Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story: A Novel (Untitled Defino, 2)

A big, loving, loud Italian-American family ("Jersey Italian", to which the author refers as JI) is presented in this rollicking ensemble story. It starts out featuring Varina, who is considering a European riverboat cruise by herself (she's widowed). At 70, she's thriving, but as the anchor of the family, she could use a break. She lives in a three-story house with her 93 yo mother, Sylvia, and her thirty-something gay adopted son, Paulie. Each of these three have their own character arc to travel, but also there's Donatella, her bipolar daughter, two other sons, a brother, their families...it's a lot, but it never seemed like too much. The story revolves around Donatella and Sylvia scheming to find a sweetheart for Varina, who runs the family's legacy Italian grocery. But that's just a thread as we follow these story questions: will Paulie find happiness with the still closeted Dante, will Donatella get control of her illness, will Varina actually go on the cruise, will Sylvia's friendship with John become something more...and then really, it's about Paulie and Varina breaking out of their rolls as doormats. What I loved about the book: the presentation of the 70 and 93-yo women as fully realized human beings, thriving and vibrant, still evolving. The way people grew in their thinking (like Sylvia realizing she might be an "accidental racist") and wanting to do better. The way everything was close enough to walk. The multigenerational lifestyle. The food! And the ending,…

This is the first book I have read by this author and I truly enjoyed. It features a cast of wonderful, loud, boisterious Italians in New Jersey who love life, good food and one another. I am from such a family in the Pittsburgh area and got a particular kick out of the Italian words at the front of each chapter and their pronounciation and usage in Jersey Italian (JI). Many of the words were familiar to me from Pennsylvania Italian! There were as many story lines to follow as there were characters in the book: For instance, the mother in the family who is a 70 year old widow who is tired of being the hub of the family wheel; a gay adopted son in love with one of the sons in the family who is not yet "out"; a bipolar daughter who drives her mother, grandmother and brothers crazy; a baby born to the single bipolar mother who was raised by his father; a 93 year old woman (grandmother of the family) falling in love and moving into a retirement community with the love of her life. All of the stories are poignent and delightful. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading more books by this talented author.

I absolutely loved Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story by Terri-Lynne DeFino. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it had to end. The rather long title tells the story. It is the story of Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian family and the love they shared, in good times and challenging, always aware that they were Famiglia First. I laughed out loud, I shed a few tears, and I enjoyed every relatable character. Looking for a story that touches you heart? I highly recommended Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story. *****+