Tony’s Wife audiobook

Trigiani is an author that has come highly recommended to me ever since I decided to try reading more historical fiction and after reading my first book by her, I can definitely see the appeal. There is something utterly effortless about her style, this was almost 500 pages and I read it in twenty four hours if that tells you anything! I just found it very easy to be caught up in Chi Chi and Tony’s lives and just had to know what would happen to them.This begins when Tony and Chi Chi are both teenagers and follows them the rest of their lives, both individually and together. They’re both musicians and I love the Big Band Era, it was such a fun piece of musical history and the author did a great job of bringing it to life. While the majority is set on the east coast the characters did travel to the west coast as well which is always fun to see how things might have been in the fifties in California and Las Vegas.The best part of this for me was the characterization, following them both throughout their lives really built an attachment for me, especially to Chi Chi. She was a one of a kind woman, fierce and daring and way ahead of the times, the kind of character that stays with you long after you’ve finished the book. Recommended for fans of HF but especially those who enjoy music.Tony’s Wife in three words: Engaging, Nostalgic and Endearing.

This book is a tribute to the love and respect of the American Adriana Trigiani for her Italian roots. Thick, simple and satisfying, like spaghetti bolognese, and just as delicious. Even knowing that comparing books with food is bad taste (sorry for the pun), I can't resist here. And not because they eat a lot in the novel, although there is, indeed, something Rabelaisian in the description of the feast in the Donatelli family.Rather, we are talking about saturation, which is a really good story, without bloody crimes, without perversions, without painful relishing of children's psychotraumas and mental deviations, including guilt and all sorts of manias and phobias-which such a story gives to the reader.Simple, understandable heroes with their clear, simple desire for a better future for themselves and their children. Show business, in which smart people can, it turns out, exist, without painful fractures. Love, respect and friendship, carried through a lifetime. And the creative self-realization that you get in a relationship with a person, it would seem, is the least suitable for this.Дождись меня. Нам надо обо всем поговоритьДаже маленькие дети это поняли уже:Лучше песни петь на сцене, чем ишачить в гаражеС этими незамысловатыми виршами в нашу жизнь в начале века вошла "Фабрика звезд", где храбрые талантливые юноши и девушки "из простых" попытались схватить за синий хвост птицу удачи. В романе эпизод с музыкальным конкурсом тоже будет, хотя и не сыграет в жизни героини сколько-нибудь значительной роли. Просто еще один случай убедиться, что места в социальном лифте заранее забронированны для своих, а тебе, сколь бы ни была талантлива, придется пешочком.Как писательница Адриана Трижиани. Бедной она не была, дед и бабушка владельцы швейной фабрики (где начинали простыми рабочими, заметьте!) И препятствий для занятий творчеством родители не чинили - вспоминается студия, оборудованная в романе отцом сестер Донателли. Но дебютировать в пятнадцать как драматург в Нью-Йорке, пусть даже в крохотном театрике - это чего-то, да стоит. И с восемнадцати до двадцати восьми, прежде собственной первой книги работать сценаристом ситкомов, создавая связи, обзаводясь знакомствами, выстраивая репутацию - совсем как Чичи.В этом немалая доля обаяния романа. Герои "Жены Тони" не проснулись однажды богатыми и знаменитыми. Вся кухня открыта досужим взглядам: одного таланта недостаточно; поставь цель и иди к ней; репетируй, когда можно отдохнуть; забудь о самолюбии, назойливо предлагай себя, пробивайся где только можешь; ходи на прослушивания и научись не бояться отказов; соглашайся поначалу на любую работу, но не позволяй себя обжулить и не транжирь заработанного. Работай-работай-работай.Если ты готова к такому, успех тебя не минует. А каким он будет: громадным и ослепительным или камерной "широкой известностью в узких кругах" - зависит от многих факторов, над которыми ты не властна. Ты можешь оказаться недостаточно талантливой. В трагический момент дать обет отказаться от карьеры, чтобы спасти любимого. Стать идеальной матерью и заботливой женой - совмещать подобное с жизнью эстрадной исполнительницы немыслимо. Пережить предательство и крушение семейной лодки в возрасте, когда возвращение в профессию невозможно - она конвейер молодости и красоты. Эта книга дань любви и уважению питаемым американкой Адрианой Трижиани к ее итальянским корням. Густая простая и сытная, как спагетти болоньезе, и такая же вкусная. Даже зная, что сравнивать книги с едой дурновкусие (простите за каламбур), здесь не могу удержаться. И не потому, что в романе много едят, хотя в описании застолья в семье Донателли есть, и впрямь, что-то раблезианское. Скорее речь о насыщении, какое по-настоящему хорошая история, без кровавых преступлений, без извращений, без болезненного смакования детских психотравм и психических отклонений, включая чувство вины и всевозможные мании и фобии - какое такая история дает читателю. Простые понятные герои с их понятным простым стремлением к лучшему будущему для себя и детей. Шоу-бизнес, в котором умные люди могут, оказывается, существовать, без болезненной изломанности. Любовь, уважение и дружба, пронесенные через всю жизнь. И творческая самореализация, которую получаешь в отношениях с человеком, казалось бы, менее всего для этого подходящим.

