“The Shoemaker’s Wife” by Adriana Trigiani

First off, I’ll have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan there is of romance novels (people who have read some of my previous reviews may remember that), and so my take on The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani may be a bit biased. However, I will do my best to provide an objective take on the book, and should I make any subjective comments that are influenced by my predispositions, I will make notes of it.

In any case, to give you a quick idea of what the book is about, The Shoemaker’s Wife is an epic story revolving around two lovers. The story takes place across two continents and multiple generations, covering numerous historical events, including the two World Wars. 

Basically, it tells the story of how those two lovers got separated, and after many hard years of hoping, suffering and searching, finally find each other and become united at last. It seems to me that Adriana Trigiani did not even try to hide the fact that her story follows a, let’s face it, quite generic structure. However, the real beauty of this book lies not necessarily in the resolution of the story, or the story itself even... it’s in how the story is delivered to us.

As you can imagine, this extensive story is full of vivid descriptions, dramatic events, and distinguishable characters, taking place across two continents and dozens of years and whatnot. I have to admit that it was actually captivating to watch the two lovers overcome all the trials that fate has set in front of them, going above and beyond what humans are thought to be.

From a technical perspective, I must admit that the novel was a masterpiece. Every word and sentence in this book has some kind of meaning, and even the shortest of phrases can tell us a whole lot about any given character or situation. It’s one of those books where you must make sure to read every line carefully, lest you miss something important or insightful. 

All in all, I must admit that even though I’m partial to romance stories, this one was quite bearable. To translate that, those who like romance stories are probably going to have a real blast reading The Shoemaker’s Wife.

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Adriana Trigiani Personal site Adriana Trigiani is a television writer, producer, film director, and novelist of American origin. Her silver-screen efforts include Queens of the Big Time and Big Stone Gap, in addition to which it should be mentioned that she served as a writer for five episodes on The Cosby Show. She has also taken to publishing approximately one novel a year, maintaining her steady pace since 2001, penning such works as Milk Glass Moon and The Supreme Macaroni Company.