Lucia, Lucia

July 30, 2009 at 12:15 p.m.
Lucia, Lucia
Lucia, Lucia
By Jill Williams

Lucia Sartori is a young Italian woman living at home with her parents and four older brothers. She works as a seamstress in the Custom Department of the prestigious B. Altman's in New York. It is a "grand store covering an entire city block." It is 1950. This job means everything to Lucia, often described as the most beautiful girl in Greenwich Village. Though tradition dictates she leave her job and settle into the role of housewife, Lucia wants a career. Having been a seamstress for over 6 years, she has just received a raise, and since living at home, she has quite a nest egg already established. She is an independent woman before it is acceptable to be one. In fact, she will shock her family when she calls off her 6-month engagement to a solid Italian boy whom her whole family loves. Lucia has dreams and they don't include moving into her in-laws home and cooking and cleaning. Lucia's job is to be part of the team that assembles beautiful hand crafted clothing for the elite. Her best friend, Ruth, also works in the Custom Department, and their boss and chief designer, Delmarr, is like a dream come true.

After calling off her engagement, Lucia is suddenly pursued by every eligible bachelor in New York, it seems. On a fateful New Years Eve, Lucia is kissed by a dashing man whom she fully intends to marry. There are mysterious things about John Talbot, but one thing is for certain: Lucia's father wants him to have nothing to do with Lucia. In fact, the night Lucia and John get engaged, her father makes his feelings very clear that he does not approve. It only gets worse from then on.

A very close family, the Sartori's are very involved in their intertwined lives. In a time when boys brought their wives home to live in the family homestead, it is unheard of that Lucia wishes to live apart from any future in-laws, and in fact plans to leave Manhattan altogether. Lucia was born a few decades too early, and so she must suffer at the rules enforced by the men of the day. With such strong ties to family as well, Lucia's entire future aspirations will die if she cannot be allowed to make her own way in the world. Tests of love and life, family and friends are coming in the days ahead, and Lucia will have to decide what is most important and what she will sacrifice for her dreams.

This is the first book I've read by Adriana Trigiani. It won't be my last. She weaves words together in a masterful way. Let me give you an example: "The roads curl down to the ocean like ribbons...the water meets the shore and ripples onto the sand, forming a glittery hem. The houses, painted coral and sky blue, are set into the hills like sequins on silk." Taking in the beautiful words is a delight.

The author lives in New York City with her family, and has written plays and several other novels. You can find out more about her on her website