, women in general - in the post-war years. Plus I loved the descriptions of B.Altman's which was a store I remember visiting in my childhood.
November 23, 2010
well,, i cant say that i love this story. Because even its happy ending, Lucia dont have much happiness in her life. But i can say that this book is amazing! The writer is brilliant! i love how she tell about the family story in 1950's, and about the cultures. Like they still have strong religion, still lived with their parents til they married and also how they must keep her virginity til they married. Its really good story. Even it sounds ancient to the western, but believe it or not it still exist in eastern. lols. im asia and im still doing it. not by force, but because we want to. ;)
And how Adriana gives the recipes in her book and tell the story smoothly is really works for me. i really like it. Lucia is different, she dont want to be like the other girls. She want to be independent, but she cant reach her dream. sounds pity but actually she was doing good by take care of her mom. And also when she thinks that the curse is happen to her, i think its not the curse. it just her mindset. she think that she got curse, so its happen. she broke Dante, and when Dante ask her back she dont want, so she is the one who make the decision. she can married if she want.
but lucia is really nice girl, i like her character very much. and the story is touching. :)
And how Adriana gives the recipes in her book and tell the story smoothly is really works for me. i really like it. Lucia is different, she dont want to be like the other girls. She want to be independent, but she cant reach her dream. sounds pity but actually she was doing good by take care of her mom. And also when she thinks that the curse is happen to her, i think its not the curse. it just her mindset. she think that she got curse, so its happen. she broke Dante, and when Dante ask her back she dont want, so she is the one who make the decision. she can married if she want.
but lucia is really nice girl, i like her character very much. and the story is touching. :)
July 20, 2016
I have just finished listening to by and I loved it!!! The author has done a wonderful job with this novel, giving the reader a wonderful view into live in a NYC Italian-immigrant family beginning in the 1950's.
Lucia, Lucia written by Adriana Trigiani is not great literature, nor is it incredibly well-written. It is, however, a nice peephole into the time period. Lucia, the main character of the story loves her job as a seamstress for one of the finest department stores in New York--and she is terrific at her job.
Lucia Santori is a woman living before her time. She is a seamstress for custom designs at B. Altman in NYC. She wants it all: her career, a man to love her, and family. Does it end up this way for Lucia? Read the book to find out. I loved the concept of an early feminist! BTW, there are several intense emotional scenes. I was crying during one of them while I was sitting in NJ traffic (think US 1 around Princeton) and a lady in the car next to me offered me a Kleenex!!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
Lucia, Lucia written by Adriana Trigiani is not great literature, nor is it incredibly well-written. It is, however, a nice peephole into the time period. Lucia, the main character of the story loves her job as a seamstress for one of the finest department stores in New York--and she is terrific at her job.
Lucia Santori is a woman living before her time. She is a seamstress for custom designs at B. Altman in NYC. She wants it all: her career, a man to love her, and family. Does it end up this way for Lucia? Read the book to find out. I loved the concept of an early feminist! BTW, there are several intense emotional scenes. I was crying during one of them while I was sitting in NJ traffic (think US 1 around Princeton) and a lady in the car next to me offered me a Kleenex!!!
Go Cards! L1C4!!
July 16, 2020
Gambaran kehidupan warga keturunan Italia di Amerika. Lucia Lucia memikat saya..ehm, tak menyangka menarik hati. Kisah cinta Lucia, perempuan muda Italia di New York, bekerja sebagai penjahit untuk baju-baju pesanan yang eksklusif dan dikerjakan dengan tangan. Bukan hanya kisah cinta yang ada di buku ini.Didalamnya juga perdebatan soal perubahan peranan perempuan yang tidak hanya pada urusan domestik. Dalam hal ini peranan perempuan Itali ditengah masyarakat Amerika yang sudah melewati pergolakan itu.
Pada buku ini kita sedikit tahu Kebudayaan Italia, ternyata orang Italia juga ngga sama semua kebiasaannya. Tapi pada dasarnya mereka berorientasi pada keutuhan keluarga, kehidupan relijius dan ekspresif. Entah kalau sekarang, karena latar belakang cerita ini pada era tahun 1950-an.
Selain itu, juga ada terjadi perkembangan industri dunia dan perubahan industri manual menjadi massal, pabrik menggantikan manusia dan cerita-cerita dibalik industri fashion.
Eh ada resep masakan juga lho...
Pada buku ini kita sedikit tahu Kebudayaan Italia, ternyata orang Italia juga ngga sama semua kebiasaannya. Tapi pada dasarnya mereka berorientasi pada keutuhan keluarga, kehidupan relijius dan ekspresif. Entah kalau sekarang, karena latar belakang cerita ini pada era tahun 1950-an.
Selain itu, juga ada terjadi perkembangan industri dunia dan perubahan industri manual menjadi massal, pabrik menggantikan manusia dan cerita-cerita dibalik industri fashion.
Eh ada resep masakan juga lho...
June 16, 2015
The visual images in this book were so elegant and amazing. The story is bittersweet, but I love the descriptions, the very fifties ideas and attitudes, as well as the very Italian attitudes. I did want Lucia to find the right person - I knew it wasn't Dante or John. I'm glad for the closure she receives at the end, and the way she reacts to the closure. I love her friends and her family, in spite of their faults. They are realistic, not idealized. I find myself disappointed by her nephews.
July 29, 2019
What a charming character and family. A beautiful prose, I felt like I was right there on Commerce Street with the Sartori Familia. A love story for the ages. Not just a lover's tale, but a love of family and community. Lucia now holds a place in my heart as well.
October 30, 2016
Very interesting and enjoyable book!
January 8, 2024
An enjoyable, quick read about Lucia's life in 1950s New York as a "career gal" working in fashion and determined not to cave to traditional marriage ideas. Not a lot of character development, but lots of lush descriptions of the fashion, the parties and life in a big Italian family.
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