The Good Left Undone

Trigiani’s 15th adult fiction title (after Tony’s Wife) introduces readers to the Cabrelli family in the small seaside village of Viareggio, Italy. The matriarch, Matelda, is growing old and decides to share her family story with her granddaughter. The saga begins with Matelda’s mother Domenica who, due to her headstrong nature and unbridled tongue, is exiled by the village priest and sent to Marseille to study nursing. When World War II breaks out, she goes to Scotland to wait out the war. But the lure of Viareggio is strong, and she returns home after the war. The story of the Cabrellis, their loves, losses, feuds, and the family gem-cutting business takes place as the 20th century unfolds. Interwoven are tales of an ostracized boy born out of wedlock, how Italians in Scotland were villainized and deported during the war, and the changing roles of women.