Antonio's Wife

By Jacqueline Dejohn

Book Overview

From the glamorous world of opera to the underbelly of New York's seediest tenements, a page-turning rollercoaster ride of kidnappings, betrayals, friendships, spies, bribes, hidden identities, and twisted intrigues ... By 1908, Francesca Frascatti has the opera world at her feet. A volatile Neapolitan diva, Francesca secretly aches with regret for having given up her daughter, Maria Grazia, on the road to stardom. Hearing that Maria has started a new life in America, Francesca tries to find her. By night, she sings Tosca; by day, she and Dante Romano, a detective posing as her lover, assume any guise necessary to search New York. Francesca must brave a sordid maze of spies, corrupt police officers and greedy hooligans to reach Maria Grazia before her cunning grandfather can whisk her off to his Italian estate, and away from her forever. At the opera house, Mina DiGianni, a gentle Italian lace maker from the Lower East Side, becomes Francesca's costume dresser and confidante. Mina is also haunted by her past. Caught between the joyful hope of new life growing inside her and the painful reality of her husband's abuse, Mina discovers new strengths and possibilities working for Francesca . and is bewildered to find herself falling in love with the diva's enigmatic lover, Dante. Mina and Francesca's worlds become ever more intertwined, and then collide in a shocking turn of events. Both women will face the greatest challenges of their lives: to finally lay their pasts to rest, and to embrace the present.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060745975
• ISBN13: 9780060745974
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.29 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great read, great characters

Ms. DeJohn has written a wonderful story full of interesting turns, with a sense of reality that can only come from extensive research. Her compassion for her characters is heartfelt, and her use of Italian phrases and words compliments the text well. It was very hard to put the book down at 3:00 in the morning, even though I had work at 7:30 the next day. (Needless to say, it was a very unproductive day!) The last 50 pages are fast and imaginative. Brava!Hopefully, Ms. DeJohn has another book in her that will carry the story forward....

Full-blooded, full-bodied -- heady wine for a summer's day

Jacqueline DeJohn has a created a work of good old-fashioned story-telling that is all too rare these days. I loved it. Full-blooded men and full-bodied women. This story is as heady and intoxicating as rich wine on a summer's day.

Antonio's Wife: A Fabulous First Novel!

Jacqueline DeJohn's first novel, Antonio's Wife, is a fascinating tale of an opera diva's search for her long-lost daughter, filled with vivid characters, romance, action, plot twists galore, and a surprise ending. DeJohn is a talented writer who keeps the reader entertained throughout and guessing until the last page. I loved it! Highly recommended.

DeJohn weaves an excellent tale

DeJohn sets the standards high with stellar first novel. She pulls you into the time and environment with incredible detail and description of the characters, surroundings, and emotions. Based on the life and travels of her grandmother, she pours compassion into her work that begins to pour off the page, you really feel that the characters existed at one point in time. This is a novel for everyone with elements that everyone will enjoy: love, hate, action, world travel, up's and down's, and anything else one can ask for in a book.

Outstanding first-time author... deliciously well written.

ANTONIO'S WIFE: A Novel by first-time Author Jacqueline DeJohn... pre-published edition 2004A reader becomes hooked within the first pages of ANTONIO'S WIFE by the author's writing style, relishing the mixture of dialect & style of "performance" assigned to each character. The reader is transported to another era in time, revealing human frailties of heartache, sacrifice, evil, deceit, betrayal, greed, weakness, revenge, abuse... transformed to love, joy, strength, happiness, devotion, forgiveness, freedom, a realization of dreams and a successful "destino".Some say "don't judge a book by its cover"... I say, "don't judge a book by its first pages"!The setting for ANTONIO'S WIFE is the early 1900's, the opera world, a Diva - Francesca ('Cesca') Frascatti travels to America in search of daughter Maria Grazia, regretfully abandoned in Italy, & longing to find her daughter to make amends. Francesca is portrayed as talented, very strong, resilient, "huffy" and rude at times... also revealed is the Diva's kind & warm-hearted nature - an opposer of prejudice & discrimination, Cesca shows support of her friend, a black ring-fighter Jack Johnson and his white fiancée. Mina DiGianni, ANTONIO'S WIFE, lace maker by profession, accepts employment as the Diva's dresser, revealing a loving Diva Francesca through the warmth & kindness shown Mina & becoming her protectress.Detective Dante Romano, under a veil of secrecy, poses as Cesca's lover to assist in the search for the Diva's daughter. Dante portrays a trusting, carefree caretaker with a determined nature, and supposed role as an adventurous Romeo & pursuer of women. With tribulations in her home life, Mina faces an abusive husband Antonio DiGianni, and carries secrets of her life in Italy. Mina is somewhat shy, apprehensive, assuming, but astute and discerning. Upon accepting the offer of employment with the Diva, & meeting Dante for the first time, Mina is instantly attracted to him. 'But choices are made, one pays a price' is Mina's belief. Seeking assistance in making her decision to leave her marriage bears no answers; priests only offer platitudes... "be meek, Mina", they say. Mina still holds in her heart -- 'hope in facing the past & embracing the future'.Kathleen, bar-owner and Antonio's mistress, is feisty, competitive, resilient, & resourceful, albeit tough, wanton & ruthless. Cast-player Mario is cheated out of his would-be marriage to Mina by maneuverings of Antonio, but Mario remains a faithful friend to Antonio, with inner longings and friendship in his love for Mina. Don Emilio is a man of mystery; his appearance in America is a threat to the status quo; he is known by Francesca Frascatti via her former life in Italy. Emilio is wealthy, ruthless and demanding, inclusive of a mixture of wanting to do the right thing according to his beliefs, while protecting what he is seeking.AUTHOR Jacqueline DeJohn is a talented writer! Bene, Ms. DeJohn! Written with energy, ANTONIO