Thank you Libro.fm/PRH Audio for the ALC and MB Communications/Dutton, #partner, for the finished copy of The View from Lake Como in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Dutton / Penguin Audio
Published: July 8, 2025
Summary:
From the beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, a “dazzling” storyteller (Washington Post), and a “comedy writer with a heart of gold” (NYT), comes a novel about one woman’s quest to build her own life before it’s too late.
Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close.
In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, “the perfect husband,” Jess moves into her parents’ basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner, and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her confidant, her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe).
When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy.
From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to the glittering streets of Milan, and on the shores of enchanting Lake Como (the other one), Jess begins to carve a place in this new/old world. When she meets Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist who works in gold, she discovers her own skills are priceless. But as Jess uncovers the truth about her family history, it will change the course of her life and those she loves the most forever. In love and work, in art and soul, Jess will need every tool she has mastered to reinvent her life.
Fed by the author’s cherished Italian roots comes a bighearted, hilarious novel of the story of one woman’s determination to live a creative life that matters, with enough room left over for love. With a one-way ticket to Italy, Jess is determined to write a new story on her own terms–this time, in stone.
My thoughts:
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again…I don’t think anyone is able to spin a tale of life draw you into the lives as of the characters as deeply as Adriana is. She truly is one of a kind when it comes to big-hearted, messy stories about family dynamics in the best way–these are the books that you cannot stop thinking about while you are reading them and long after.
This latest one delves into grief, second chances, finding yourself and family and it will give you that feeling of nostalgia as you journey along with Jess, feeling as if you are right there beside here. I felt as if I was at the kitchen tables and family living rooms, eating alongside the family, listening in on the discussions happening. From Lake Como on the Jersey Shore to Lake Como, Italy, these towns come alive on the page.
Audio thoughts:
This story comes alive through the brilliant performance of Mira Sorvino. She has narrated some of Adriana’s other books, and I am so glad she did this one–she really nailed it.
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