At the Jersey Shore in the 1940s, singers Chiara and Tony meet and fall in love. But as their show business careers rise, can they navigate love, fame and family and still remain true to one another? Traveling from Las Vegas to Hollywood in the Big Band era, Tony's Wife is both a sweeping saga and intimate love story. Fabulous!

Chi Chi Donatelli lives with her musical family in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, which is part of the Jersey Shore. Its the late 1930s, which means Big Band music is all the rage. Chi Chi has big dreams; she doesn't want to work at the clothing factory forever. She wants to break out of her sleepy little shore town and make a name for herself. She is a singer as well as a writer and while she has sung songs with her sisters at various gigs, she wants more. Then there's Saverio who lives in Detroit with his parents. He spends the day working at the car factory and nights singing in the church choir. After his father kicks him out, he pursues his dream of becoming a professional singer, after all, he has a lead with a legitimate band thanks to his solo on Christmas Eve at church. As time goes by, Saverio has some success as a Big Band singer and when he meets the irresistible and charming Chi Chi down the shore, he knows she is something special. He has had many girlfriends, but he has never met anyone like her. Saverio is a notorious playboy though, so Chi Chi doesn't want anything to do with him at least that way. Before they know it, the two are touring together and living out their dreams as professional singers. Chi Chi isn't going to be like the rest of the girls and fall for Saverio's charm, right? Tony's Wife by Adriana Trigiani is such a delightful story and a sweeping family saga. It had me laughing one minute and tearing up the next; it was completely entertaining.Read the rest of my review here:http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...

As engaging as Shoemaker’s Wife, this epic tale of Chi Chi and Tony’s life will capture your heart. There’s a lifetime of heartache and happiness in these pages, deftly navigated by Trigiani’s understanding of family. Chi-Chi is a FORCE you will not forget! This was an ARC.

I adore Adriana Trigiani. She is one of my "MUST READ" authors and I mark her books on my calendar as to not miss a single release!! Adriana is in a league of her own in creating characters that transcend locations and decades and stories that grip a reader and leave them feeling like they've left a piece of themselves with the characters.TONY'S WIFE is a saga of the best kind. It takes two characters and joins them together in a story that allows the reader to follow them through life, trials and tribulations, celebrate and cry with them and fully fall in love and care about their story. Tony's Wife follows Chi Chi and Tony from the ages of 19/early 20s to their 80s, from the 1930s to 2000. Chi Chi is a strong female from the onset, she has a mind for business and a passion for music. She is forceful, brave and charismatic. I loved the scenes of chi chi and her sisters performing and the audition with the Jelly Beans had me laughing out loud!Savario aka Tony was a character that I have very mixed feelings about (which I think was Trigiani's true intent) at times I loved him, idolized him and cheered him. Other times, I felt he was selfish, unlikable and wished that Chi Chi would find love elsewhere. I loved the stage "Tony" and the vulnerable Savario. I didn't care for the Tony who put himself first.I loved the parts of this novel that separated Chi Chi and Tony and also loved the chapters of their act. As a country music fan, I was very much reminded of June Carter and Johnny Cash through much of this novel.One of the deepest connections I felt for this novel was the connection that it held to my favorite place in the world ---THE JERSEY SHORE. I have a connection with Avalon (it shares an island with sea Isle) so to see Adriana paint such an image of my personal paradise made me feel calm and at ease. Connecting Chi Chi to the water/ocean for her peace was calming and enjoyable to me.I loved every page of this novel. I had to force myself to put it down at various times, just so I could stay in their world a little longer.LOVED, LOVED, LOVED

As a Jersey girl, I couldn't get enough of this book. Adriana nailed her setting at the Jersey shore and the vivid descriptions of an Italian family.Strong characters bring a storyline of family, love, loss, and forgiveness alive.Traveling all over the country with Tony Arma, Chi Chi Donetelli and the band gives you a backstage pass to their lives and leaves you ready to buy a ticket to their next event.

