Review will be posted on 8/22/25
Jess Baratta's life is falling apart. After her divorce from town heart-throb, Bobby, she finds herself moving back home and living in her parents' basement. She is in a rut. If it weren't for her work with her Uncle Louie and her family's business, Capodimonte Marble and Stone, she would be in a standstill. She feels smothered not only by the town she lives in, Lake Como, but also by her overbearing family. Things get complicated when she uncovers secrets as to why she attended community college, and her sister and brother did not, as she always knew her parents had financial issues. But the circumstances leave a bad taste in her mouth. When her beloved Uncle Louie suffers a heart attack and she must take the lead at the marble company, she also uncovers some parts of the business that weren't on the "up and up." Determined to learn more about her Uncle and what led to this mess, Jess decides to take the trip to Italy that her Uncle was always planning to take with her. While there, she can get to the bottom of the work issues as all the suppliers are in Italy, but she can also take time to finally breathe as she won't be under the smothering stare of Lake Como, New Jersey or her family. While Jess is in Italy, she undergoes a reawakening and finds herself finally exhaling. Adriana Trigiani's The View from Lake Como is a big-hearted Italian family read that transports readers to beautiful Italy, which makes it a delightful summertime read.

Readers can always rely on Trigiani for engaging entertainment, particularly if they have Italian family members, as many of their idiosyncrasies are incredibly relatable. Jess is a character you can't help but root for, and I eagerly anticipated her escape from her parents' basement. Their overbearing influence on her life felt overwhelming at times (she experienced panic attacks!), and I was excited for her to break free and truly experience life in Italy. This brings me to Trigiani's vivid descriptions of Italy.

Her legions of fans will not be disappointed in The View from Lake Como. I loved the vivid descriptions of the food, the people, and the stunning views, and there's even some romance. Trigiani has woven together everything I enjoy in a beach read. While it may not be my favorite of her novels, I found it to be a delightful way to spend a summer weekend. The View from Lake Como is a beautiful story about family, forgiveness, Italy, and the idea that it's never too late to live the life you've imagined.

Are you a fan of Adriana Trigiani? Let me know if you read The View from Lake Como in the comments below.

Funny and heartwarming, this one will no doubt be a big summer read. I gave it a shout out on my Facebook and Insta Author pages. Thanks for the early read.

I have always enjoyed Adriana Trigiani’s character-driven stories, and The View from Lake Como was no exception. This was such a warm and heartfelt read about self-discovery, family, and starting over, with plenty of humor mixed in.

Jess Capodimonte Baratta is recently divorced, back living in her parents’ basement in Lake Como, New Jersey, and putting everyone else’s needs before her own. She’s talented in the marble business but stuck in a life that feels too small. After an unexpected family loss, she heads to Carrara, Italy, where she reconnects with her roots, uncovers long-held family secrets, and starts to picture a life built on her own terms. I loved the shift from New Jersey to Italy, which brought so much atmosphere, and I really enjoyed the later-in-life love story woven in.

Trigiani has a way of creating characters you root for and family dynamics that feel messy but full of love. A couple of parts felt a bit long, but I was invested in Jess’s journey the whole way through, and I loved how it wrapped up. This will be a great pick for anyone who enjoys family dramas with humor, rich settings, and strong female leads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the advanced copy.

Thank you @duttonbooks for my gifted ebook. I also got a hard copy from @bookofthemonth!

This is my first @adrianatrigiani which should be a crime since I’m also a North Jersey Italian girl! But I really loved this book so it will not be my last.

Jess is freshly divorced, living in her parents’ basement and trying to find herself again. She’s working for her Uncle Louie at their family marble company. Everyone has a few secrets and just as Louie shares a few of his, he passes away suddenly. Jess is left to pick up the pieces and try to mend what is left. One of things he leaves her is a ticket to Italy to see the quarry and the town where her family and the marble is from.

Jess leaves all her family drama at home and goes on the trip her uncle planned for her. She needs the time to decide what she wants out of life on her terms. She also meets the handsome Angelo who helps her get over her divorce. I really liked all the interactions with her family and their traditions. It remind me of my own family in some ways. I love the heart that was in this novel. It’s very difficult for Jess to go against her family, but she needed to be true to herself.

Like Jess, I also recently lost my uncle and he was one of my favorite people in the whole world so I really felt for Jess having to deal with this. Grief is so hard and we need to make sure we deal with it in our own way.

I've read a few other titles by the author and I've enjoyed them all. This one is really her best one yet since it combines present day with events of the past and we learn about the marble industry in Italy and the United States. At its heart, this novel is about family and their expectations of people and whether or not their view of a person can change.

