In this episode of The Italian American Podcast, we speak to New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani about her latest book titled Kiss Carlo but more specifically about one of the themes of the book which is Italian family feuds. Adriana shares some of her own family stories and her thoughts on how and why she writes the way she does.

In the stories segment, I talk to my two brothers about the holidays and the stress that goes around them as well as the new app that they designed, Holidaze, which helps reduce some of that stress by helping you to remember where you were for the holidays.

Episode Quote

“That we looked out for one another, that we watched out for each other’s kids and shared the harvest of our gardens and took care of our old people, and when we did the little things, like bake a cake, we’d bake two, one for our home and one for the neighbor.” ― Adriana Trigiani, Kiss Carlo

Tweetables

• It’s really important to know why you are doing something. – Adriana Trigiani
• A good writer is someone who can describe the emotions of a landscape of a culture. – Adriana Trigiani
• To me, comedy is the highest level of communication, because it joins us together in such a great way. – Adriana Trigiani
• My job is to produce the work and to present it to the best of my ability. – Adriana Trigiani
• What is so beautiful about our people is that they understand that there are both memories and moments that we experience. – Adriana Trigiani
• In the world we live in today, we need stories to hold onto. – Anthony Fasano
• The real everyday things in our lives give you a sense of wholeness and a little bit of peace in a crazy world. – Dolores Alfieri

About our Guests…

Adriana Trigiani is beloved by millions of readers around the world for her bestselling novels, including her latest, Kiss Carlo. She wrote the blockbuster The Shoemaker’s Wife, the Big Stone Gap series, the Valentine trilogy and Lucia, Lucia.  Trigiani’s themes of love and work, emphasis upon craftsmanship and family life have brought her legions of fans who call themselves Adri-addicts (a term coined by book maven Robin Kall). Their devotion has made Adriana one of “the reigning queens of women’s fiction” (USA Today).

Episode Sponsors

The National Italian American Foundation
Mediaset Italia
Holidaze App for IOS

Resources Mentioned

The New Neighborhood
Arthur Avenue Food Tours
IAP 06: Adriana Trigiani on Family, The Shoemaker’s Wife, and Recreating the Lives of Our Italian American Ancestors – Part 1 of 2 
IAP 07: Adriana Trigiani on Italy, Ego Versus Heart and Why Understanding Your Past is Important – Part 2 of 2 
Adriana Trigiani Facebook
Adrianne Trigiani Website
Holidaze App for IOS

Books Mentioned

Kiss Carlo	The Shoemaker’s Wife	Big Stone Gap	Brava, Valentine	Lucia, Lucia