Tony's Wife: A Novel
Tony's Wife: A Novel book cover

Tony's Wife: A Novel

Price
$17.85
Format
Paperback
Pages
672
Publisher
Harper Large Print
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0062860927
Dimensions
6 x 1.34 x 9 inches
Weight
1.55 pounds

Description

“Trigiani’s latest is bittersweet, transcendent storytelling that celebrates the infinite varieties of love.”xa0 — People, Book of the Week “... Tony’s Wife is an immersive experience, with well- rounded, warm characters, pre-WWII fashion, Jersey accents, and homemade pasta. Moving and delightful.” — Booklist “Trigiani’s ability to draw characters with such authenticity is undoubtedly enriched by her own background in a large traditional Italian-American family. It’s clear she knows and loves this world. Her affection for even the most flawed characters shines through.” — USA Today “Trigiani...fills this novel with the musical delights of the big band era and a love that lasts a lifetime ... Packed with melodies, memories, humor, and love and loss, this effortlessly plotted novel is an emotional page-turner.” — Publishers Weekly “A heartfelt tale of love too stubborn to surrender to human frailties.” — Kirkus Reviews “ Tony’s Wife is a bit of a misnomer, as the strength of the book is Chi Chi’s story, but Trigiani is the master of writing complex Italian families, full of characters who love and live with passionate (and sometimes fractured) hearts ... Trigiani delivers another solid historical saga, and her readers will be pleased.” — Library Journal “[Trigiani] expertly draws from her multilayered experience with ease, making the story both charming and authentic.... If you like Chi Chi, you will adore this unforgettable book.” — Book Reporter “For Adri-addicts and newcomers alike, Kiss Carlo is a delightfully retro read.... At a time when crass seems to trump class in popular culture, Kiss Carlo may be just what we need, a warmhearted romp that’s a welcome escape from novels about girls who are gone/on a train/tattooed...an incredibly satisfying dish to dig into. Three and a half out of four stars.” — USA Today “A world of warm, lively characters whose charming idiosyncrasies lead them to collide and ricochet along the way to love.... A delightfully sprawling comedy full of extended families.” — Kirkus Reviews Shortly before World War II, Chiara Donatelli and Saverio Armandonada meet one summer on the Jersey shore and fall in love. Both are talented and ambitious, and both share the dream of becoming singers for the legendary orchestras of the time: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman. They’re soon married, and it isn’t long before Chi Chi and Tony find that their careers are on the way up as they navigate the glamorous worlds of night clubs, radio, and television. All goes well until it becomes clear that they must make a choice: Which of them will put ambition aside to raise a family and which will pursue a career? And how will they cope with the impact that decision has on their lives and their marriage? 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 includexa0writer/director of thexa0major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap ,xa0the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You .xa0Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project , an in-school writing program serving over 1,700 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. Join Adriana’s Facebook LIVE show, Adriana Ink , in conversation with the world’s greatest authors- Tuesdays at 3 PM EST! For more from Adriana’s interviews, you can subscribe to her Meta “Bulletin” column, Adriana Spills the Ink : adrianatrigiani.bulletin.com/subscribe. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • New York Times
  • Bestseller
  • People’s
  • Book of the Week
  • “A heartfelt tale of love too stubborn to surrender to human frailties." —
  • Kirkus Reviews
  • Set in the lush Big Band era of the 1940s, this spellbinding saga from beloved
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Adriana Trigiani tells the story of two talented working class kids who marry and become a successful singing act, until time, temptation, and the responsibilities of home and family derail their dreams.
  • Shortly before World War II, Chi Chi Donatelli and Saverio Armandonada meet one summer on the Jersey shore and fall in love. Both are talented, and dream of becoming singers for the legendary orchestras of the time: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman. They’re soon married, and it isn’t long before Chiara and Tony find that their careers are on the way up as they navigate the glamorous worlds of night clubs, radio, and television. All goes well until it becomes clear that they must make a choice: Which of them will put their ambitions aside to raise a family and which will pursue a career? And how will they cope with the impact that decision has on their lives and their marriage?
  • From the Jersey shore to Las Vegas to Hollywood, and the dance halls in between, this story is vivid with historical color and steeped in the popular music that serves as its score.
  • Tony’s Wife
  • is a magnificent epic of life in a traditional Italian family undergoing seismic change in a fast paced, modern world. Filled with vivid, funny, and unforgettable characters, this richly human story showcases Adriana Trigiani’s gifts as a storyteller and her deep understanding of family, love, and the pursuit of a dream.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(538)
★★★★
25%
(448)
★★★
15%
(269)
★★
7%
(126)
23%
(412)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Huge Book

Be forewarned that this is a huge novel. 652 pages. It weighs in at 1 pound 8 ounces. It is a lot of book to hold in your hands as you read. This is not comfortable to me.
3 people found this helpful
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Marriages to charismatic men can be be complicated and very painful.

A challenging and realistic examination of Italian American families and choices spanning 1930s through the current era. Very satisfying.
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Predictable

This was not her best work. I've enjoyed all of her other novels but this one was a bit slow-moving and predictable.
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Another great one!

have read all her books in the past. This is one of the best ones
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ok

It was an ok book. Nothing great.
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Love, love this authors books!

These books make the characters real and are well written.
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Who we become (and who decides)

I can't pass up advance copies of Trigiana's work (thank you to Harper for the free copy in exchange for honest words) . A few have disappointed but others soared. This fell someplace in between. 

Chi Chi and Saverio meet on the Jersey shore in the late 1930s. They share music and Italian blood, coursing through their veins in equal measure.  Chi Chi is part of the big stereotypical Italian family, scraping by but never alone, and with big dreams . Sav has begun following his own but lost some of his past along the way. They fall in live...but with each other or the dream? 

This isn't a typical love story (despite some blurbs, although there is a deep love tying the leads together.  Really, it is actually about becoming more than loving...becoming who we grow into and, most importantly,  who directs that story.  

If you want a typical romance,  look elsewhere.  But this is a good read about characters and choices. There is plot and story, but characters and setting stand out more. For me, it didn't soar like Shoemaker's Wife...I enjoyed visiting the world in its pages but was ready to leave too (and it could have benefited from a sharper editorial knife). 

Trying to sum it up, I'll call it a good summer read...ideally on the Jersey shore with music playing...put it down, dance, come back.  Chi Chi would approve
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Tony's Wife

Another great read by this author! Love her books!