Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby

Episode: Adriana Trigiani, THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO
Date: December 23, 2025
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Adriana Trigiani

Main Theme

This episode features bestselling author Adriana Trigiani talking about her new novel, The View from Lake Como. The conversation explores themes of self-reinvention, family legacy, and the search for personal peace, set against backdrops as contrasting as Lake Como, New Jersey, and the iconic marble mountains of Italy. Trigiani shares her creative process, the book’s inspirations, and delves into complex family relationships, especially the rarely spotlighted uncle-niece bond.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Inspiration Behind The View from Lake Como

• The idea started with Trigiani’s discovery of Lake Como, New Jersey, a town renamed in hopes of reviving its reputation, paralleling the protagonist Jess’s efforts to rebuild her life (05:00).

  • “The town changed its name. It used to be South Belmont. ...They wanted to resuscitate this town. So they took a vote and they renamed it Lake Como.” – Adriana Trigiani (05:15)

• The dual settings reflect Trigiani’s own Italian heritage and attachment to the region around Lake Como, Italy.

  • “Where do I feel at most at peace in the world? ...I feel at peace in my grandmother and mother's hometown on the mountain in Italy.” – Adriana Trigiani (06:32)

2. The Protagonist and Themes of Rebuilding

• Jess Barrata, a newly divorced woman living in her parents’ basement, is tasked with rebuilding both her life and her sense of home.

  • “It’s the story of a woman who rebuilds her life and the house that goes with it.” – Adriana Trigiani (06:13)

• Trigiani emphasizes that what we perceive as mistakes are often doorways to new beginnings, a core message in the novel.

  • “We make mistakes that we think are mistakes... but that's not really what they are. They're just like doorways to another life.” – Adriana Trigiani (06:56)

3. Family Dynamics & the Uncle-Niece Relationship

• The book spotlights the unique and rarely explored uncle-niece relationship, inspired by Trigiani’s own uncles.

  • “I dedicated it to my four uncles that have passed away... each one were very different people, but I got something from each of them.” – Adriana Trigiani (08:04)

• Family communications (and miscommunications), holding grudges, and generational behavior patterns play a crucial role.

  • “There's a level of honesty there that you can't have with anybody else. ...When they resume speaking, would they solve the problem? So it was repeated... this kind of behavior reverberates in life.” – Adriana Trigiani (08:18, 08:58)

• Jess seeks therapy—the first in her family to do so, representing a break with tradition.

  • “She's the first person since the Etruscans in this family that went to see a therapist.” – Adriana Trigiani (09:32)

4. Marriage, Love, and Self-Discovery

• Discussion of Jess’s relationship with her ex-husband invites reflection on love, reconciliation, and the importance of self-realization over traditional happy endings.

  • “This is a self-love story. ...She’s not going to navigate this through a relationship. She’s going to navigate it through her life experience.” – Adriana Trigiani (11:39)

• Trigiani and Zibby explore the mysteries of what makes a marriage work or not, highlighting the book’s realistic depiction of relationships.

  • “To me... it's a mystery what makes a marriage work. ...It's the same feeling you get when you know you need to get out of a relationship... you can't stay in it another minute.” – Adriana Trigiani (10:56)

5. Marble and Craftsmanship as Metaphor

• The marble industry serves as a vivid metaphor for durability, fragility, and heritage—central themes of the book.

  • “The idea of marble is that it's very durable. ...But if you just tap it in the wrong way, turns to dust and she observes this. ...That's her heart, really herself, her soul.” – Adriana Trigiani (13:39–14:24)

• The process of extracting, shaping, and shipping marble mirrors both family tradition and personal transformation.

  • “If you go to New Jersey, there's a lot of Italian marble there, because that's the port where it comes in. ...It's all part of the whole waft and weave of who she is.” – Adriana Trigiani (14:14)

6. The Choices Women Make & Cultural Expectations

• Trigiani explores expectations placed on women within families and cultures and the courage to break out of prescribed roles.
  • “She's the maiden aunt... In our Italian heritage, there's always one that stays home and does that... But that's not the role I necessarily want to live. ...What fills you up? What makes you complete?” – Adriana Trigiani (14:54)

7. The Writing Process and Advice to Writers

• Trigiani shares practical writing tips, advocating for writers to move ahead to “big scenes” when stuck and work backwards as needed.

  • “...Pull the scene that's waiting for you forward. ...Just do the big scene, see what happens. Then you can... move it around and play with it.” – Adriana Trigiani (21:01)

• She describes her enjoyment of writing large family scenes, explaining how voice and interaction naturally lead stories onward.

  • “Write a party, write a meal, write people creating something together, something that they're doing that is a common purpose, and you'll find it in there.” – Adriana Trigiani (22:23)

8. Curiosity, Community, and the Value of Books

• Both Trigiani and Zibby discuss their mutual passion for connecting with other authors and book lovers through their platforms and work.

  • “A book comes in, and I get really interested... their books are revelatory. And if I can help sell them for them, whatever I can do, I want to do that.” – Adriana Trigiani (26:36)

• Trigiani credits her librarian mother for instilling a belief that books hold answers to every problem.

  • “...there's an answer for every problem in the world in the library, any problem we have, you know, personal, spiritual, emotional, practical.” – Adriana Trigiani (26:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On mistakes as doorways:
  “They're just like doorways to another life. And so I wanted to dramatize that in a book.” – Adriana Trigiani (06:56)

• On family roles:
  “In our Italian heritage, there's always one that stays home and does that or becomes a nun or a flight attendant in one of those careers.” – Adriana Trigiani (14:44)

• On the creative process:
  “If I can imagine it, then I can write it. And if I can write it, then I can make something manifest for the audience, for the reader, for the woman reading the book.” – Adriana Trigiani (20:36)

• On the abiding side of love:
  “I like the abiding part of love, of the mistake making part and the not being my best every day and then trying to do better. ...If you find yourself naturally... caring for this person, I think that’s a pretty good [indicator].” – Adriana Trigiani (19:29–20:19)

• On why she champions other authors:
  “It's a huge service to the reader, to the listener right now. It really is. And I thank you for it. I think it's great.” – Adriana Trigiani (27:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction and accolades — 03:26–04:35
• Book genesis and Lake Como, NJ — 04:49–06:09
• Summary and elevator pitch — 06:13–07:14
• Family secrets, marble, and uncle-niece relationship — 07:40–09:32
• Jess’s divorce and love choices — 10:08–12:09
• Travel, Italian culture, marble metaphor — 12:09–15:24
• Women, family roles, and personal agency — 14:44–15:24
• Writing process and creative advice — 21:01–22:53
• Personal anecdotes and family legacy — 22:53–24:52
• Book culture, author community, love of books — 25:24–27:48
• Gratitude and close — 27:48–28:14

Tone

Upbeat, reflective, and candid—Adriana Trigiani’s humor and warmth complement Zibby Owens’s curiosity and passion for books in a conversational, energetic exchange.

For listeners seeking a heartfelt look at family ties, reinvention, and the craft behind a moving novel—set with plenty of Italian flavor—this episode brims with insight and inspiration.