Review : The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
Pages : 352
Genre : Contemporary fiction
Series : Valentine, book 3
My Rating : 3.5/5
About the Book :
A piece of surprising news is revealed at The Feast of the Seven Fishes when Valentine and Gianluca join her extended family on a fateful Christmas Eve. Now faced with life altering choices, Valentine remembers the wise words that inspired her in the early days of her beloved Angelini Shoe Company: “A person who can build a pair of shoes can do just about anything.” The proud, passionate Valentine is going to fight for everything she wants and savor all she deserves — the bitter and the sweetness of life itself.
My Thoughts :
In the course of the past few weeks, a lot of my time has been occupied by Valentine, her family and her friends. I have been through all sorts of emotions with her as I read through Adriana Trigiani’s dramatic trilogy; happiness, anger, annoyance, worry, sadness, curiosity. It’s been a fun ride and, after the disappointment I felt in the second novel, I am relieved to say I was much more satisfied with the conclusion that came in The Supreme Macaroni Company.
It’s a bit more difficult to review the third book without revealing too much about it or its predecessors; but for sure I felt like Valentine came a long way. From the start, she wasn’t the most mature 35-years-old I had ever encountered. She’s emotional, constantly questioning herself and her decisions, and tends to react strongly to situations rather than ask and discuss a solution. By the end of this book though, I felt like life had pushed her into a corner, forcing her to rely more on others and consider others in her decisions. A sort of belated coming-of-age, if you will.
Her family was as animated as before and I loved seeing her interact with them all, especially Alfred and his wife Pamela., and her grandma of course. The romance itself was quite the ride, too; while I didn’t quite feel the connection between Valentine and Gianluca, I liked their interactions and what Valentine got to learn about life and herself through them.
The novel ends on a strong note, too. It was done with finesse and, more importantly, with love. For me, it was in these last few pages that I really felt the author’s attachment for her characters, and I really liked that.
In the end, I felt The Supreme Macaroni Company was a strong ending to a very good series. The details were once again delicious and colorful. It reconciled me with the story and its characters, and made me eager to look for more of Trigiani’s work. If you enjoy novels filled with drama and big, emotional, dynamic families, if you enjoy traveling through the words and reading amazing descriptions of italian food, this is one series you’ll want to look for!
The Supreme Macaroni Comany is available for sale now! Thanks to TLC Book Tour for generously inviting me to participate to this book tour!
Series Reading Order :
- Very Valentine
- Brava Valentine
- The Supreme Macaroni Company
I liked this book a lot as well. Trigiani gets families and knows how to write about them.
She really does! The dynamics between them all were intense but very well written.
The ending of a book can make or break a book. Glad this one worked just fine!
Harvee
Book Dilettante
Absolutely! A bad ending can really sour my impression of a book. Fortunately this one turned out good!
I actually read this one on my honeymoon, and was shocked by several twists in the plot . . . I guess I shouldn’t have been, but I read most of it with my jaw hanging open! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I do think my time spent with Valentine was worthwhile. I was a little disappointed in how the series ended, but I do think it made sense in the greater context. And you’re right: definitely a delayed coming-of-age, but one that was a long time coming!
The twists shocked me too! I felt this was a more “surprising” book on that front than its predecessors. I really want to read more of her books now!
I was disappointed in how the series ended too. This one was ok but the first Valentine book is still my favorite.
The first is definitely my favorite too!
I didn’t feel like the story needed to be three volumes long, but I did enjoy them all anyway.
I’ve read only one book by Adriana Trigiani and remember liking it. Should give this a try.
Oh which one did you read? You have to start with the first in the series, it’s the best one too! 🙂
I’m pleased to see that you enjoyed this final part of Valentine’s story. Thanks for being a part of the tour!