TY to Net Galley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC. This is a beautiful story of growing up in an Italian family in New Jersey on Lake Como while always longing to know what it would be like to return to your family's roots in Lake Como, Italy. Really lovely.

At the start of the novel, Jess lives at home with her parents in Lake Como, New Jersey after her divorce. As part of a large Italian family, Jess has played her role and never travelled outside of the area. As part of the family business, Jess’ work with her Uncle Louie is part of the reason she ends up in Italy, in an area where the marble her family imports is mined. Leaving home and giving herself the opportunity to grow and find out who she wants to be is the best part of the novel, including beautiful descriptions of the Italian landscape. Explanations for Jess’ divorce and the complicated interactions of a small town and its interconnectedness help to give depth to Jess’ character. I enjoyed the book, as I love all Trigiani novels. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

#DuttonPartner

The View from Lake Como is a layered story about finding yourself when everyone else seems to have you figured out. Jess (Giuseppina) is a newly divorced woman living in her parents’ basement in Lake Como, New Jersey, working for her uncle in the family’s marble business. Surrounded by a loud, demanding Italian-American family, she’s stuck in the role of the dependable “maiden aunt,” always putting others first.

After a family tragedy and the reveal of long-hidden secrets, Jess sets out on her dream trip to Italy—though not to the Lake Como you’d expect from the title. Most of the story unfolds in Carrara, where she gets the distance and clarity to figure out what she actually wants. Her journal entries, written for an online therapy program, give honest insight into her regrets, disappointments and new moments of insight from past memories.

I liked the story's portrayal of complex, often frustrating family dynamics. The author balances biting humor and heartfelt emotion well, and her descriptions of both New Jersey and Italy are so vivid you can almost smell the food and feel the sun. A particularly compelling subplot touches on the quiet compromises made by women who came of age before the feminist movement, adding a thoughtful, generational layer to Jess’s own journey.

I often found myself annoyed with Jess’s parents—especially their poor decision-making and her mother’s overbearing nature. Still, I also recognize that this kind of "maternal intensity" is a feature of some cultural experiences outside of my own.

There were a few elements didn’t quite land for me: the mention of trans character's transitioning, though tied to the theme of acceptance, felt a little forced. Additionally the romance element would’ve been more impactful with deeper development. The level of detail about marble might also feel excessive depending on the reader—but it’s a unique backdrop, and one that ties neatly into Jess’s transformation. While I did enjoy the book overall, these elements did somewhat distract from my overall reading experience.

All in all, The View from Lake Como is an immersive, introspective and enjoyable story about reclaiming your voice and carving out space for yourself. A good summer read!

Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC. Extra thanks to Dutton for the finished copy as well!

The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani pairs well with a Negroni Sbagliato in the summertime! I picked up this title because our family lived in Italy for three wonderful years and I wanted to whisk myself away on a literary adventure. Follow Jess, an Italian American living in New Jersey, as she travels to Italy to find herself after a divorce. Journey along the romance, heart break, and rebuilding of Jess's world as she knows it. Adriana Trigiani's stories are slow paced but packed with lush descriptions of Italian culture.

Read This if You Enjoy:
- A Literary Jetset to Italy
- A Woman's Journey to Rediscover herself amidst a life change
- Slow Pacing but Lush Descriptions
- Romance, Heartbreak, Rediscovery
- Boisterous Italian American Families

Thank you Dutton, Penguin Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Giusipinna “Jess” Capodimonte Baratta is not living her best life. She’s recently divorced, living in her parents’ basement, and taken for granted by her family. After the family is rocked by a tragic loss and some dark secrets are revealed, Jess decides it’s time to live life on her own terms and heads from Lake Como, NJ, to Lake Como, Italy, on a journey of self-discovery.

Nobody writes the Italian American experience like Adriana Trigiani does! The same essence that drew me to The Queen of the Big Time so many years ago (and still my Trigiani favorite!) is at the heart of The View From Lake Como. It’s got all the classic Trigiani ingredients: a big overbearing Italian family, an overlooked and unappreciated adult daughter, a trip to Italy to save the family business and find herself. If you’ve loved her other books, you’re sure to enjoy this one too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books, Megan Beattie Communications for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I was gifted this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley. I loved it so much, I turned around and bought it on audio, and discovered I loved it even more. I love most of Adriana Trigiani's books, but I discovered the "voice" in this one to be a little deeper. Jess is not young, but she has not really discovered who she is yet; she has spent her lifetime pleasing others and going with the flow and allowing life to take her. She is shattered by the death of her Uncle Louie, and it sets her on the path of self-discovery. For those of us still questioning who we are and where we are headed, this book shows we are not alone.

