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A Novel
by Adriana Trigiani
From the beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, a "dazzling" storyteller (Washington Post), and a "comedy writer with a heart of gold" (NYT), comes a novel about one woman's quest to build her own life before it's too late.
Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close.
In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, "the perfect husband," Jess moves into her parents' basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner, and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe).
When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy.
From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to the glittering streets of Milan, and on the shores of enchanting Lake Como (the other one), Jess begins to carve a place in this new/old world. When she meets Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist who works in gold, she discovers her own skills are priceless. But as Jess uncovers the truth about her family history, it will change the course of her life and those she loves the most forever. In love and work, in art and soul, Jess will need every tool she has mastered to reinvent her life.
Fed by the author's cherished Italian roots comes a bighearted, hilarious novel of the moment: the story of one woman's determination to live a creative life that matters, with enough room left over for love. With a one-way ticket to Italy, Jess is determined to write a new story on her own terms--this time, in stone.
What are you reading this week? (8/7/2025)
I finished "View From Lake Como" by Adriana Trigiani yesterday & then started "Rose Arbor" by Rhys Bowen.
-Carol_Ann_Robb
What are you reading this week? (7/31/2025)
I just finished "Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride" by Will Leitch which turned out to be quite the dark horse since I grabbed it off the library's New Book shelves on a whim. Very moving, keep the Kleenex handy. Now I'm eagerly awaiting a phone call to tell me that Adriana Trigiani's "View From Lake Como...
-Carol_Ann_Robb
What are you reading this week? (7/2/2025)
The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani
-Cindy_R
"Readers will be absolutely transported in this immersive, big-hearted ode to family, history, and the importance of independence." —Booklist (starred review)
"This is the book Trigiani's fans have been waiting for. Her hallmark charm and love of family, along with a touch of romance, make for a captivating and memorable read. Recommend to those who enjoy the work of Dorothea Benton Frank, Lisa Scottoline, or Kristy Woodson Harvey." —Library Journal (starred review)
"An Italian American woman throws off the shackles of her constrictive New Jersey family in this sweet outing…Trigiani's fans will lap this up." —Publishers Weekly
"A fairy tale stuffed with a meaningful moral, this is a funny and heartwarming novel." —Kirkus Reviews
This information about The View From Lake Como was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Adriana Trigiani is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-one books of fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been published in thirty-eight languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer, and filmmaker, Trigiani wrote and directed the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, adapted her novel, Very Valentine, for television, and directed the documentary, Queens of the Big Time, among others. In 2023, President Sergio Matterella of Italy awarded Trigiani the Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia. The Library of Virginia bestowed their highest honor, the Patron of Letters degree, to Trigiani in 2024. She received the 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor for her significant contributions to literature, culture, and community. Trigiani grew up in Appalachia, in the mountains of Virginia, where she co-founded The Origin Project, a year-round, in-school writing program that has served over 25,000 students since its inception in 2014. Trigiani is proud to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.
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