Living in the present can often get mundane, and as readers, we sometimes just want to lose ourselves in the past through some historical fiction, don’t we?
The thing about this genre, though, is that it needs to be just right to be enjoyable. Adriana Trigiani knows all the tricks involved in doing so, as is evident from her novel Lucia, Lucia.
In addition to belonging to the category of historical fiction, it is women’s fiction at its finest, as it features a protagonist who dares to fulfill her dreams at a time when women weren’t even allowed to have ambitions of their own.
Trigiani once said that one of the things she wishes to do through her novels is to empower women, and this particular story definitely accomplishes that goal of hers. By giving her main character the agency to follow her ambitions, she creates an extremely aspirational heroine.
A story involving love, passion, secrets, and more, this novel has delightful twists and turns that will keep you hooked until the end.
In this article, we will discuss the summary of Lucia, Lucia, talk about the characters of the novel, and also take a look at some of the beautiful quotes penned down by the author.
| Title | Lucia, Lucia |
|---|---|
| Author | Adriana Trigiani |
| Publication Year | 2003 |
| Genre | Historical Fiction, Romance |
| Setting | New York City, 1950s |
| Protagonist | Lucia Sartori |
| Antagonist | Dante DiMartino |
| Themes | The novel explores themes of identity, family expectations, pursuing one's passion, love and relationships, gender roles, and the changing societal norms of the 1950s. |
| Plot Summary | Lucia, Lucia follows the life of Lucia Sartori, a young Italian-American woman living in New York City in the 1950s. Lucia dreams of becoming a designer, but her traditional Italian family expects her to marry and have children. She defies their expectations and secures a job at a prestigious department store. There, she meets and falls in love with a charismatic entrepreneur, John Talbot. However, Gene Clancy, a jealous suitor, poses a threat to Lucia's happiness. As Lucia navigates her career and romantic challenges, she discovers the importance of staying true to herself and following her dreams. |
| Major Characters | Lucia Sartori, Dante DiMartino, John Talbot, Papa Sartori |
| Literary Significance | Lucia, Lucia showcases Adriana Trigiani's talent for crafting rich characters and vividly capturing the atmosphere of 1950s New York City. The novel combines elements of historical fiction and romance to explore themes of self-discovery and the pursuit of personal fulfillment. Trigiani's engaging storytelling and attention to detail have made Lucia, Lucia a beloved work among readers, contributing to Trigiani's reputation as a skilled author of women's fiction. |
The novel opens by introducing the readers to Lucia Sartori, who is currently a woman in her 70s. We’re taken back to New York in the 1950s when Lucia was a young, attractive woman living in an apartment in Greenwich Village.
Lucia’s skills with a needle landed her a job at B. Altman, which was one of the most popular department stores to exist on Fifth Avenue during that period.
Working at the couturier section allowed Lucia to come across all the wealthy women who shopped at the store, making her dream of a luxurious life someday. She wishes to keep working, which causes fights with her family, as girls her age are only expected to stay home.
Her passion for working causes her engagement to Dante DiMartino to get destroyed as well, making her parents extremely unhappy. Eventually, she meets a good-looking man named John Talbot, whom she is immediately attracted to, and the two decide to get married.
However, her father has reservations about John and is unsure of this man waiting to take away his only daughter. While the wedding preparations are going on and Lucia is busy decorating the house she will be living in with John, things take a dark turn when Lucia’s father falls ill.
The rest of the novel is about the events that follow. Intermingling the subjects of romance, family, and dreams, Trigiani develops a gripping tale filled with fantastic plot twists.
Review of Lucia, Lucia
In Lucia, Lucia, Trigiani starts off with a narrator named Kit Zanetti, a playwright who gets to learn about the life story of Lucia, who is her neighbor. As Lucia begins to tell her life’s tale, she becomes the narrator, and the author provides us with a view of her life in the 50s.
We learn about how the same neighborhood of Greenwich Village was a completely different world during that period, as was New York City. The fashion, politics, and mannerisms of society are vividly and wonderfully portrayed by the writer, who delves into the nuances of that era.
Trigiani’s research skills are clearly seen in the novel as she emphasizes greatly on the minute details, such as the professional and societal hierarchy that existed in the past, the way the working class was treated, and the expectations that were associated with women of a certain age.
The author provides a fantastic character arc for the protagonist, Lucia. Although she is expected to have very little freedom in her thoughts, she breaks through those shackles and lives life on her own terms, serving as an inspiration for those around her and also the readers.
Characters in the novel “Lucia, Lucia”
Much like the other books written by Trigiani, this story, too, is filled with interesting characters. A couple of them include:
1. Lucia Sartori
Lucia is the protagonist of the novel. She is an attractive, ambitious woman who is made to choose between her dreams and her responsibilities toward her family.
2. Dante DiMartino
Dante is Lucia’s childhood sweetheart. Circumstances lead to their engagement getting broken off.
3. John Talbot
John is a handsome stranger Lucia meets and falls for. He supports her wish to have a career, and they decide to get married, but life has its own plans.
4. Papa Sartori
Papa Sartori is Lucia’s father. He is constantly worried about his daughter and falls ill later on in the novel.
Quotes
Trigiani always manages to create unforgettable dialogues that keep ringing in your head even after you’re done turning the last page. Some of the most memorable quotes from Lucia, Lucia are as follows:
“When people are filled to the brim with love, they are their most beautiful.”
“A woman is not like a man. She doesn’t get to choose. She follows her heart, and that’s what makes the map.”
“If only men came made to order. It’s so hard to find a decent fellow.”
“The good things that happen to us were meant to happen, and the bad things that happen are lessons meant to teach us to be better.”
“You’ll always be my girl. You were from the first moment I saw you. You were sitting in church with your brothers. You were eight years old, and I was twelve, and I thought, I hope she waits for me. Lucia, I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
Conclusion
Who doesn’t love-driven, feisty, and goal-oriented female characters, right? They become even more enjoyable when they’re set against a time in the past when women were only taught to become housewives and mothers and not give importance to their passion and skills.
Trigiani is definitely on a mission to create strong fictional women in all her novels, and the same holds true for Lucia, Lucia as well. By writing Lucia as an alluringly beautiful woman with a determined personality, she gives her female readers an interesting character to get attached to.
Fans of Trigiani are sure to feel engrossed in this story as much as the ones who are new to the world of the author’s works.
