The Good Left Undone

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "[An] immersive saga. . . . A celebration of family and a paean to the power of storytelling.”—People, "Book of the Week" "Trigiani conveys the beauty of Italy, the hardships of war, the taste of family recipes, and the enduring love of family."—Library Journal (starred) “The beauty of any book by Adriana Trigiani is her ability to interweave life and fiction. . . . Don’t miss your chance to take this unforgettable journey with the Cabrelli women!” —Lisa Wingate, Book of the Month From “a master of visual and palpable detail” (The Washington Post), comes a lush, immersive novel about three generations of Tuscan artisans with one remarkable secret. Epic in scope and resplendent with the glorious themes of identity and belonging, The Good Left Undone unfolds in breathtaking turns. Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. . . . In the halcyon past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until her beloved home becomes unsafe when Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. Her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool—where Italian Scots are imprisoned without cause—as Domenica experiences love, loss, and grief while she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life and their family’s legacy, while Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for. But Matelda is running out of time, and the two timelines intersect and weave together in unexpected and heartbreaking ways that lead the family to shocking revelations and, ultimately, redemption.

Meet Dolores Price. She's thirteen, wise-mouthed but wounded. Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the chocolate, crisps and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly up. In his extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch an incredible ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years. At once a fragile girl and a hard-edged cynic, so tough to love yet so inimitably loveable, Dolores is as poignantly real as our own imperfections.

Women have come a long way over the past century. They have gained the right to vote, entered the workplace in vast numbers, become elected members of government, even gone into space. Why, then, after so much progress do some talented women achieve and gain prominence or eminence while others who had as much or more potential fail to achieve the dreams they had as young girls? Why do some bright girls begin to underachieve in school and why do some women who excelled in school remain in unchallenging jobs?In Work Left Undone, Dr. Sally Reis explores these questions and the internal and external barriers facing talented girls and women in today's society. She points out that many girls and women downplay accomplishments in order to maintain relationships and blend into the crowd. Perfectionism and the desire to be the best in all areas of life can drain energy and time away from focusing on special interests. Family and the urge to care for others often takes precedence over developing talents. Likewise, a myriad of external barriers (stereotyping, lack of support from families, conflicting messages from parents, and others) cause some girls and women to give up their dreams and aspirations.Dr. Reis also investigates the different patterns of how females develop and use their talents, various types of creative productivity in females, and the characteristics of successful girls and women including risk-taking, perseverance, and a sense of purpose. She specifically addresses special populations such as talented women in mathematics and science, girls from culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, female artists, and talented women who have chosen a traditionally female career (teaching).Written for gifted and talented girls and women as well as their teachers and parents, this highly readable book presents a large body of research and a number of case studies, offering insight into specific incidents of success or failure. Not only does Dr. Reis expose barriers to success, she also proposes solutions and suggestions for overcoming barriers. She lists specific ideas for girls, parents, and teachers, along with programs and resources that can help girls succeed. Work Left Undone provides readers of any gender and any age with food for thought. Dr. Reis inspires readers to put her suggestions to use, working for change in our society to help women reach their full potential.

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.

The lives of two young Italian lovers, Enza Ravanelli, a practical girl born into poverty and Ciro Amadei, a dreamer raised in a convent orphanage, are woven together in this lush, epic novel set against the landscape of world events in the first half of the 20thcentury. The Shoemaker's Wifespans two world wars, immigration, the birth of American manufacturing, the rigors of assimilation and the perils of the Great Depression. Like the times they were born into, Enza and Ciro's story is filled with surprising twists and turns. Together, they embrace the promise of a new and better life as they attempt to survive by the labour of their own hands. But when Ciro is diagnosed with a deadly cancer from the bombs he endured in World War I, he returns home alone to Italy to say goodbye, and solve a final mystery about his family.

New York Times bestselling adult novelist Adriana Trigiani and beloved illustrator Amy June Bates team up for a heartwarming picture book about a how a family comes together to celebrate Valentine's Day. Mia Valentina Amore loves valentines. After all, her name means My Valentine. When she wakes up on Valentine's Day, it looks like just another morning in the rickety old Amore house in the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia. But over the course of the day, her home is transformed into the House of Love. Mia and her mama festoon the halls, build a gumdrop tree, bake cupcakes, and most importantly, make valentines for all six of her siblings. But when Mia doesn't receive her own valentine, she wonders if Mama could have forgotten her. New York Times bestselling novelist and filmmaker Adriana Trigiani has crafted a tender mother-daughter story that celebrates Valentine's Day or any day that brings family together. And acclaimed illustrator Amy June Bates brings warmth and coziness to a story that affirms it doesn't matter where you come from as long as that place is full of love.

From the bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick One unforgettable woman. One heart and dream as big as New York City. Makers of custom wedding shoes since 1903, the Angelini Shoe Company is one of the last family businesses in Greenwich Village. Now on the brink of financial ruin, thirty-three year old Valentine Roncalli, the talented apprentice, and her grandmother Teodora, the master artisan, are trying to bring the family’s old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century. Juggling a romantic relationship with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family and a design competition for a prestigious department store, Valentine accompanies her grandmother to Italy in the hope of finding inspiration. Sweeping from the streets of Manhattan to picturesque Tuscany and the Isle of Capri, she discovers her artistic voice and so much more, turning her life around in ways she never expected. ‘Charming, charismatic and addictive… an absolute treat’ Company ‘A funny, heart-warming tale of a woman looking for love, family harmony and the perfect shoe’ Heat ‘Load up on cappuccino and biscotti before getting lost in the super froth of Adriana Trigiani's romance-soaked novel, Very Valentine’ Marie Claire ‘This hymn to Italian New York is a treat’ Elle ‘Sex and the City meets Moonstruck... sly, sensual and dripping in style’ People ‘Like tucking into a plate of homemade manicotti: irresistible and delicious’ BookPage

In lively, accessible prose, Victorians Undone fills the space where the body ought to be, proposing new ways of thinking and writing about flesh in the nineteenth century.