The Girl in the Glass by Susan Meissner

Read while home alone? definitely

Tissues needed? probably not

Overall rating: 5 stars

Summary:

Meg, an editor living in California, dreams of going to Florence, Italy with her father. Meg’s grandmother grew up there and for Meg, Florence seems like a home she hasn’t visited yet. Meg’s job brings her into contact with Sofia, a native of Florence who is writing a rather unique memoir. Sofia believes she is a descendant of the great Medici family and that the artwork of her city speaks to her. Literally. It seems to be in the voice of Nora, a Medici princess from the 1500’s. Before considering publication, Meg’s editors aren’t sure if the familial claim or voices need to be addressed first. In The Girl in the Glass the stories of these three women wind themselves together with Florence as their perfect setting.

Reaction:

This book was awesome! I love stories about strong women overcoming life’s obstacles, so set that in Italy with just a touch of history and romance thrown in and it’s a perfect book for me. The characters were engaging and I enjoyed floating along with them as their stories unfolded, especially as the three narratives came together. I knew this was a favorite because after I finished reading, I couldn’t jump right into another book—I had to let this one percolate and then settle a bit first. If you enjoy art, Italy, or the Renaissance there’s plenty to like in The Girl in the Glass.

You can visit the author's website here.

What makes a perfect book for you? Do you have a favorite place to “travel” by book?

This is another book I did NOT get at my library. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review, but the opinions are mine.

The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Read while home alone? yes

Tissues needed? Yes, many. I wish someone had told me before 

                          I took this book to the gym…

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

Summary:

The Shoemaker’s Wife tells the story of Ciro, a young orphan boy living in a convent in Italy. He encounters some tough breaks in his life but works hard, keeps a positive attitude and makes the most of the situations in which he finds himself. Not far from Ciro’s convent home lives a hard-working family with 5 children, including a daughter named Enza. Ciro and Enza cross paths several times both in Italy and America but an ocean, uncooperative relatives, World War I, poor timing, and significant others impede their happiness together. Many adventures await Ciro and Enza once they’ve created lives in America!

Reaction:

Adriana Trigiani is one of my favorite authors, but I didn’t enjoy this book as much as her others. She does a beautiful job of painting pictures with words—it’s easy to imagine Enza’s life on the mountain and the village Ciro called home—but sometimes there’s a little too much description for me and I want to get into the plot. The Shoemaker’s Wife seemed to have a lot of build-up to an inevitable event, and then things started happening very quickly. All in all though, I look forward to Trigiani’s next book and will reread some of her older books. If you are a fan of Italy, shoemakers, historic fiction, and/or immigrant stories, you should give this a try…when you have time!

Have you had anyone come into and out of your life like Ciro and Enza? If you were making a fresh start, where would you go? Who are your favorite authors? Do you enjoy ALL of their books?