The Shoemaker's Wife/Adriana Trigiani/475 pgs.

I'm normally not a fan of "family sagas," but when a co-worker recommended this book, I thought I would give it a try--I'm so glad that I did. This is basically the story of two families from the same area in Italy: the Lazzaris and the Ravanellis--mainly Ciro Lazzari and Enza Ravanelli. Their paths cross, first in Italy, and later, in the United States. Due to family problems, Ciro and his brother, Eduardo, are left by their mother at a convent to ultimately be raised by the sisters. Enza , the eldest of six children, takes on much of the responsibility in helping both of her parents sustain a large family. The time is pre-World War I, and the economy is not at its best. Ciro is banished from the convent because of something he witnesses, and finds refuge in the United States. Enza and her father travel to the United States in order to make money to send back to the remaining family. In each case, both Ciro and Enza plan on returning to their native Italy. But then  life happens, and the author takes the reader on a beautiful journey of Ciro and Enza's trials and tribulations. It is a well written, wonderful story!