Adriana Trigiani's newest novel, Tony's Wife, begins in 1932 Detroit. Saverio Armandonada (that's a mouthful!) is on his way to work in the Ford motor plant, along with this father Leone and all the other men in the neighborhood.Saverio's job is to bolt the driver's door handle on 978 cars every day, ten hours a day, six days a week. On the seventh day, Saverio sings in the church choir. He has the loveliest voice in the choir, everyone said so.On Christmas Eve, he was all set to give fellow choir member Cheryl a beautiful necklace and declare his love. When his love life doesn't work out as he planned, he gets an offer to audition for a band. His father is furious that Saverio would give up a good steady job for the unknown life as a singer, and throws him out of the house.Chi Chi Donatelli lives in New Jersey with her family, where they all work in a textile factory. But Chi Chi dreams of being a singer, and her father supports her, even building a studio in their garage to record Chi Chi and her sisters in the hopes of becoming the next big girl group.Chi Chi meets Saverio, hoping that he can get her record to a music label. They spend the day at the beach, and Tony is smitten with Chi Chi, although she is wary of his playboy ways. Tony is invited to the Donatellis for Sunday dinner, and he envies Chi Chi the warmth of her family. How he wished he had that!Saverio and Chi Chi both dream of becoming stars, and they fall in love and marry. Chi Chi fears that becoming a wife and mother will force her to give up the life she has come to relish- writing and recording songs, performing on stage with Sav (now known as Tony Arma).They move to Hollywood, where Chi Chi writes songs and cares for their children, while Tony tours the country and works as an actor in films. Chi Chi wants the traditional Italian family that she grew up with, but it appears that Tony may no longer want that. Can their marriage survive?Anyone who loves the music of the 1940s and 1950s will adore Tony's Wife. Trigiani names each chapter as a direction in music- Feroce, Crescendo, Teneramente- adding to the authenticity of this engaging story. She even includes song lyrics throughout and a Tony Arma discography at the end of the book.I found Chi Chi's story so very captivating. She is such a strong woman, a woman who took care of her family's finances and took charge of her career and life, all the time remaining traditional to her family values. I absolutely fell in love with her!As with everyone, there are ups and downs in Chi Chi's life, happy times and incredibly sad and challenging times too. Once again, the cover art work is astonishing, and the descriptions of family meals and the beautiful clothing so evocative that you use all of your senses while reading this gorgeous story.Tony's Wife would make a perfect hostess gift if you are traveling for Thanksgiving, as well as a lovely gift during this holiday season. Pair it with a Frank Sinatra record and a bottle of good Chianti as a gift to your best friend as well as for yourself. I highly recommend Tony's Wife.

Nostalgic novel set in the 1940's along Jersey shore. As WWII ramps up, Chi Chi and Sevario(Tony) form a musical duo. Chi Chi is a great character and Tony is likable too but a little less. They sing and tour and avoid a romantic relationship until Tony signs up to go to war. I really liked this novel by Adriana Trigiani and recommend it for light historical fiction fans.

Another favorite book of mine by Adriana Trigiani!

4.5 starsAs always with a Trigiani novel, I am saddened to turn the last page. I’ve bonded with a family, with characters whom you feel you personally know and hate to say goodbye to. Her novels are never forgettable for me. They are each unique even though they share the foundation of the Italian Catholic large familial complexities.This was wonderful, much more than a romance. It’s about the choices we make and how they impact our lives and those of others in our circle... about ambition, acceptance, forgiveness and the boundaries of love and obligation. The history is very factual, the settings, (most of it in Jersey, but also California and Italy) as well, but especially the music, a big part of this novel, with tidbits of information about the stars of the era. The big band music of the late 30’s and 40’s, through WWII and beyond... you can just feel yourself there through it all. Music is what brought Saverio and Chiara together as young adults, later known as Tony and Chi-Chi, their stage names. They have a complicated but deep and bonding relationship through the years. It was a pleasure and often times despair to have a ringside seat to their relationship. The reader can’t help but be drawn into and experience powerful emotions. The complexities of relationships, not just between man and woman, but son/father, mothers/daughters, etc are explored and rendered realistically. The tenuous relationship between Tony and his father was depicted believably, attitudes common in this culture about how a man should provide for his family and what is expected by his parents.I admired Chi-Chi in so many ways, as a woman/mother/daughter. She was a take charge woman in many areas of her life... her business acumen and financial planning were unusual in that time-frame, when women had to fight for recognition and the roles they want and deserve in their lives. Chi-Chi was a strong, amazing woman I felt privileged to get to know. There were a couple of things that bothered me, but I can't disclose without spoiling. For the most part I thought it was believable for the time frame.Early on I wondered why Adriana titled this “Tony’s Wife” but the ending disclosed it perfectly. I was left in tears and wonder. My thanks to Adriana Trigiani, Harper Collins and especially Amazon Vine for a complimentary copy to read, review and post my honest opinion. Loved it.

Where does Trigiani find all of her inspiration? Every time I dive into one of her books, I prepare myself for total immersion into a world where fascinating people, events, food, culture, and families will surround me and force me to love them despite their strengths, weaknesses, flaws, and triumphs. Her books chronicle the Italian-American experience and this time she tackles show business, songwriting, and the Big Band era through the life of Chi Chi, a sassy working girl from the Jersey Shore who yearns to find love and success. There is so much beauty and rich detail about the places, people, and popular culture of the time...read it. Just read it.

This is a feel good book that cheered me up. Even though there were ups and downs, most of the characters were very likable. I enjoyed "living" with a big Italian family for a few days. I also loved reading about the music industry in the 1930's and 40's. I have read many of her other books and enjoyed them too.