For a writer, there’s always a story behind the story. For Adriana Trigiani, the stories behind the tales she tells in her novels are usually drawn from family lore, both in her own family and in her human family at large. Deftly weaving the lives of her characters into critical moments in American history has become her specialty—we laugh, we cry, we become fully invested into the lives of the people playing their roles on the stage she creates, and her latest work, “Tony’s Wife,” is no exception.

Tony’s Wife takes readers on a multi-decade journey through the lives of Savero Armandonada, also known as Tony Arma, and Chi Chi Donatelli, the love of his life. With the Big Band era and World War II as a backdrop, readers see Tony and Chi Chi meet, fall in love, lose that love, and more. In this month’s edition of Ovunque Siamo, we had the chance to speak with Adriana and discover more about “Tony’s Wife,” her heritage, and what’s next for her.