Oh, how I wanted to like this. Coming from a large Sicilian family second generation, I looked forward to such a story as the blurb on the book described - a multi generational tale about Josephine Rimaldi, who married at fourteen in the old country, came to America, had children, and her life - along with their lives, including her children's children. Sounded like the perfect book for someone like me, still ripe with tradition and memories of my great grandparents - unfortunately, it wasn't.Maybe I had a better family and could not relate as I first wanted to. Instead the pages are filled with a family filled with anger and resentment, with more hate than happiness, more deviance than actual love - the pride of tradition gave away to the shame of their own family, their own matriarch. As I continued the book, I found myself wondering about the author and how could one write such a book, filled with such sadness and brokenness about a family unit. But I digress, this is one I forced myself to finish, I wanted to relate to - yet could not. I was absorbed by An Italian Wife. Maybe because I am coming off five months of intense "upper teen" reading for my son's book fair and appreciated the very adult-ness of this book - salacious detail of longing, wanting and doing that gave shape to the many female characters. At some point I gave up trying to keep track of how everyone was related, which usually annoys me but in this book that confusion contributed to appreciating that family is complicated and confusing and full of secrets.
What do You think about The Italian Wife (2014)?
An interesting insight into the lives of a large Italian family. An enjoyable weekend read.
—malok
So-So. Nothing to rave about. Some of it I found interesting....but not great!
—takomarietta
quite a good read-caught up on my Italian!no errors.
—Divya
Depressing, not one character is happy or content.
—Camila