I’ll start with this - Adriana Trigiani absolutely nails the Italian American experience in THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO. As the granddaughter of Italian immigrants, I can attest to its authenticity. From living just a stones throw from family to required attendance at Sunday supper (where it’s gravy not sauce, don’t @me) to gender expectations to loud talking to exiling relatives to the island to the Feast of the Seven Fishes; it’s my lived experience. And I loved it. The family scenes were the parts of the book I devoured. I could have read an entire book about the Capodimontes and Barattas and their everyday lives.

But, alas, there’s more to Giuseppina “Jess” Baratta’s story and it didn’t quite interest me as much as the family dynamic. Jess has a lot going on. She recently divorced Lake Como heartthrob and heir apparent to the local butcher shop and no one can figure out why. Her life is further uprooted when tragedy strikes the family and affects both their personal and business lives. Jess escapes to Italy to fulfill a lifelong dream and things get even messier for her and the entire Capodimonte and Baratta clans.

Trigiani gives us family drama, intrigue, secrets, self discovery, romance, legal issues, ancestral investigation, and a transatlantic relocation all in one book. It was a bit too busy for me and I struggled to figure out which storyline was the most significant.

I absolutely loved Mira Sorvino’s narration. It was perfection. She captures the inflection, tone, and dialect of the New Jersey and Italian characters. Hearing words like “faccia brutta” and “skeve” pronounced correctly brought me right back to my grandparents’ house in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. I thoroughly enjoyed the walk down memory lane. (Fun fact: My mother’s name was Giuseppina Maria)

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advance copies. All opinions are my own.

This book is a love letter to the Italian-American family, and to every person who's set out on a journey of self-discovery and happiness.

Adriana Trigiani has created a true masterpiece in The View From Lake Como. It's a funny and heartwarming story of a recently divorced woman looking to put the pieces of her life back together. Fueled by Trigiani's own Italian heritage, The View From Lake Como accurately portrays Italian-American family dynamics; from extended family living on the same street, to Sunday family dinner, to Italian guilt trips, and parents who passionately want what's best for their children, this book hits all the marks while telling Jess's story.

Jess and her family live in Lake Como, New Jersey. After divorcing her "perfect" husband, Jess moves into her parent's basement to heal. She's the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, but she is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her beloved uncle Louie. When the family suffers an unexpected loss that unearths long-buried secrets, Jess begins to question her loyalty to her family. In an attempt to heal and recover, Jess escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy. (Also the location of the quarry where her Uncle Louie gets the marble for the family business.) As Jess travels from the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to Siena, Milan, and beyond, she begins to carve a place for herself in this new world. The pieces of her new life begin to fall together as she finds work, makes friends, and dares to have a romance with a passionate artist, Angelo Strazza.

Beautifully written, The View From Lake Como is a charming story that keeps the reader captivated. Jess's story evokes both laughter and tears as she goes on her journey to reinvent herself. It's an empowering story filled with hope and love.

Highly recommend!

Jess is one of the adult daughters in a close-knit Italian family in Lake Como, New Jersey. Her family has always dictated every aspect of her life- from where she got to go to college, to her job choice, and even who she married. For weekly family dinners, she does all the cooking and cleaning for the large group and is constantly put down by her nagging mother. Her uncle is the only person who she feels like actually sees her. At But as a young adult, Jess has decided to leave her unhappy marriage and find out what makes her happy. She was looking forward to a trip to Italy with her uncle when their plans get derailed and Jess finds out her family had many secrets that she didn't know about. Will Jess be able to find herself in Italy and will she be happy with her own life choices?

I liked the first part of this book but disliked all the characters. They were whiny and their choices annoyed me. I hoped that when the setting moved to Italy it would get better, but it didn't. I loved the cover of this book and thought it would be more historical fiction, but it was all a contemporary setting about a thirty-year-old woman who wants to make her own choices but doesn't really know how. I liked the family secrets that were uncovered and wished that it had focused more on that and not the family feuding. I listened to most of this and was excited that Mira Sorvino was the narrator, but she often did this fake crying thing that I think added to my dislike of this one. Unfortunately, this was not my favorite, but I do think readers of women's fiction and messy families might like it more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Happy Pub Day to The View From Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani. So this isn't quite Lake Como but it's nearby Lake Maggiore. I absolutely loved the Northern Italian lakes and these photos are taking me back to that wonderful trip two years ago!

