The Shoemaker's Wife, by Adriana Trigiani

Characters
Italy	America
Marco and Giacomina Ravanelli Enza Battista and Vittorio – brothers Eliana and Alma – sisters Stella – youngest sister who died   Caterina Lazzari Ciro Eduardo   Sister Teresa - Sisters of San Nicola Ignazio Farino   Don Gregorio – priest Concetta Martocci	Ciro – apprentice to Remo Enza – seamstress Son – Antonio   Marco – working in mines and out west   Remo and Carla Zanetti – shoemaker   Luigi Latini – friend Ciro met on ship, apprentice to Remo Pappina – Luigi’s girlfriend and wife Angela - daughter     Buffa family – distant cousins of Giacomina Anna and 3 daughters   Laura Heery – Enza’s friend – blouse factory   Serafina Ramunn – Metropolitan Opera House   Enrico Caruso   Vito Blazek – Publicity director for Met   Colin Chapin – Accountant at Met

For discussion:

NOTE: page numbers are from the hardback edition of book

1. When Ciro was offered the job in the ship’s boiler room by the bursar, Massimo Zito, he bargained for a much higher pay.  Do you think he was sophisticated enough at that point to do that?

2. When Luigi and Ciro landed in American the author wrote that they, “…came face to face with the engine of American life: You work and then you spend.” (page 136) Is this a true assessment of America at that time?

3. On page 164 the author described Carla Zanetti and a “snob” and wrote that she was reinventing herself and looked down on fellow Italian immigrants.  Do you think this was common as some immigrants were able to be more successful than others?

4. The scullery job that Enza and Laura took turned out to be a turning point for them (page 238).    On page 209 Ciro questioned, “But really, are there accidents?  Or does fate determine time and place and opportunity?”   What do you think?

5. From reading this book, how would you evaluate America’s welcome of immigrants before the first World War?  When Ciro and Luigi were talking with a young man entering the service they felt, “the slight judgement that said immigrants were a necessary fact of life, one that must be tolerated but never truly accepted.”  (page 216)  

6. Did you think it was fair that Enza sent all her money back to Italy? 

7. When Enza left the Buffa home it was understandable that the Buffa family would insult her.  But why did the neighbors join in?  (page 226)

8. Ciro learned two lessons during the war: “that good men can’t fix what evil men are intent on destroying” and “a soldier could not count on anything – his commanding officer, his fellow infantrymen, his country, or the weather.  He only had luck, or didn’t.”  (page 304)   Do you agree?

9. When Eduardo joined the priesthood he was expected to give up all contact with his family.  Is this still the practice?  Did you think this was necessary?

10. This book was written in 2012.  What did you think about the author including the misconduct by Don Gregorio in the novel? 

11. When Enza learned that Vito Blazek had three wives she felt that she was lucky that she had avoided being married to him as his first wife.  Is it possible that Vito would have remained happily and faithfully married to Enza if she has not cancelled her marriage?

12. Do you blame Caterina for leaving her sons at the convent?  Did she have any other choices?

13. How was Luigi leaving Angela with Enza different from Caterina leaving her sons?

14. The importance of music was a theme that ran through this book (Enrico Caruso, the Opera, Angela’s singing voice).  Were you able to relate to that? 

15. What did you think of the chapter titles?  They referred to one small item in each chapter.  Would you have changed them?

16. Discuss your reading experience.  How many Kleenex (if any) did you use??  Did you learn anything from reading this book?

*****

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