Lively widow Varina Paladino has lived in the same house in Wyldale, New Jersey, her entire life. The town might be slightly stuck in the 1960s, when small businesses thrived and most residents were Italian, but its population is getting younger and the Paladinos are embracing the change. What Varina’s not embracing, much to her ninety-two-year-old mother’s dismay, is dating. Running Paladino’s Italian Specialties grocery, caring for her mother, and keeping her large, loud Jersey Italian family from killing one another takes up all of Varina’s energy anyway.
Sylvia Spini worries about her daughter Varina being left all alone when she dies. Sylvia knows what it is to be old and alone, so when her granddaughter, Donatella, comes to her with an ill-conceived plan to find Varina a man, Sylvia dives in. The three men of the family—Dante, Tommy, and Paulie—are each secretly plotting their own big life changes, which will throw everyone for a loop.
Three generations of Paladinos butt heads and break one another’s hearts as they wrestle with their own Jersey Italian love stories in this hilarious and life-affirming ode to love and family.
Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story by Terri-Lynne DeFino will be released on February 14, 2023. William Morrow has provided an early galley for review.
I come from Italian families, on both sides. And though I grew up in New York state, I did spend about six months living in New Jersey. So, how could I pass up on this title when I saw its listing? I simply could not.
This story about multiple generations of a family really hit home. I found the characters likeable and balanced. Their stories reminded me that family is not always picture perfect, and that sometimes the way we show love for one another might not be in the most obvious ways.
An especially nice touch was the definitions of Italian phrases at the start of each chapter. Many of these I knew or had heard growing up, usually by older generation family members. They really helped to put some of the dialogue in context as Italian-Americans often sprinkle native words into the mix when they are talking to one another. This felt very natural and right.
And, at the end, the author includes a trio of recipes. Because, with Italian families, it is all about the interactions over meals.
No comments:
Post a Comment