Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Brava, Valentine, the follow-up to Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani, continues the story of the Angelini family and shoemaker Valentine Roncalli. The story opened crisply and reminded me of how much I enjoyed Very Valentine. Unfortunately, a couple of the plot lines bogged down; however, the need to know how things turn out kept this reader slogging along. I believe I read somewhere that Valentine's story would be a trilogy, but I'm not sure how much more there is to tell about her and the Angelini Shoe company.

Notes & Quotes
Because I love all things pen and ink, this from page 67 made me smile:
His handwriting is artful, that glorious Italian script with the curlicue edges. He wrote it with a fountain pen in midnight blue ink. A fountain pen in 2010! Miraculous!

On page 154, a wonderful description of family traditions:
The Fitzpatricks and the Roncallis are people who gather in kitchens around a tray of homemade manicotti, not in fancy living rooms where silver trays of canapes are passed. Where we come from, champagne is for toasting, good china is for holidays, and silver place settings are heirlooms while love is given freely, not something exchanged in hopes of material gain or social status. There is something to be treasured about people who know instinctively when enough is enough.

On p. 226 about the art of letter writing:
A handwritten letter carries a lot of risk. It's a one-sided conversation that reveals the truth of the writer. Furthermore, the writer is not there to see the reaction of the person he writes to, so there's a great unknown to the process that requires a leap of faith. The writer has to choose the right words to express his sentiments, and then, once he has sealed the envelope, he has to place those thoughts in the hands of someone else, trusting that the feelings will be delivered, and that the recipient will understand the writer's intent.

Rating: 3.5/5 (Fiction Scale)

Dedication: For Pia