The Spectacular: A Novel

Adriana Trigiani paints a beautiful story. The description of the death of the matriarch was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. The entire book was excellent. I'll be reading more of Adriana's books.

Great book!

A wonderfully woven story of 5 generations of strong women from one Italian family over a century. Spanning WW2 in detail to now. A story of enduring love, loss forbearance, anxiety, grief and strength, always underpinned with hope and generosity. Personality traits throughout are portrayed in a genuine tangible way to spur you on to engage with each character. A long book, possibly too many details but a strong middle section leading to a poigna...read more

I've read most of Trigiani's books; this reads like the others. A well-written family story, skipping back and forth through time. The female line of the Cabrelli family is the main dish, with sides of family and friends to round things out. History, love stories, delicious food, the changes that take place over a lifetime - all of the comforts I've come to expect in Trigiani's books are here. Triggers: loss of spouse, mention of a stillbirth

This novel has left quite an impression on me. So many story lines that resonate with me at this time in my life… multigenerational family legacy, making peace with family members and setting aside differences - with the understanding that family is everything. Adriana weaves together a tale of the “now” and “then” so beautifully and succinctly. The flow of the story was like a gentle breeze most of the time with the winds whipping around at t...read more