The Shoemaker's Wife

Ciro and Luigi arrive in Manhattan. Ciro is overwhelmed by the beauty of the Statue of Liberty and the rush of Ellis Island. Then he’s called out of the processing line. Ciro panics, but the officer informs him that he has received orders from “the sisters of San Nicola” (132) to expedite his passage. He tells Ciro to change his last name so that Americans will be able to pronounce it, but Ciro declines. Endearing himself to the officer, he convinces him to expedite Luigi’s papers, too.

After passing through Ellis Island, Ciro and Luigi part ways and wish each other luck. Then Ciro meets up with his sponsors and employers, Remo and Carla Zanetti. They take him to Little Italy, where they own and operate Zanetti Shoe Shop.

Meanwhile, on the mountain, Enza and her family encounter further trouble. Signore Arduini wants to sell their house. Enza suggests to Marco that they buy their own house, proposing that she and Marco travel to the US for work.

In Little Italy, Ciro settles in with the Zanettis. They attend the Feast of Santa Maria. Amid the crowd, Ciro spies the May Queen, Felicitá, and decides to pursue her.

By May of 1910, Marco has relocated his family to a new rental house. Meanwhile, he mulls over Enza’s proposition. One day, their faithful horse, Cipi, dies. The loss devastates Marco.

Ciro makes Felicitá’s acquaintance. Obsessed with fine things, she demands that Ciro give her his gold ring; he refuses to give it up, as it was his mother’s. Although Felicitá has been promised to another man, and Ciro doesn’t have strong feelings for her, he “[imagines] he [is] in love with her” (152).

In Italy, Enza and Marco make plans to leave for the US. They’ll send money from their new jobs home to Giacomina to provide for the family and save for their own house. On their way down the mountain and away from home, Enza focuses on her future in the US.

Enza and Marco board the SS Rochambeau for New York. Along the way, Enza becomes gravely ill. Marco stays at her bedside, terrified that he’ll lose another daughter. When they arrive in Manhattan, the doctor informs Marco that he’ll have to go through Ellis Island alone; Enza will be processed through the hospital, where she must recover before entering the city. Marco worries about being separated from her.

Meanwhile, Ciro settles into life with the Zanettis and adjusts to work at the shoe shop. He works tirelessly under Remo’s tutelage and befriends Carla. One day, Ciro seriously cuts his hand while working. The Zanettis race him to the hospital.

Enza wakes up in the hospital. The doctors nurse her back to health but inform her that she’ll never be able to board another ship again, or she’d risk death. Meanwhile, Marco goes through Ellis Island and tracks down Enza at the hospital. The news that Enza will never be able to return home devastates him, but he’s relieved that she’s alive. They also learn that Enza will be working across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey.

After the hospital staff tend to Ciro’s injury, he wanders into the chapel, where he runs into Enza. The two are shocked to see each other again. They catch up on all that has happened since their last meeting. Enza is delighted by the chance encounter but feels discouraged when Felicitá arrives to pick up Ciro. Enza says goodbye, convinced that Ciro’s heart belongs to another.

Six years later, Ciro is finishing up his apprenticeship with Remo. He has thrived at the shoe shop and loves his work. Remo and Carla have grown attached to Ciro, too. In October 1916, Ciro receives a letter from Eduardo informing him that he has tracked down their mother. Caterina has been living at a convent hospital near San Nicola all these years; she had a nervous breakdown after Carlo’s death and hasn’t been well since then. Ciro struggles to process these revelations.

One day, Luigi appears at the shoe shop. He didn’t marry after all and left Ohio. Ciro convinces him to stay in Manhattan.

In Hoboken, Enza has been working and sending money home to her family. Marco left the East Coast for Pennsylvania, where he has been working in the coalfields. They’re close to affording their dream house, but Enza must continue working and saving. Her living and working conditions are abominable. Her sponsors, the Buffa family, are cruel and abusive. Her work at the factory is exhausting. Enza’s only pleasures are listening to Enrico Caruso records and spending time with Laura Heery, a friend and coworker. Both women are seamstresses and want to leave Hoboken for Manhattan. Together, they plot their escape, applying to women’s boardinghouses across the river.

Enza and Laura attend the Columbus Day celebrations in Little Italy. While reveling in their freedom, Laura and Enza talk about romance. Enza has told her about Ciro, and Laura teases her about being in love with a gravedigger. Shocked to learn that Ciro lives locally, Laura insists on visiting Zanetti Shoe Shop to see him.

At the shop, Carla is initially skeptical of the girls. Then, Ciro returns to the shop with Felicitá and another horde of young people. He can’t stop looking at Enza throughout the encounter. Remo invites Laura and Enza to join their celebrations for the evening.

The group goes up to the Zanettis’ rooftop to see the fireworks. Enza and Ciro strike up a conversation and rekindle their connection. They talk about their lives in the US and their craftwork. Remembering her connection with Ciro, Enza professes her feelings unabashedly. She insists that he act more seriously if he’s really interested in her. She tells him where she lives, and he promises to call on her in a few weeks.