Although one of my
favourite books is Jane Eyre, I don’t read romances very often. I did, however,
recently read Adriana Trigiani’s The Shoemaker’s Wife and fell in love with her
writing. It had been a while since a romance pulled at my heartstrings, making
me swoon over characters and setting. Here are three things Trigiani does
exceptionally well in her romance, The Shoemaker’s Wife.
The sympathetic heroine is strong, resourceful, and
kind.
Enza comes from a hard-working family who has
strong beliefs in angels, Catholic prayer, and honesty. While Enza’s religious
beliefs help her through many hardships, particularly emigrating from Italy to
America, it is her strong moral compass that is so intriguing, amidst
characters at the turn of the 20th Century, who seem to be losing
faith in both religion and humanity.
Enza uses what she has to achieve her goals of starting
a family, leading an honest life, and relying on her design skills for her
livelihood. The relationship she has with Ciro Lazzari, who she meets at her
sister’s funeral has never been easy. But it’s with Ciro that Enza is most
content, especially later on in America. With Ciro, she finds comfort as he
represents her home in Italy.
One of the most memorable pieces of dialogue that
Enza says to Ciro:
“And I
want—more than anything—to see my sister again. So I’m going to try my best in
this life so that I’m sure to see her in the next one. I’m going to work hard,
tell the truth, and be of some use to the people who care about me. I’m going
to try, anyway.”
To me, this seemingly ordinary dialogue between Enza
and Ciro reveals her true character. She is brave, good-natured, smart, and
independent, a refreshing mix of qualities in a romance heroine. And it’s this
mix of qualities that helps her survive.
Timing is everything and is the intangible,
powerful thing that affects romance.
Enza and Ciro meet as young teenagers in the
Italian Alps. They share a kiss—Enza’s first—which remains in both of their
memories until they both reach America. They reunite in an American hospital shortly
after, but the reunion is not satisfying:
“She
tried to walk away quickly, but she found that the steps back to her room were painful for an altogether
different reason. There was no doubt: Ciro Lazzari had fallen in love with
someone else.”
When Enza is discharged from the hospital, she loses
touch with Ciro and tries to forget him. Enza moves to New York City and
becomes a respected seamstress for the Opera while Ciro grows to be a talented
shoemaker. They reunite again, but it may be too late. That is, at least, what
you’re supposed to believe as the reader. Timing has never been favourable for
either lover, as it separates them and reunites them, with the reunions so
fleeting. Even as the two eventually marry and raise a family, timing once
again, interrupts their romance.
Setting fuels romance.
In The Shoemaker’s Wife, the story begins in the
Italian Alps, boasting a lush landscape and vivid colours. One of my favourite
passages in the book describing the Italian setting is:
“Primavera
in the Italian Alps was like a jewelry box opened in sunlight. Clusters of red
peonies like ruffles of taffeta framed pale green fields, while white orchids
climbed up the glittering graphite mountain walls.”
In these two sentences, Enza describes her home in
the mountains, which she continues to long for as she travels to America. Her
deep attachment to the majestic beauty of the Italian Alps is moving with the
use of poetic and dreamy language.
While the setting in New York differs, romantic
imagery continues:
“Trumpet
vines cascaded down the drainpipe in shots of bold orange and soft green like
fine silk tassels against the freshly pointed coral bricks. Purple hyacinths
spilled out of antique white marble Roman urns on either side of the
black-lacquered double entrance doors of the Milbank House at 11 West Tenth
Street in Greenwich Village.”
At this point, Enza has finally left her awful
factory job and terrible living conditions in Hoboken, New Jersey to begin an
exciting life in New York. This very house becomes her first real sanctuary
away from Italy. It’s one of the first passages that describes beauty and
serenity in an American setting, signaling that the romance between Enza and
Ciro is not over.
Two Italian peasants meet as teenagers whose
destinies continue to intersect throughout their lives. It’s a basic premise,
but it’s the sensual imagery, vivid characters, and chaotic timing that unfold
a beautiful, moving, and heartbreaking romance.
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