Book Review: *Brava, Valentine* by Adriana Trigiani

• Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (February 9, 2010)
• ISBN-13: 978-0061257070

Back-of-the-book blurb:  Very Valentine introduced the contemporary family saga of the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted wedding shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903.  At the opening of Brava, Valentine, Valentine’s dreams are dashed when her Gram announces that Alfred, Valentine’s only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes.  

A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine to Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal.  Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncalli family, and Valentine is determined to hold her family together.  More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.

She is Too Fond of Books’ review:  I’m sure this has been said by others, but I’m going to add my voice to the chorus shouting “Brava, Adriana!”  Adriana Trigiani has followed Very Valentine (my review) with a second novel about the very realistic Roncalli/Angelini family saga, focusing on 30-something Valentine Roncalli.  

A partner in the family business, she is driven to focus on her craft, not a romantic relationship.  But will that change?  Will Valentine shift her energies, or perhaps find that elusive balance and be able to have it all?

Romance, or lack thereof, isn’t the only thing occupying Valentine’s time and efforts.  Relationships with friends and family, the twists and turns of life, keep her on her custom-shod toes!  Trigiani adds depth to characters we met in Very Valentine, including Bret Fitzpatrick, who assists Valentine and her brother Alfred with the financial end of the business, June Lawton, a free spirit who has been cutting patterns at Angelini Shoes for years, and Gabriel Biondi, another platonic friend.  Gabriel especially, adds levity and bright moments when Valentine most needs a boost.

Narrated in the first person, we share Valentine’s thoughts as they run through her mind.  These range from witty, and somewhat self-deprecating -

Here’s the thing.  I could use an escort today.  Whenever there’s a family function, I’m reminded I’m single, so I shuffle through the Old Boyfriend File, my version of People magazine’s “Where Are They Now?” to see if there’s anyone I could have scrounged up to accompany me, instead of suffering through solo.  It’s not healthy to walk through the boneyard of my romantic past because the results are always the same, but I do it anyway.  If self-improvement is a theme in my family, so is self-punishment.

to realizations that are strong and sincere -

I used to believe that people don’t change, that it’s impossible, that we just become more of who we are as life goes on.  But that’s not true.  When we’re loved, we’re presented with options to change.  We can hold on, we can forgive, we can sever ties completely.  We can disappoint one another, or celebrate the best of ourselves – but what we can’t do is turn away.

And, not to sound shallow, but … don’t you love the cover?!  The vibrant colors of the classic coat and clutch against the cobblestone streets and muted background … it could be 1940 or 2010.  This is a visual cue that Valentine and her musings about commitments to passion and family are timeless.

You can browse inside Brava, Valentine at the HarperCollins website.  The book can stand alone, but it’s best to read it after reading Very Valentine, for a more complete picture of Valentine and her personal and family history.  I just happen to be running a giveaway of Very Valentine, click over for details.