It’s a while since I read an Adriana Trigiani book but this one has the close community which is a feature of the previous books I’ve read. The many secrets of a family of Italian Americans start to unravel and demonstrate the oppression that these kind of families. The family history is told in flashbacks and the recently divorced Jess returns to the origin town to begin a new life. Good holiday read.

Loved this book. It was a set in the idyllc location Lake Como. The author described the location so musch so, you felt you were there with them. The book was well written. It had a great plot that i lost myself in. Lovely charaacters. Real feel good book to get your teeth into. Perfect read for the summer months

I have to say, when I saw the title the only Lake Como I knew was in Italy.... but there is also one in America where parts of this book are set... the remainder is set in the 'real Lake Como'/

It is a long time since I have read a book by Adriana Trigiani - and I thoroughly enjoyed the book/

Jess is 33 years old - divorced and living in what can only be described as a small American town where everyone knows everyone ... after her divorce she is forced to return to live with her parents... but in the basement. An Italian immigrant family, her Uncle Luigi runs a marble business , Jess works for him and following his sudden death she visits Carrara in Italy and discovers, love, a secret part of her Uncle's life and the hold of marble.

"The View from Lake Como" is another différent and very engaging novel from Adriana Trigiani. Initially I was concerned that the title might be misleading and all the action set in the USA (albeit in a town re-named Lake Como). But fear not, plenty of time is spent in Italy as Jess struggles to find a new life and cope with the aftermath of her beloved Uncle Louie. Recommended.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have loved Adriana Trigiani since I read the Big Stone Gap trilogy in my twenties. This was a lovely return to an author whose style is reassuringly familiar and comforting. I loved the details of messages, Insta and online therapy, mixed in with the Italian American family shenanigans and history. The first part was a clever introduction to the lives and loves of the Capodimonte Baratta family, and the relationship between Jess and Uncle Louie. From there the twists and turns bringing the unexpected just as I settled in were excellent and kept coming right to the end.
I loved Jess' journey to her ancestral home, but also to self discovery, her journey of finding her place, her sense of belonging and her future.
It was lovely to imagine life in Carrara, with coffee and pastries and the late summer sun, and as I read it sitting in my sunny garden I could pretend I was there.
Overall this book is a joy, some fictional predictability but in an uncertain world sometimes that is what's needed.

It took me a while to get into this story but once I did I was captivated! It’s been a while since I have read a book by Adriana so I thoroughly enjoyed her beautifully descriptive writing once again. The two places with similar names was a little confusing to start but it is really well worth sticking with it! Thoroughly recommended!

The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani

It was so lovely to be back in Adriana Trigiani’s world. It always feels like a hug in a book! Jess (short for Guiseppina Capidimonte Baratta) is an artist who designs pieces made with marble, everything from a garden fountain to a baptismal font. She lives with her family in the New Jersey town of Lake Como. Ever since she finished school Jess has worked with her uncle Luis at his marble business, shipping newly quarried Italian marble to the United States then offering Jess’s services to anyone who needs a bespoke piece making. Jess is at a stage in life when she’s longing for something new. After divorcing her childhood sweetheart and local heartthrob Bobby Bilancia she’s been living in her parent’s basement. Their mothers, who have a long held friendship, are openly praying for their reconciliation. Jess could see her whole life mapped out, in fact her namesake Aunt Guiseppina has given her the blueprint. She’ll become the maiden aunt, chief baby sitter for her sibling’s kinds, cook and bottle washer for family dinners, and eventually caring for their elderly parents. When the family experience an unexpected loss, coupled with financial worries, secrets come tumbling out of every closet. Jess decides to take the trip to Italy that had been planned for work. Now she’ll use it as a change of scene rather than just a work trip. Finally, she will see her ancestor’s homeland. Taking us to Lake Como via Milan, Jess falls in love with Italy and all it has to offer.

This story is a common narrative in the author’s novels. A young, ambitious and talented woman is looking for a lucky break or a foothold in the family business and has an adventure. Jess is slightly different in that she’s older and has already found her Prince Charming. I loved her relationship with Uncle Luis, who’s lovable and potentially a bit of a rogue. He is her mother’s brother and they’ve been estranged several times thanks to their bullish and temperamental personalities. Jess has always been a favourite of their aunt and uncles. The author is great at creating these big, multi-generational families who are loud and quick to anger and just as quick to forgive. Jess though, doesn’t seem seen or heard in her family. There’s an assumption that she’ll look after older family members and she’d stay married to Bobby till they were old. Her walking out isn’t just against the religious and family code, it’s unlike Jess. Her choice not to confide in her family about what went wrong is confusing them. Stressful situations usually floor Jess, who has suffered from anxiety all her life. The family carry brown paper bags wherever they go. Yet Jess had withstood the questions and judgement from neighbours and the rest of their community. She sticks with her decision, only confiding in her online counsellor and her journal.

So she sets out to visit the hometown of her Uncle Luis, to visit the marble quarries that supply their marble but also meet with local stonemasons who use it. It should be useful for her work but also give her the head space she needs after the divorce, her loss and some family home truths that left her very angry with her parents. When she meets Angelo Strazzi, a talented local craftsman, future possibilities start to open up. I could see what was happening to Jess with her family. There were so many secrets that only start to come to light after a family loss. It seems that her parents have been juggling financial obligations, including those to their children. Jess feels like they took away her future, ruining her chance to go to university. Their solution may seem like a kindness, but Jess sees it as a trap that keeps her in New Jersey. It keeps her obligated. So it’s great to see her come alive and make choices for herself. Between her exploits in Italy we learn more about Uncle Luis, Jess’s childhood and her marriage. As for the romance, I’d have loved a bit more detail and time spent together. I felt like I learned more about Bobby and it left me unsure how I wanted the book to end.

