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Another Warm Family Saga From Trigiani Has Me Pining for Italy (Or, at least, for Baked Ravioli)

Torn between a centuries-old craft and modern technology; things she's always believed about her family and new revelations; a mature love and her childhood sweetheart; bucking change or embracing it; Valentine is forced to make life-changing decisions. With advice from her flamboyant best friend, her sanctamonious brother, and her feisty great aunt, as well as the rest of the loud, colorful Angelini/Roncalli clan, of course. Even for a family for whom "The wolf's been at the door so many times over the years that we invite him in for manicotti" (158), this many crises in one year threatens to unravel them completely. Can Valentine, the calm, steadfast one who's always held them together keep their madness at bay long enough to make her own decisions? Or will she go down with the crazy ship, dragging the business she loves along with her?
As I said earlier, the Valentine books aren't my favorite Trigiani sagas, but they hold all of the elements fans love about her novels, including what I like to call the Trigiani Trifecta: Italian families, Italian food, and New York fashion. Oh, and interior decorating. All the detail about the former as well as the art/business of crafting shoes made the story sag a little bit for me. However, it's buoyed by the two things I love most about Trigiani: humor and heart. Even though I still pine for the Big Stone Gap characters, the Roncalli/Angelini crowd keeps me entertained. I'm not ready to say Ciao quite yet (even though the series will end when the last book comes out in February). For keeping me immersed in yet another engrossing drama, I say, Brava, Adriana.
P.S. If you're pining for Italy, click on over here for a chance to win a Adriana Trigiani Tour to Italy for you and a friend (sponsored by Harper Collins).
(Readalikes: Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani; other novels by the same author)
Grade: B-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), sexual content/innuendo, and brief references to illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Brava, Valentina from the generous folks at Harper Collins in exchange for my honest review. This review was written for Adriana Trigiani's book tour, hosted by TLC Book Tours.
Got An Alcott Fan On Your Christmas List? You've Come to the Right Place.
If you've got a Little Women fan on your Christmas list this year, you've just found the perfect gotta-have-it gift idea: it's the Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women DVD. Based on Harriet Reisen's 2009 biography of the beloved author, the PBS film delves into both the commonly and uncommonly known facts of Alcott's life. It recalls her unconventional upbringing; lessons she learned from literary greats; her service as a nurse in the Civil War; her prolific writing career; and the painful physical maladies that caused her early death. The film biography also notes the Alcotts' immense poverty, a condition that forced Louisa to write pulp fiction in order to support her family. Her abolitionism, feminism and fiercely independent spirit are also highlighted in the movie.
Elizabeth Marvel, a three-time Obie winner, plays Louisa to perfection. By turns playful, morose, and determined, the actress shows us all the faces of the writer. Commentary by Pulitzer Prize winner Geraldine Brooks (March) and other Alcott scholars round out the story, offering an absorbing and complete picture of a most fascinating woman. Although the film gets a little long (84 minutes), it really is enchanting. I enjoyed it immensely and cannot wait to read Reisen's book.
For more information on Louisa May Alcott or to purchase the DVD for yourself a loved one, please visit http://www.alcottfilm.com/
To the FTC, with love: I received a free copy of this DVD from the generous folks at Newman PR in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!


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