Brava, Valentine
A Novel
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4.2 • 243 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller
“Delightful, energetic. . . . Trigiani is a seemingly effortless storyteller.” — Boston Globe
Award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker Adriana Trigiani returns with Brava, Valentine, continuing the heartwarming and hilarious story of Valentine Roncalli, her family, her love life, and the Angelini Shoe Company. Following on the heels of the New York Times bestseller Very Valentine (hailed by People magazine as “Sex and the City meets Moonstruck”), Brava, Valentine is another tour-de-force from the beloved author of bestselling novels Lucia, Lucia, The Queen of the Big Time, and the Big Stone Gap series.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Trigiani's sequel to Very Valentine is a sweet second act for shoemaker and designer Valentine Roncalli. Val takes over the New York family-run shoe business with feet-of-clay older brother, Alfred; falls for the dashing, older Gianluca in Italy; and takes a business risk in South America, where she unearths a dusty chapter of family history. There are plenty of picturesque globe-trotting adventures in Tuscany, Manhattan, and Buenos Aires, and, for artistic and independent Val, a grown-up commitment evolves. "There is no art without love. Only love can open someone up to the possibilities of living and creating art," Val writes to the wary Gianluca. And the startling twist of family history finally challenges an old-fashioned, insular clan to join the modern world. But it's always the endearing, unnerving and rowdy Roncallis who steal the show. Look for a heartbreaking exit of one beloved character, and a cliffhanger breakup in this charming valentine to love, forgiveness, and family.
Customer Reviews
La Familia
This book struck close to home. I am of Italian descent, worked in the family business, knew of family skeletons plus understood the family dynamics and have been to Arezzo. Thank you for an enlightening read.
Brava,Valentine
Story telling that immerses you into the life of the characters. You feel as they live. Bravo!
LOL & Romantic
A. Trigiani is a genius when it comes to story telling! She has the reader feels as if s/he is there, sitting among the characters because the characters seem so real. I have read this book several times and each time I have laughed out loud, cried, and felt the prickly goosebumps/ fluttering butterflies of romantic love whenever the characters have their dialogues. At the heart of the story that keeps me glued is the romance between Valentine and Gianluca but their love story seems so real, so complex, and so human, not mushy and cliche. I find myself wincing as one romantic mishap happens after another. I sympathized with the hard choices and the self revelations that the lead character experiences. Also, the setting of the story is so descriptive and beautiful that I could picture artists such as Van Gogh and Claude Monet had collaborated their brushstrokes onto the canvases of each setting. I hope there's another installment of Valentine's storyline. I going to go back to read the first book.
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