As always Italy is a revelation and Trigiani writes about it in a way that only an Italian American can. There’s familiarity and nostalgia that comes from knowing her family are from here, but there’s also the wonder and magic of the tourist view too. It’s the best of both worlds. Mostly I loved that Italy seems to set Jess free, in her own right. She’s away from a community that feels it knows her better than she knows herself, from the suffocating combination of her own family and that of her ex-husband. Free from a future that she and her family saw for her - that of the maiden aunt. Maybe it’s the mountains but Jess can breathe in Italy. I came out of the novel feeling like I’d been on holiday. I won’t ruin the book by telling you what Jess’s choices are, but the ending is the important thing. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I did.

I've read the author before but not for some time, so enjoyed reading her again. I took a little to settle into the book but once I did it was a joy. The two locations - USA and Italy - showed the same story can play out wherever with family drama never being far away.

I also learnt about marble and where it tends to come from - something I'd never really considered!

Great read

The View From Lake Como was a delightful story that quickly drew me in and kept my attention to the end. Adriana Trigiani is an accomplished writer who can paint a picture of the characters and setting to keep you engrossed.

I particularly loved the time Jess spent in Italy discovering herself. The descriptions had me transported to Italy, with the sights, smells and basking in the sunshine. Jess's journey from New Jersey and her domineering family to Lake Como, where she began to find herself, was well written, and I felt I was with her on the journey.

The story is witty and absorbing, and I loved reading it. I am a fan of Adriana Trigiani's books, but haven't read any for a long time, so I was pleased to find they are just as good as I remembered. I highly recommend making this your Summer read!

The main character of this tale is Jess, beautifully written, definitely makes the reader feel she is in Italy - the scenery, the food, the people.
There were however a lot of characters to get to now & also the time shifts were sometimes a little confusing, but definitely a good read

This book took me a while to get into although I am not sure why as once I got into it I flew through it. Set in glorious surroundings and treading a path that changed from how she originally expected it to go. A gentle read.

It is quite a number of years since I read a book written by Adriana Trigiani. I am so pleased that I picked this book and reacquainted myself with a wonderful story teller.
I loved the dynamics of the story, the Italian American family and the setting both in New Jersey and Italy.
This is a book that I couldn’t put down and one that will stay with me for some time. Loved it!

Recently divorced Jess is now living with her parents.
She travels to Italy to visit the place where her uncle and employer started up his business.
I am a fan of this author but I was a bit disappointed in this story and I found it slow in parts.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read every book that Adriana Trigiani has written, and liked all of them. This one I found a little confusing due to the time shifting. But as always the author takes you into Italy with eclat, giving wonderful food, amazing scenery and a general feeling of 'being there'. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

I have read every book by Adriana Trigiani so I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced reading copy of View from Lake Como from NetGalley. I started reading it immediately and was quickly drawn into the lives of the Baratta family. Giuseppina Capodimonte, named after a maiden great aunt but known as Jess to her family is recently divorced, living back home in the family basement and working for her Uncle Louie in the family business Capadimonte Marble and Stone. Jess has never been away to college or gone far from home in Lake Como New Jersey. When she married Bobby, her childhood sweetheart she stayed in the same town. Jess’s and Bobby’s Mums are determined that the couple will get back together. It’s clear that Jess’s Mum wants to keep her close and Jess has always been the people pleaser in the family.
Jess is close to her Uncle Louie and Aunt Lil and her uncle has decided that it’s time for Jess to see the place their family came from, near Lake Como in Italy. He wants Jess to take over the business and she needs to see the quarries and understand the mining in Carrara, Italy. Plane tickets are booked and Jess couldn’t be more excited. Not all goes to plan but Jess does go to Carrara and on a journey of self discovery she has the chance to find out for herself all she needs to be fulfilled in her work and personal life.
View from Lake Como is a must read for fans of Adriana Trigiani and for anyone who loves an Italian American family saga. I went from laughing out loud to reaching for the tissues as I loved, laughed and cried with the Baratta family. I just didn’t want to leave them. This is an excellent 5* read!

Like most of Adrianas books this needs to come with a warning that it will make you hungry and crave Italian food, I’d forgotten that fact before I started to read.
It’s excellent, American Italian families, food and wonderful descriptions of Lake Como and the Italian countryside, culture and community. If you have read any of her previous books you will enjoy this one too and if you haven’t then this is a great introduction to her style of writing.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

I have always enjoyed Adriana Trigiani's books and this was no exception. She tells a wonderful story about Jess, an American Italian, who returns to the land of her parents after her divorce. The book is beautifully descriptive, from the food, the scenery, the big involved Italian family, and the marble cutting. It is a pleasant read, though I did get a little confused with the large cast of characters, however they were all well crafted and interesting. One for the holidays, by the pool or at the beach!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I did enjoy this book especially as I had a trip to Italy planned and I finished the book the day before I travelled. Some of the places I visited were in the book so made them more interesting.

I did find the book a little confusing when it went from present day to the past but not sure if that was just how it had downloaded onto my Kindle. I also found the Italian references confusing as well as I don't speak Italian.

I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book to find out why Jess left Bobby but I guess it just means everyone deserves to be happy no matter what stage they are in their life journey.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I absolutely love this author and have read many of their books - all are enjoyable
I feel very fortunate to be able to read this

Absolutely loved it
Great characters and a wonderful read

Highly recommend

This has definitely been a struggle to read. I began to find it very boring. The family and constant references to food and different members of the family felt very claustrophobic and I was glad to finish it.