Varina Palladino's Jersey Italian Love Story

A Novel

By: Terri-Lynne DeFino

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

“Varina Palladino’s Jersey Italian Love Story is fun and funny, wonderfully exuberant, and incredibly wise. These endearing characters—their voices and stories— will be with me for a long time to come. I didn’t want to say good-bye.” –Jill McCorkle, New York Times bestselling author of Hieroglyphics

An utterly delightful and surprising family drama—think Moonstruck and My Big Fat Greek Wedding set in New Jersey—about a boisterous, complicated Italian family determined to help their widowed mother find a new boyfriend.

Lively widow Varina Paladino has lived in the same house in Wyldale, New Jersey, her entire life. The town might be slightly stuck in the 1960s, when small businesses thrived and most residents were Italian, but its population is getting younger and the Paladinos are embracing the change. What Varina’s not embracing, much to her ninety-two-year-old mother’s dismay, is dating. Running Paladino’s Italian Specialties grocery, caring for her mother, and keeping her large, loud Jersey Italian family from killing one another takes up all of Varina’s energy anyway.

Sylvia Spini worries about her daughter Varina being left all alone when she dies. Sylvia knows what it is to be old and alone, so when her granddaughter, Donatella, comes to her with an ill-conceived plan to find Varina a man, Sylvia dives in. The three men of the family—Dante, Tommy, and Paulie—are each secretly plotting their own big life changes, which will throw everyone for a loop.

Three generations of Paladinos butt heads and break one another’s hearts as they wrestle with their own Jersey Italian love stories in this hilarious and life-affirming ode to love and family.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

The way Sylvia was so much like Donnatella.

I really enjoyed the dynamics between all of the family members. It had great realism in what a traditional Italian family would be.

The ending

The ending kind of surprised me. Overall, the book kept my attention from the very first chapter. I loved nonina the the most. And the recipes look delicious. I’d recommend this book to my friends!

Fun read. Especially liked the vocabulary lessons

Very fun read. Especially liked the Italian vocabulary lessons at the beginning of each chapter.

Very close to home

I totally enjoyed this story!
The Italian Americanized words are explained at the beginning of each chapter was brilliant and hysterical. Brought back so many memories from my childhood.

Traditional/ Fun

Loved every ones description!
Enjoyed the pronunciation and meanings of the Italian words at the beginning of some of the chapters, a lot of fun to compare, as I am also Italian!
So many Italian first names. But hey.
We’re Italian😂😂👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