DON’T SING AT THE TABLE
As devoted readers of Adriana Trigiani’s New York Times bestselling novels know, this “seemingly effortless storyteller” (Boston Globe) frequently draws inspiration from her own family history, in particular from the lives of her two remarkable grandmothers, Lucia Spada Bonicelli (Lucy) and Yolanda Perin Trigiani (Viola). In Don’t Sing at the Table, she reveals how her grandmothers’ simple values have shaped her own life, sharing the experiences, humor, and wisdom of her beloved mentors to delight readers of all ages.
Trigiani visits the past to seek answers to the essential questions that define the challenges women face today at work and at home. Don’t Sing at the Table is a primer,
As devoted readers of Adriana Trigiani’s New York Times bestselling novels know, this “seemingly effortless storyteller” (Boston Globe) frequently draws inspiration from her own family history, in particular from the lives of her two remarkable grandmothers, Lucia Spada Bonicelli (Lucy) and Yolanda Perin Trigiani (Viola). In Don’t Sing at the Table, she reveals how her grandmothers’ simple values have shaped her own life, sharing the experiences, humor, and wisdom of her beloved mentors to delight readers of all ages.
Trigiani visits the past to seek answers to the essential questions that define the challenges women face today at work and at home. Don’t Sing at the Table is a primer, grandmother to granddaughter, filled with everyday wisdom and life lessons handed down with care and built to last.
- Harper Paperbacks
- Paperback
- October 2011
- 240 Pages
- 9780061958953
Buy the Book
$13.99
About Adriana Trigiani
Adriana Trigiani is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker. She is the author of the bestselling Big Stone Gap series; the bestselling novels Lucia, Lucia; The Queen of the Big Time; Rococo; Very Valentine; Brava, Valentine; and the teen novels Viola in Reel Life and Viola in the Spotlight. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Praise
“No one ever reads just one of Trigiani’s wonderfully quirky tales. Once you pick up the first, you are hooked.”—BookPage
“Best-selling author Trigiani (Very Valentine) presents a loving paean to her Italian grandmothers… there is much warmth in these remembrances that will resonate with readers who enjoyed strong relationships with their own grandparents and know the value they can bring to our lives.”—Library Journal
“[C]harming… comforting lessons for readers seeking a simpler way of life.”—Kirkus
“Soothingly and with clarity…. Readers will find her strength and optimism helpful, and her legions of loyal fans will enjoy learning more about the women who influenced, inspired, and, according to Trigiani, made possible some of her best-selling fiction.”—Booklist
Discussion Questions
Adriana wrote that she was able to write Don’t Sing at the Table because her grandmothers “never threw anything away—clothing, bank records, contracts, wills, newspaper clippings, photographs.” What did your grandmothers pass down to you? What can those items tell you about the way they lived their lives?
Adriana wrote of Lucia, “No one ever in the course of my entire life was ever as happy to see me as she was. Looking back now, I realize that you only ever need one person who lights up that way when you enter a room. One person is all it takes to give a kid confidence.” Who was that person for you?
Is craftsmanship valued as much today as it was in Viola and Lucia’s time? What has changed?
Adriana recalled “Venetian eggs”—poached eggs in homemade tomato sauce with fresh dandelion—as one of her favorite meals Viola made her. What are some of your favorite meals your grandmothers made you?
In what ways were Viola and Lucia different? In what ways were they similar? Do you recognize aspects of your own grandmothers in them? Do you recognize aspects of yourself?
Adriana and her sisters still wear Viola’s coats. Do you wear any of your grandmothers’ clothing or jewelry? What did they teach you about style and beauty?
Adriana wrote, “Our family stories have it all: risk, adventure, romance and intrigue. The places my grandmothers came from were described in stories they told.” What is a favorite story your grandmother told?
Lucy and Viola only met once. Though “they held one another at a respectful distance, there was an underlying camaraderie”. What was the relationship between your grandmothers?
Which “life lessons” described in Don’t Sing at the Table do you value most? Did your grandmothers pass down any of the same advice to you?
What are your rules for living? Do you share any with Viola and Lucia?