Publishers Weekly - Audio
10/30/2017
Nicky Castone is an Italian-American cab driver in South Philadelphia after WWII, happy to finally settle down with his longtime fiancée Peachy DePino and move out of his family’s basement. But then he discovers a passion for the theater, and his long-planned life is no longer enough for him. This sweeping novel is populated with an almost overwhelming cast, and one narrator plays every part in the audio edition. Ballerini, a veteran television actor with recurring roles on The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire, performs the epic 16-hour story so well that a listener can get lost in it. Ballerini’s voice can be gentle and carefully modulated or edgy and fast-talking in character. Particularly memorable are his portrayals of the comically indignant Peachy (and her angry parents), whose ire is palpable enough for Nicky to need to skip town, and rival love interest Calla, who runs the Shakespearean theater that inspires Nicky’s drastic change of course. Ballerini’s reading of Trigiani’s novel will have listeners attuned throughout. A Harper hardcover. (June)
Publishers Weekly
07/17/2017
Trigiani takes readers on a journey to post–World War II Philadelphia, where one man suddenly realizes that he wants more from life than the path that he has been given. After being orphaned at a young age, Nicky Castone lives with his uncle’s family, the Palazzinis. In 1949, following his military service, Nicky is now driving a cab for his uncle’s company and engaged to Peachy DePino. But he discovers true passion when he fills in as a substitute actor in a Shakespearean play at the nearby theater run by Calla Borelli and her father. When the taxi dispatch office receives a telegram that Carlo Guardinfante, an Italian ambassador, is unable to make an appearance at a local festival in Roseto, Pa., Nicky jumps at the chance to impersonate Carlo and further his acting skills. His experiences in Roseto lead him to question where his life is headed. Trigiani brilliantly brings 1949 South Philadelphia to life, complete with the humor and heartbreak of the close-knit Italian families who live there. Yet the true star is Nicky who, in his quest to break free, is most memorable. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for Kiss Carlo: “For Adri-addicts and newcomers alike, Kiss Carlo is a delightfully retro read from novelist Adriana Trigiani, best-selling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife. Carlo is a sprawling story that stretches from Italy to Philadelphia and New York to interweave the lives of hard-working Italian families making a living in the years after World War II. . . . Nicky and Calla’s chemistry is crackling; they don’t talk so much as banter. The path they must travel to each other’s side is winding but rewarding, mostly because of the characters they meet along the way. . . . At a time when crass seems to trump class in popular culture, Kiss Carlo may be just what we need, a warmhearted romp that’s a welcome escape from novels about girls who are gone/on a train/tattooed. Kiss Carlo is set in a world where people don’t eat pasta, they eat macaroni, and the secret isn’t in the sauce but in the gravy. Now that’s Italian—and an incredibly satisfying dish to dig into. Three and a half out of four stars.” — USA Today
Trigiani’s boisterous, maddening, devoted Italian clan will have you wishing they’d adopt you too.” — People
“If you are looking for a page turner this summer, pick up Adriana Trigiani’s Kiss Carlo. . . I look forward to every new book by Adriana Trigiani. She is not only delightful in person, but her books are a joy to read. That includes her latest novel Kiss Carlo, this month’s book buyer pick. . .The sweeping multigenerational story effortlessly transports readers from Italy to the streets of South Philly to New York City, while the characters explore the ties that bind, tradition, wanting more from life, Shakespeare and much more. As they examine what they want for themselves, they also celebrate love, hope and family. . . Best of all? Trigiani tells this story with her trademark wit and joie de vivre.” — The Costco Connection
“Using motifs and themes from the Bard, Kiss Carlo is an epic novel about family, secrets, and pursuing your dreams.” — Popsugar
“Accompanying Nicky on his journey of self-discovery is worth the trip.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch
“An important story that goes beyond the meaning of family to the deeper question of what it means to have a life well-lived.” — The Mountain Times
“A world of warm, lively characters whose charming idiosyncrasies lead them to collide and ricochet along the way to love.... A delightfully sprawling comedy full of extended families.” — Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Adriana Trigiani: “A comedy writer with a heart of gold” — New York Times
“Delightful, energetic.... Trigiani is a seemingly effortless storyteller.” — Boston Globe
“Seamlessly superb storytelling.... Trigiani never loses hold of the hearts of her characters of the wisdom that tragedy and redemption are also part of life.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“If you’re meeting her work for the first time, get ready for a lifelong love affair.” — Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help
“Trigiani is a master of palpable and visual detail.” — Washington Post
The Costco Connection
If you are looking for a page turner this summer, pick up Adriana Trigiani’s Kiss Carlo. . . I look forward to every new book by Adriana Trigiani. She is not only delightful in person, but her books are a joy to read. That includes her latest novel Kiss Carlo, this month’s book buyer pick. . .The sweeping multigenerational story effortlessly transports readers from Italy to the streets of South Philly to New York City, while the characters explore the ties that bind, tradition, wanting more from life, Shakespeare and much more. As they examine what they want for themselves, they also celebrate love, hope and family. . . Best of all? Trigiani tells this story with her trademark wit and joie de vivre.”
Popsugar
Using motifs and themes from the Bard, Kiss Carlo is an epic novel about family, secrets, and pursuing your dreams.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Seamlessly superb storytelling.... Trigiani never loses hold of the hearts of her characters of the wisdom that tragedy and redemption are also part of life.
