Kiss Carlo by 

Rate : 3.8


Sitting down with a new Trigiani novel, is like opening a box of chocolates. Not quite sure what’s under the coating, but knowing it will be sweet and tasty. It’s like visiting an old friend. I know I’m in for some delights, some words of wisdom, a tear or two, some chuckles, and some salivating in these Italian kitchens. Believable characters in believable circumstances. The novel will take you from South Philly to Roseto, Italy, its sister city, Roseto, PA and to New York, in 1949, post WWII, a remarkable era. 

On her website she states that she hopes her novels honor working people. Indeed they do. This one is based around the stage and local actors portraying Shakespeare-themed plays in a small Italian neighborhood in South Philly. Borelli’s is the name of the theater, now run by Calla Borelli, daughter of an icon of a man who has kept the theater going through good times and tough times, and this opens during a rough time. Not enough money to keep the theatre maintenance and salaries going, and fewer people buying tickets to see the plays. 

Calla (I love that name) is named after the favorite flower of her mother, deceased when this opens. Calla is a strong, hard-working young woman wanting to continue the theater in her beloved father’s footsteps. The other main protagonist is Nicky, a stage hand who drives a cab as a real job, but who’s love for the theater, pulls him to make major changes in his life. Much of the novel revolves around the aunts and uncles that he lives with, as he was orphaned at a young age. The dialogue between the cast of characters is in itself a delight. 

I won’t spoil it for you, dear reader, there are many little gems of wisdom. The main theme is the bonds we build with family, those that are blood, and those that seem like they are. I loved Hortense, the dispatcher/western-union-lady at the cab co; and surrogate mother for Nicky. How she handled her "color" and how she handled her husband in the latter half of the novel was a delight for me. And the marinara sauce recipe she got from Minna, which they call "gravy"... Can't wait to try the recipe that's included in the book. 

Be patient during the first half, it’s building up the character profiles, and as this novel involves two sides of an Italian family, there are plenty of them. The 2nd half will have you turning the pages faster. 

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