The View From Lake Como

The novel has two main settings: Lake Como, New Jersey, and Carrara, Italy; these settings represent distinct experiences and possibilities for the novel’s protagonist, and they both exist in the real world, sharing significant similarities with their fictional counterparts.

Lake Como, NJ, is home to a vibrant Italian American community. According to Jess, “When it comes to Lake Como, New Jersey, the Capodimonte and Baratta families own North Boulevard” (7). Their broods are so large that they populate the road that, in reality, runs the entire length of the lake’s northern border. Further, Jess says, “Around the loop of the lake, the rest of the houses are filled with relatives” (7). In a place that feels so close-knit, Jess feels she can’t escape nosy neighbors who wonder why she left Bobby Bilancia, and interfering family members who keep secrets that affect her daily life.

Familial and cultural traditions are important to the Italian American families in Lake Como. Jess explains that, in 2004, “The local Italians ran a campaign to change the name from South Belmar to Lake Como” (10), and while people with different backgrounds objected, they eventually reached a consensus—something that also happened in the naming of the real Lake Como.