People
Trigiani’s boisterous, maddening, devoted Italian clan will have you wishing they’d adopt you too.
USA Today
Praise for Kiss Carlo: “For Adri-addicts and newcomers alike, Kiss Carlo is a delightfully retro read from novelist Adriana Trigiani, best-selling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife. Carlo is a sprawling story that stretches from Italy to Philadelphia and New York to interweave the lives of hard-working Italian families making a living in the years after World War II. . . . Nicky and Calla’s chemistry is crackling; they don’t talk so much as banter. The path they must travel to each other’s side is winding but rewarding, mostly because of the characters they meet along the way. . . . At a time when crass seems to trump class in popular culture, Kiss Carlo may be just what we need, a warmhearted romp that’s a welcome escape from novels about girls who are gone/on a train/tattooed. Kiss Carlo is set in a world where people don’t eat pasta, they eat macaroni, and the secret isn’t in the sauce but in the gravy. Now that’s Italian—and an incredibly satisfying dish to dig into. Three and a half out of four stars.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Accompanying Nicky on his journey of self-discovery is worth the trip.
Boston Globe
Delightful, energetic.... Trigiani is a seemingly effortless storyteller.
The Mountain Times
An important story that goes beyond the meaning of family to the deeper question of what it means to have a life well-lived.
New York Times
Praise for Adriana Trigiani: “A comedy writer with a heart of gold
USA Today
Praise for Kiss Carlo: “For Adri-addicts and newcomers alike, Kiss Carlo is a delightfully retro read from novelist Adriana Trigiani, best-selling author of The Shoemaker’s Wife. Carlo is a sprawling story that stretches from Italy to Philadelphia and New York to interweave the lives of hard-working Italian families making a living in the years after World War II. . . . Nicky and Calla’s chemistry is crackling; they don’t talk so much as banter. The path they must travel to each other’s side is winding but rewarding, mostly because of the characters they meet along the way. . . . At a time when crass seems to trump class in popular culture, Kiss Carlo may be just what we need, a warmhearted romp that’s a welcome escape from novels about girls who are gone/on a train/tattooed. Kiss Carlo is set in a world where people don’t eat pasta, they eat macaroni, and the secret isn’t in the sauce but in the gravy. Now that’s Italian—and an incredibly satisfying dish to dig into. Three and a half out of four stars.
Washington Post
Trigiani is a master of palpable and visual detail.
Kathryn Stockett
If you’re meeting her work for the first time, get ready for a lifelong love affair.
Washington Post
Trigiani is a master of palpable and visual detail.
Entertainment Weekly
Praise for Adriana Trigiani and All the Stars in the Heavens: “A thoroughly entertaining tale that brings Hollywood’s golden age alive.
Library Journal
02/01/2017
The New York Times best-selling Trigiani tells the story of the Philadelphia-based Palazzinis, whose three sons return home with medals from World War II. Their orphaned cousin Nicky also comes home to live with the family, as he had since boyhood, and makes a sudden decision that changes everyone's life. With a 200,000-copy first printing.
JULY 2017 - AudioFile
Narrator Edoardo Ballerini's soft intonation sets the mood for this delightful story of postwar Italian-Americans in the Philadelphia suburbs. Ballerini's range of voices and accents distinguishes the characters and gives personality to both males and females. His delivery deepens the listener’s connection to the plot, which centers on family dynamics, the theater world, romance, and friendship. Author Trigiani's well-loved humor and ability to capture the characters’ culture take the spotlight in this celebration of all things Italian, including colorful language and culinary specialties. Ballerini's enthusiasm for the audiobook is contagious, even as he is sometimes too ardent. He tones down his performance, however, when the story turns to more complex themes such as ethnic differences and the difficulties of departing from society's expectations. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-04-18
Calla Borelli inherited her love of the theater from her father, Sam, but directing only Shakespeare plays in 1949 might spell the end of her beloved Borelli theater.Trigiani (All the Stars in the Heavens, 2015, etc.) uses the motifs of the Bard's plays—orphans, star-crossed lovers, family feuds, and mistaken identities—and the Borelli theater stands at the center of all the action. She has crafted a world of warm, lively characters whose charming idiosyncrasies lead them to collide and ricochet along the way to love. Orphaned at 5, Nicky Castone was lovingly folded into his Aunt Jo and Uncle Dom's family in South Philly. Now 28 and a WWII veteran, he works in the family cab business, which competes with his Uncle Mike's business across town, since Dom and Mike have been feuding since 1933. When he's not squiring Peachy DePino, his fiancee of seven years, he moonlights at the Borelli theater as a prompter and anything else Sam and Calla need. One fateful night, however, two leads of Twelfth Night are called away, leaving Nicky and Calla to take the stage for Sebastian and Olivia's marriage scene, and chemistry ignites. Of course, Nicky and Calla don't know they are in love yet. First, the course of love must be strewn with obstacles: Frank, Calla's boyfriend, who wants to demolish the failing theater; Peachy, who objects to Nicky's breaking off their engagement; Mr. DePino, who also objects and whose threats of violence inspire Nick to flee town. Nick volunteers to drive a telegram to Roseto, Pennsylvania, but instead of delivering the message, he decides to impersonate Ambassador Carlo Guardinfante of Roseta Valfortore, Italy, a decorated WWII veteran who can no longer attend the Roseto Jubilee given his sudden illness. Chaos ensues. A delightfully sprawling comedy full of extended families, in all their cocooning warmth and suffocating expectations.
