When we think of the pioneers of women’s fiction, there’s no way we can forget the name of Adriana Trigiani.
As someone who has been writing for over 20 years, most of her books have featured on the list of The New York Times Best Sellers, and she has had her works published in 38 countries across the globe.
By giving her characters a voice that’s both funny and wise, she has managed to create stories that will live in her readers’ hearts long after they turn the last page.
Trigiani has created both series and standalone novels under the umbrella of fiction and has also crafted some non-fiction books in her career so far. In this article, we will be discussing the Adriana Trigiani books in order of how you can read and explore them.
Table of Contents
List of Adriana Trigiani’s Books
Trigiani has won numerous awards and accolades for her books, positioning her as one of the most influential and reputed literary voices of our time. She is a writer who has delved into eclectic genres, including historical fiction, literary fiction, romance, and so on.
Let’s take a look at the several books she has crafted and the order in which you can read them.
We will begin by shedding light on all the series written by Trigiani, which includes a four-book series, a trilogy, and a duology.
| Sr. No. | Title | Publication Date | Print Length | Publisher | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Big Stone Gap Series | April 4, 2000 | 288 pages | Random House | |
| 2 | The Valentine Trilogy | February 4, 2009 | 562 pages | Harper | |
| 3 | The Viola Duology | September 1, 2009 | 288 pages | HarperTeen | |
| 4 | Lucia, Lucia | July 8, 2003 | 272 pages | Random House | |
| 5 | The Queen of The Big Time | May 31, 2005 | 304 pages | Ballantine Books | |
| 6 | The Shoemaker’s Wife | April 3, 2012 | 496 pages | Harper | |
| 7 | Kiss Carlo | January 16, 2018 | 560 pages | Harper Paperbacks | |
| 8 | Cooking With My Sisters | October 5, 2004 | 192 pages | Random House | |
| 9 | Don’t Sing at The Table | November 9, 2010 | 224 pages | Harper | |
| 10 | The Wisdom of My Grandmothers | February 14, 2013 | 240 | Simon & Schuster Ltd |
The Big Stone Gap Series
The Big Stone Gap series is set in the town of Big Stone Gap in Virginia. All the books in the series follow the story of the protagonist, Ave Maria Mulligan.
We meet Ave in the first book titled Big Stone Gap, where we learn that she’s single at the age of 35, until a big family secret changes everything in her life. The second book, Big Cherry Holler, revolves around her marriage and everything she will do to protect her partner from her past.
Milk Glass Moon, which is the third book, shows Ave dealing with the joys and challenges of being a mother. In the final book titled Home to Big Stone Gap, the readers witness Ave deal with new hurdles and dilemmas while also trying to look at life from a fresh perspective.
The publication order of the Big Stone Gap series:
The Valentine Trilogy
The Valentine trilogy is centered on the character of Valentine Roncalli.
In this first book, Very Valentine, she attempts to save her family’s shoe business while navigating the twists and turns of her personal life. The second book titled Brava, Valentine, shows her traveling from Greenwich Village to Buenos Aires, where she uncovers well-hidden family secrets.
In the final book of the trilogy, The Supreme Macaroni Company, we see Valentine juggling between her relationship, the passion she has for her work, and the sacrifices she is willing to make for her family’s business.
The publication order of the Valentine trilogy:
The Viola Duology
In the Viola duology, Trigiani delved into the genre of young adult fiction. The protagonist of this duology is a young girl named Viola.
In the first book, Viola in Reel Life finds herself in a boarding school surrounded by new people and an ambiance that’s completely different from what she had back in New York.
Estranged from her friends, she attempts to hide behind her camera. However, as the school year progresses, she realizes that she could be in for something exciting.
We follow her journey in the second book, Viola in the Spotlight, where she is back home from boarding school for two months.
While she looks forward to hanging out with her best friends, she finds that things are not like how they used to be and that she might just belong to the new atmosphere life has blessed her with.
The publication order of the Viola duology:
Standalone Novels by Adriana Trigiani
Now that we’re done discussing the series let’s get into the standalone novels, shall we? They are as follows:
Lucia, Lucia
Lucia, Lucia is set in New York in the 1950s, with the protagonist being a 25-year-old woman named Lucia Sartori. She gets the opportunity to work as an apprentice for a designer and is happy in her life, which involves being engaged to the man she loves.
However, things take a turn for Lucia when she meets a man who promises to fulfill her dream of living a luxurious life and give her everything she has ever wanted. The novel traces Lucia’s journey, where she must choose between responsibility and the desires of her heart.
