LUCIA, LUCIA

Moving from Greenwich Village of the present day to New York City of the 1950s, Adriana Trigiani's sweet family saga is rich in heart and overflowing with Italian passion. Lucia Sartori, a woman of a certain age, befriends Kit, a young playwright living in her building. Over tea, Lucia reminisces about her start in the fashion business as an apprentice designer; her large, loving family; and the curse her aunt placed upon her before she was born. Narrator Cassandra Campbell is especially effective as the flighty Kit, with her ingenuous questions and reactions; however, the Italian accents Campbell gives to Lucia are wobbly, and her voice is a bit too ladylike for the older woman's hot-blooded rages. As wardrobes grow more elegant and champagne starts flowing, Campbell's performance adds to the glamour. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]