Supreme Macaroni Company (Trigiani)

Discussion Questions
1. Describe Valentine and Gianluca's relationship. Is he the true love she has waited for?

2. What are the biggest obstacles to their happiness as a couple? What are their greatest strengths? What does Val expect from marriage? How does the reality compare? What makes for a good marriage? Is it realistic to want it all?

3. Think about the advice Val received from her family. If you are or have been married, what advice would you give her? If you aren't married what do you think marriage might be like?

4. Is Gianluca a good husband? Is Valentine a good wife? How much can their differences be attribute to age? To gender? To culture? Do you think they found the right balance in their relationship?

5. Is having such a large and close family like the Roncalli clan a blessing? Are there any downsides? What is your family like? How do our families impact our romantic relationships?

6. Talk about Val's wedding. Do you like the idea of a big wedding? If you are married, what was your day like? If not, what kind of wedding would you like to have?

7. Keeping secrets partially define Val and Gianluca's relationship. What information do they keep from each other and how do they affect the course of their lives? What is the biggest secret they each keep from the other?

8. Gianluca wants them to live in Italy. Why doesn't Val want to? Is it possible for them to live part time in both NewYork and Italy while still building the business?

9. Val not only married an older man,she married one who was married before. How do both of these facts shape her marriage? What is it like for her to meet Gianluca's first wife? Why doesn't he like to talk about his first marriage with Val? Why does she need to know about his past?

10. What does building the business mean to Valentine? Is Gianluca right—does she put her ambition ahead of her family? How do we juggle both? How does Val?

11. How does Alfie impact their relationship and Val's ambitions?

12. Were you surprised about the turn of events toward the end of the novel? How does Val handle this change? How does her family help her get through it? Should Gianluca have told her about the house? Didn't she have a right to weigh in with her opinion? Did he do the right thing?

13. What do you think the future holds for Val?

14. Discuss the books title. Do you think it is appropriate for the story? What did Val gain in this novel? What lessons did she learn?

15. What did you take away from reading The Supreme Macaroni Company?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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