The Queen of The Big Time
The Queen of the Big Time traces a family’s journey as they move from Italy to America. Nella, who is one of the five children of the Castelluca family, aims to live a life completely different from what her family has seen all these years.
The story then follows a romantic tale, broken hearts, the return of a past lover, and a whole lot of delightful drama.
Rococo
Rococo tells us the story of Bartolomeo di Crespi. Not only is he an attractive, single man, but he is also the most talented interior decorator in his section of New Jersey.
One day, he is given the task of renovating their local church, and Bartolomeo aims to bring his sophisticated style and artsy vision into the project. Things get a little chaotic when his professional life intermingles with his personal affairs as well as his past, leading to a surprising comedy of errors.
The Shoemaker’s Wife
The Shoemaker’s Wife is the love story of Enza and Ciro, who meet during their teenage years but are separated due to unfortunate circumstances. Fate, however, has different plans for the two of them because they end up meeting again years later.
Despite the fact that so much time has passed, the two cannot ignore their feelings for one another. Through the themes of passion, family, war, and loss, Trigiani draws attention to the subjects of immigration and what the American dream means to different people.
All The Stars in The Heavens
All the Stars in the Heavens is set during Hollywood’s golden era. Taking her readers to Los Angeles in the 1930s, the writer speaks of the glamour world and its many dark corners.
The story follows Loretta Young, a 21-year-old actress hoping to make it big in the movie industry. She falls for an older, married man, and what follows is a story that spans over decades, sprinkled with elements of friendship, adventure, passion, loyalty, and more.
Kiss Carlo
The plot of Kiss Carlo unravels through family drama in a way that only Trigiani can manage to do. We meet Nicky Castone who has spent all his life following the orders and wishes of his family members.
Although he has a job and a fiancé, he wants to do much more in life, which is why he secretly works at the theatre company. Not only does he find the stage immensely alluring, but he is also drawn to the woman who is the company’s heir, Calla Borelli.
By using certain Shakespearean elements, Trigiani pens an extremely gripping and elaborate tale of hope and the power of familial bonds.
Tony’s Wife
Tony’s Wife tells the story of Saverio Armandonada and Chi Chi Donatelli. Both of them meet and fall for one another, sharing the dream of becoming singers.
As their respective careers keep growing, they must decide which of the two is willing to sacrifice it all for the sake of their marriage. The novel discusses the question of how often human beings have to set aside their hopes and dreams for the happiness of their family.
The Good Left Undone
In The Good Left Undone, Trigiani introduces her readers to the matriarch of the Cabrelli clan, Matelda. She is a fierce and headstrong woman who has always had opinions of her own and is also aware that her life is soon going to come to an end.
Before that happens, she wishes to disclose the love story of her mother. Told through two different timelines, this is a novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat through its many revelations.
The publication order of her standalone books:
- Lucia, Lucia (2003)
- The Queen of the Big Time (2004)
- Rococo (2005)
- The Shoemaker’s Wife (2012)
- All the Stars in the Heavens (2015)
- Kiss Carlo (2017)
- Tony’s Wife (2018)
- The Good Left Undone (2022)
Non-Fiction Books by Adriana Trigiani
Trigiani’s non-fiction books are just as funny, gripping, informative, and enlightening as her fictional stories. She writes in a manner that will keep you hooked no matter what, whether she’s discussing food or the lessons she learned from her grandmothers.
Here are the non-fiction books created by the author:
Cooking With My Sisters
Food is an element that often brings families together, and the same holds true for Trigiani’s own family. In this book, the author discusses family recipes while also talking about the multitude of memories that connect her family to food and cooking.
Don’t Sing at The Table
Don’t Sing at the Table talks about the various lessons that Trigiani learned from her grandmothers, Lucy and Viola. She elaborates on how the two women managed their careers along with their homes and created wonderful traditions in the process.
The Wisdom of My Grandmothers
The importance of strong women in a girl’s life is immensely essential, and it’s this sentiment that the readers get to revisit in this book. Once again, we learn about Trigiani’s grandmothers and how their lives inspired her in more ways than one.
The publication order of Trigiani’s non-fiction books:
Conclusion
There’s a reason why Trigiani has managed to maintain her position as one of the most loved and revered authors of the 21st century. One of those reasons is that she knows how to mix her fictional worlds with the topics that are relevant today and will continue to stay relevant.
Her books offer a happy escape to her readers who wish to forget all the trials and tribulations of daily life just for a little while and indulge in some much-needed literary therapy.
If you’ve been wondering where to start with Adriana Trigiani’s books, go through the list mentioned above and take your pick.
