About this title: This first novel in a new trilogy from bestselling author Trigiani offers a heartwarming and hilarious story of Valentine Roncalli and the decades-old family business she struggles to save, finding love and the life she wants along the way.
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Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780061257056ISBN:0061257052
Description: Fine in Very Good jacket. This Stated First Edition book is in fine condition. The binding is tight and pages are clean. It appears to have not had use. The dust jacket is in very good condition with bumps and scuffs. read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780061257056ISBN:0061257052
Description: Fine in fine dust jacket. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 371 p. Audience: General/trade. Excellent condition, like new read more
Description: Very Good. 0061668990 some minor dog-earing, alightly bowed spine, otherwise in very good condition--clean pages, unbroken spine. read more
Description: Very Good. Size: 13.28; Lgr Print 2009. Harperluxe. Paperback. Minor edge and corner wear. No store stamps, owner names, or other writings. read more
Edition: Stated First Edition; First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harpercollins, New York
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780061257056ISBN:0061257052
Description: Near Fine in Near Fine DJ. 9780061257056. Book is Near Fine. Stated First Edition with complete number line and date line. Tight and sturdy binding. Appears book never read. Clean and unmarked text. Last fly leaf has vertical fold/bend near gutter. DJ is near fine. DJ corner tips have very light wear. Back DJ top edge very light bumping.; 371 pages. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harpercollins
Date Published: 2009-02-03
ISBN-13:9780061257056ISBN:0061257052
Description: NEW. Hardcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780061257056. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Harperluxe
Date Published: 2009-02-03
ISBN-13:9780061668999ISBN:0061668990
Description: NEW. Softcover. From an inventory that is 100% brand-new, 100% direct from the publishers' distribution channel. We carry NO pre-owned, NO remaindered. We pack in CARDBOARD to ensure the pristine quality is maintained. (Bubble-wrap alone is NOT sufficient to protect from USPS equipment. ) Guaranteed brand-NEW, protected with CARDBOARD, your satisfaction is guaranteed. BKLUVID: 9780061668999. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperLuxe
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780061668999ISBN:0061668990
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harper
Date Published: 2009
ISBN-13:9780061257056ISBN:0061257052
Description: New. Brand New! Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
"Not much to say about this book--it was moderately entertaining, but certainly not worth more than two stars in my opinion.
I have read another Trigiani book before--Queen of the Big Time--and liked it better. In this book, the author tries too hard to be witty and it distracts from the story. I like to laugh while I am reading, but when every paragraph contains sarcasm and light humor, it gets old.
I did, however, really connect to Valentine's relationship with her grandmother. I, too, was very close to mine and this story brought back some good memories.
Valentine works in her grandparents' custom shoe making business and tries to help save the business from going under from debt and competition. She and her grandmother take a trip to Italy and Valentie learns a lot about herself and her family--it's definitely a cute story but as I call them...a beach read. This was not a good book club selection--there is not much to discuss.
If you are Italian and from NYC, if you have or had a special grandmother, if you like shoes and overboard descriptions of fashion, or if you just want a light read, this book is for you!"
"Author Adriana Trigiani captured America's heart with her Big Stone Gap series of books. The town of Big Stone Gap was as important a character in the novels as its protagonist, Ave Maria.
Trigiani's first novel in her next planned trilogy,Very Valentine, has as some of its most important characters not one, but two, settings- Greenwich Village in New York City and Italy.
Valentine Roncalli is a single thirty-something woman from an Italian family. She lives and works in Greenwich Village with her beloved grandmother Teodora Angelini at Angelini Shoes, which has been in the family since 1903. They design and create lovely custom shoes, many of which are worn by brides on their wedding day.
The humorous opening to the novel, at Valentine's baby sister's wedding, sets the tone for the joyous, loving, heartbreaking story to follow. Anyone who has ever attended an Italian wedding will recognize the characters, the food and the decor described. And if you have been a single woman at an Italian wedding, you will commiserate with Valentine's plight.
Trigiani lives in Greenwich Village, and brings to life this vibrant section of New York; from the breezy Hudson River Park to the Buonitalia bakery in Chelsea Market to cobblestone sidewalks to the newly established tiny restaurants run by the hottest new chefs, this is a place one must visit after reading this novel.