As a Jersey girl, I had such great mental images of Jess and her family. While I'm not Italian, I grew up in a town that has its unique Italian traditions so I had to laugh at her family at times in the book.

I enjoyed the story and seeing Jess stand up to her family. By the way, her parents were the worst - I can't believe they did what they did. I liked seeing her in Italy away from her family for the first time. The descriptions had me wanting to plan another trip.

I didn't love the journal flashbacks as much to understand why her marriage didn't work but I loved learning about the marble industry.

If you're into family drama with great settings you'll enjoy this!

Jess Baratta is coming to terms with herself and her family. The survivor of several recent losses, Jess is trying to find her place in the world at the same time as she is trying to redefine her relationships with her family. Relatable in so many ways- for those of us who were identified as "the little sister" well into adulthood, Jess' struggles to become accepted on her own merits as a independent, contributing adult rang true to life. Jess' family relationships provide a frank look into a traditional Italian family, with its feet in both the new and the old world. Heartbreak and humor are scattered throughout Jess' story. I enjoyed the book- the places it takes us and the love it shares. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for this ARC.

I was lucky to attend a few of Adriana Trigiani's hilarious and heartfelt shows with Mike Trigiani and the Predictables which was part of her Lake Como tour for her newest book, The View From Lake Como. It was surreal to be on the "set" of one of the Lake Comos so prominent in her book for our Lake Como, NJ stay and I hope to visit Lake Como, Italy and the surrounding areas she so beautifully painted and brought to life with her words one day soon.

This book is a treasure with such deeply woven characters and family nostalgia that makes your heart skip a beat with longing. Adriana puts us in Lake Como in NJ and Italy and has woven such an elegant tapestry of a tale that these places aren't merely settings, they also serve as characters that embody the entire novel. Every line is beautiful, meaningful, and reminds us about what it means to be human and be part of a family and the greater world.

Savor the landscapes, the characters, the food and the family memories like you would your favorite pastry and cup of coffee. I found myself researching the statues, churches, and different regions of Italy Jess visited. Adri immersed me in the world of the marble industry and I was so intrigued, I dug up more information on the internet. I found new books to read based on the books mentioned in this novel. And I loved the Italian sayings and life lessons throughout this novel. The things you learn from a book and the places it can take you!!! That's the sign of an amazing book! This book took me on a journey to Italy, but more importantly, it took me on a journey of the soul.

"The View From Lake Como" was an entertaining read, especially as I was travelling to the places mentioned in the book!
The main character's development throughout the book to finding herself was an entertaining and sometimes humorous journey. The landscapes were described in a way that would make anyone want to travel. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics.

THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO by Adriana Trigiani is a coming-of-age story from a favorite author about Italian American families, culture, and expectations. Trigiani introduces readers to Giuseppina Capodimonte Baratta (called Jess), a recently divorced thirty-something who has moved back in with her parents in Lake Como, New Jersey and handles household chores (e.g., the big Sunday dinner) somewhat resentfully. Jess was not able to go away to college and has worked for her childless Uncle Louie as a designer at his marble and stone importing company. She is finally allowing herself to dream a bit, especially about the trip to Italy that Louie has promised. A premature death thwarts those plans, but Jess perseveres and challenges herself to find independence and forgiveness. Amongst the advice for her: "When adapting to a new environment, be kind to yourself. Making friends and acclimating is a process. Seek comfort and familiarity but set a goal to talk to someone you don't know every day. You will be empowered to form bonds and make friends." Romance, family history, and a visit to the original Lake Como await. THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO received starred reviews from Booklist ("this may be her best yet") and Library Journal ("a captivating and memorable read"). Be sure to also look for Trigiani's debut novel Big Stone Gap (published 25 years ago), Big Cherry Holler, Milk Glass Moon or one of over a dozen other titles she has written.

What Worked Well:
-Vivid Descriptions: Trigiani’s strength lies in her ability to paint a scene. I could clearly picture what the main character was seeing, especially the scenery around Italy.
-Elegant Writing Style: The writing flows well and has a calm, thoughtful tone that makes it easy to read.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
-Slow Start: I was over a third of the way through the book before the actual plot really started. It made the beginning feel kind of aimless.
-Too Much About Marble: There were so many detailed mentions of marble that it started to feel like the book was more about that than the main character.
-Unclear Cultural References: There were a lot of specific East Coast mentions that didn’t really add anything and were a little confusing if you’re not familiar with that area.

Final Thoughts: 
The book has beautiful writing and a strong sense of place, but it didn’t fully connect with me. I wanted more story, more depth, and more from the main character.