The Shoemaker's Wife

A Novel about Enza, the decision maker

I got this book as a birthday gift from my son who likes to read. At first, I fall in love with its cover: the velvety touch of the paper, the scarlet red gown of the elegant lady, the pearly white of the back cover, all of these small details conveyed me to start my journey into the many worlds of Enza’s story.  The story of each and every individual that leave his home town in search of a better place that provide him with more opportunities and more money. Enza proved that success and happiness is relative to the person itself, her way of dealing with the issues that she encounters and the attitude she has towards others. Like many successful immigrants, Enza had the character of a fighter who never gives up. She is a courageous girl that had a difficult life in Italy, she endured poverty, injustice and death, back home, she was the backbone of the family and used to  help and to sympathize with people suffering.   

 
The life in America was a challenge for the young girl that came from the Italian Alps. Working in the factory, as a housekeeper and as a seamstress were all demanding jobs that needed great deal of courage and determination that Enza had for sure.

This novel is worth to be read over and over to discover the many side of the story: the beauty of the Italian country side, the splendor of the Amercian dream, the determination of the immigrants, the love story of a dedicated couple, and most of all to enjoy the finest style of writing nowadays, embodied by by Adriana Trigiani 's pen.