Trigiani develops each and every character so distinctly that you fall in love with all of them. Nicky Castone is at the center of the story. He lost both of his parents at a young age and was taken in by his Aunt Jo and Uncle Dom Palazzini. He drives a cab for Dom's company. Dom and his brother, Mike, have been estranged for many years. The cousins miss each other, but they are forbidden to associate with each other.
Calla Borelli directs Shakespeare plays at her father's Borelli Theater. Nicky helps with the shows as a prompter. Nicky's fiance (of seven years), Peachy, doesn't know about Nicky's work with the theater. Calla's boyfriend, Frank, wants to buy the theater (which isn't making any money) from Calla and build apartments. Calla, of course, doesn't know this.
Hortense Mooney, the dispatcher at the cab company, is another one of Nicky's support people. She's like another mother and gives Nicky advice that he's not comfortable with. She tells him not to marry Peachy.
We follow each of these character's stories (and many others) as they flow through life trying to make something of themselves. They each affect Nicky's story in different ways. Trigiani closes the book for every character. Even smaller characters, for example, Mamie, get closure. Some may find this overly detailed, but I enjoyed finding out how everyone evolved.
Trigiani writes beautifully and listening to an audio version is my favorite way to enjoy her stories. Nothing will ever beat The Shoemaker's Wife, but Kiss Carlo reminds me of that one. Edoardo Ballerini does a great job as narrator with distinct but not over-the-top voices for all of these colorful characters.
Kiss Carlo is a rich, epic tale about love and life, and I highly recommend it.
Published by Harper, June 20, 2017, HarperAudio
Audiobook obtained from the library
544 pages
Rating: 5/5
5 stars?! Wow! This sounds like a great family saga to read.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy Trigiani's books, but I haven't had time to read this one yet. Sounds like I need to take care of that ASAP! Glad you enjoyed it so much. Have you read Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series? Those are my favorite books of hers!
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't read Big Stone Gap, but it's on my list for retirement!
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