THE SHOEMAKER'S WIFE by Adriana Trigiani

Full of implausible coincidences and near misses, this novel still brings to life two strong Italian characters, Enza and Ciro.  Enza comes from a large family and meets Ciro when he is hired to dig the grave of Enza’s beloved youngest sister.  Ciro knows even more about loss, because his father died in the U.S. in a mining accident, leaving his mother unable to cope with the responsibility of raising two sons alone.  She drops them off at a convent and retreats from their lives indefinitely.  Due to unfortunate circumstances, both Enza and Ciro land in New York, where their paths cross once again.  Ciro becomes a shoemaker’s apprentice, and Enza eventually leaves the cruel Hoboken household of a distant cousin, where her existence matches that of Cinderella, minus the glass slipper and prince.  She is a plucky, talented seamstress, however, and secures a job, along with her best friend, Laura, creating costumes for the Metropolitan Opera.  Needless to say, Enza’s life is more thrilling to read about than Ciro’s, as she becomes acquainted with Enrico Caruso and hobnobs with other cast members and staff at the Met.  We assume that she and Ciro will eventually reunite, but in the meantime, Enza has another prospect in the husband department.  This book may be a little too much of a fairy tale, but I became very attached to these two characters, who defy the odds to build a life together that looks a lot like the American Dream.