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This is the first book by Adriana Trigiani that I have read, and I loved it. I enjoyed the characters very much as I am Italian and can relate to the family dynamics and all of the Italian words mentioned throughout the book. I've since read "Lucia Lucia," and I have ordered all of her other books. I am so happy that this author was referred to me by someone I work with.
This book is set in the 20's and yet it could easily be for today. A young girl trying to hold out for the love of her life and ends up settling for the next best thing..... a good, easy read.
Ms. Trigiani's books are some of my favorites, and this is no exception. Queen of the Big Time is set from 1910-1971, following the life of Nella and her Italian family in a rural area in Pennsylvania.
Right away the reader is drawn into the story and involved with the characters. You can't always tell what may happen next.
I recommend this one to Adriana fans!
Good book, enjoyed reading it. If you love Adriana's style of writing & her character development, then you will enjoy. There is a good mix of emotion too, but the book is not overly emotional.
Because I grew up Italian, this book had special meaning for me. It gave me a picture of what my grandparents and aunts and uncles might have experienced growing up in Pennsylvania. Trigiani has blended the early American '20s with the immigrant experience in a perfect way. The characters are memorable. Her style of writing by telling the story from the different points of view of each character add to the total verisimilitude. Anyone, Italian or not, will enjoy the book. Trigiani's subtle sense of humor adds to the reading experience.
From AudioFile:
There's a lush loveliness at the core of this sweeping tale of America's multicultural heartland. A first-generation Italian-American family in small-town Pennsylvania is depicted against a backdrop of four decades of the past century. The central character, Nella Castelluca, is a farmer's middle daughter whose aspirations are boundless, but her dreams are dashed, and then reborn. Swirling around her are those timeless components of drama--young love, tragic death, and renewed hope. Adriana Trigiani's narration is perfect. Soft and lilting, it reflects a girlish naïveté that might be out of place in another story. Here, though, it works wonderfully.
Another novel by Adriana Trigiani that focuses on her Italian heritage. The story itself is good, but I was definitely not as enraptured with it like I was with her "Big Stone Gap" trilogy.