Valentine reluctantly opens her heart to Roman Falconi, a chef with a new restaurant in the Village. They both have demanding careers, working long hours to make their dreams come true, and they struggle to balance those demands with the loving relationship they want to create.
Teodora is a vibrant older woman, but she is not free from the restraints of aging. She discovers that her late husband mortgaged the business to keep it alive, but now the time has come to make a decision- sell the building to a broker who will give her enough money to retire comfortably, or try to keep a business going in an increasingly tough economy.
She takes Valentine to Italy on her annual trip to purchase stock for the shop. It is there, in that beautiful country, that Valentine learns something about her grandmother which helps her to see the situation in a new light.
Trigiani is a marvelous writer. She does her homework, and the reader learns, along with Valentine, how to design and build beautiful shoes. I'm not a shoe person, but this made me wonder what I am missing.
She paints a picture of Italy so gorgeous, it makes you want to hop a plane and move there, or at least visit for a month or so. The scenery, the people, the food, the romance, the Isle of Capri- it all sounds so delicious.
Her characters feel like people you know; I especially liked Valentine's mother and father. The family relationships are so real, you have to wonder if Trigiani's family members are reluctant to be in her presence for fear their words will end up in one of her books.
It feels like you are spying on real people when you read Very Valentine. People struggling with finding and holding onto love, with balancing their career dreams and family, these are things with which we all struggle. If only we could all do it in the scenery that Adriana Trigiani lovingly paints in this funny, sweet, touching novel. I'm definitely looking forward to the next two books in Valentine's saga."
"What can I say, I loved this book. I enjoy hunkering down and being swept away by a contemporary family saga and this book met that criteria. Especially when there are wonderful characters with rich ethnic backgrounds as I believe that this gives a story a depth and richness. Valentine is the main character and we learn about her quirky Italian family that I would love to sit down an enjoy an Italian meal with. The drama alone would make great entertainment. Valentine works as an apprentice under her grandmother Teodora in their family custom shoe business in Greenwich Village in New York. I enjoyed reading about how custom shoes are made and the artistry and skill that goes into the process of what is considered an old world craft. Reading about this process has made me wonder what a custom handmade shoe would feel like, it has to be an amazing experience. This book makes you think about the art of family business and what they must do to survive against the big box companies that mass merchandise our goods. It made me think about the importance of supporting these family run businesses in our own communities. Valentine balances a new relationship with a new beau Roman who is a chef and just opened his own restaurant. I feel like I gained a few pounds while reading this book which includes scrumptious details of all of the wonderful meals the family eats...homemade ravioli, homemade bread dipped in golden olive oil, rich wine, lattes, cobblers and much more. There were a lot of vivid details of color and texture that related to the food and leather and fabrics in the shoes that were made. Reading this book was definitely a sensory experience in itself rich with details that allows the reader to imagine the experience. Along the way, Valentine discovers her artistic side, where her passion lies and she continues to learn and grow in her relationships with her family and with men. Valentine travels to Italy which is a wonderful place for her to grow and experience the culture and connect to her Italian roots. I appreciated Valentine's close relationship with her grandmother Teodora. Teodora was a strong female character who had worked side by side with her husband to carry on their family business. Her family was extremely important to her and she was a pillar of strength and wisdom to them all. She has a very special relationship with Valentine, they have a connection that is unique and strong. My own grandmother is 91 and she has been the pillar of strength in our family and her positive outlook and attitude made a great impact on me as a child. I could relate to this special bond that a grandmother and granddaughter have. I can't wait to find out what happens next in Valentine's life and family in the next book. I highly recommend Very Valentine to fans of Adriana's books or to anyone who has never read her books. Treat yourself, you must read her books!"
"I started this book, read about 10 pages, and then put it down. It didn't hook me right away, but once I picked it up again, I flew through it and had in done in less than a weekend. I have read all (or all but one) of Trigiana's books and I have really enjoyed the books that deal with the Italian families. This one proved just as good. I misread the jacket and thought the story was set in 1903, but it turns out that was just when the Angelini Shoe Company was founded. I loved this story of Valentine and how she sets out to save the family's business even though others in her family want to immediately sale and take the money and run. I love how Valentine goes out of her comfort zone to try on her own to change the course of the outcome.
While I liked the love story with the chef, Roman, he did leave me feeling a little cold. Something about his character for me, and I am anxious to see where this story heads. The book jacket says that it is the first of a trilogy so I can't wait until the next one!"
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