The New York Times, Barnes & Noble, Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and Independent Booksellers Instant Bestseller!

“Reading Trigiani’s latest is like settling in with a bag of popcorn and watching an old black-and-white movie. Befitting the style of the day, the tale—a fictionalized account of the real-life love affair between screen idols Loretta Young and Clark Gable—is full of romance, drama and snappy dialogue. It’s a thoroughly entertaining tale that brings Hollywood’s golden age alive.” –People (Book of the Week)

“Eminently readable and richly imagined, Trigiani’s latest will thrill her fans and surely collect new ones.” –Publisher’s Weekly

“A heartwarming tale of women’s lives behind the movies.” –Kirkus Reviews

Amazon

Loretta Young (1942)

“[Trigiani’s] ability to breathe life into the luminous cast of characters, which includes Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, David Niven, and Carole Lombard, will captivate readers, then have them scouring Netflix for film classics of the 1930s. A tinsel-trimmed treat for movie buffs and Trigiani fans alike.”

– Library Journal

Clark Gable and Loretta Young on the set of The Call of the Wild (1935)

“Trigiani, who hails from Big Stone Gap, wrote and directed the movie with the same name. Her knowledge of screenplays and movies informs this book [All the Stars in the Heavens], which is … loaded with insider knowledge of the business. But this is not just a novel about the lives of long-gone stars whose films we still watch, not in theaters, but on classic-movie channels. The questions that animate the novel are still relevant today: What is love? What is family? What is the price of keeping secrets?”

– Richmond Times Dispatch

Padua, Italy

“Trigiani’s latest is a star-studded story [with] Preston Sturges-worthy dialogue. All of the movie stars in Trigiani’s novel are good people, deep down. They also do what they want. That’s what makes then irresistible, both on the screen and in this starstruck, warm-hearted book.”

– Bookpage

Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young in Man’s Castle

“Adriana Trigiani has taken a Hollywood truth or two and expanded them to create the historical fiction romance, All the Stars in the Heavens, a story that incorporates the past, present, make-believe and stars…Stars rise and fall, but they put out tremendous light until they’re gone. Trigiani gives heart to the facts and fiction of Hollywood, and in doing so she brings life to characters we’ve only known from the motion pictures, TV screen and radio. Her book is fiction, but the story is universal.”

– The Clarion-Ledger

All The Stars in the Heavens Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award for Fiction Novel

All The Stars in the Heavens was nominated for the 2016 Library of Virginia People’s Choice Award for Fiction Novel.

Tony Award Winner Blair Brown, narrator of All The Stars in the Heavens, has been named a 2016 Audie Award Finalist for Best Female Narrator

Tony Award Winner Blair Brown, narrator of All The Stars in the Heavens, was named a 2016 Audie Award Finalist for ‘Best Female Narrator.

Mimosa Marnier, event cocktails for your next book club

Los Angeles: Mimosa Marnier

Fresh squeezed orange juice
4 oz of champagne
1 tsp of Grand Marnier
Combine champagne and Grand Marnier; add a splash of juice and stir; serve in champagne flutes.

New York City: Classic Manhattan

2 oz whiskey
1 oz sweet vermouth
2 dash Angostura bitters
dash of Maraschino cherry juice

Stir over ice; strain into a cocktail glass; serve straight-up and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

Italy: Strawberry Bellini

¼ c sugar
3 tbsp water
4 cups chilled strawberries
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 bottle prosecco

Boil the sugar and water to make a syrup. In a blender, blend strawberries and lemon juice; strain. Add the syrup to strawberry mixture. Add prosecco, stir, and divide into 6 champagne flutes.

All the Stars in the Heavens Discussion Questions

What characteristics make Loretta so successful beyond the typical “life span” of an actress in this age of Hollywood? In what ways is she the “modern woman” that Alda considers her to be?
What are the different art forms addressed throughout the story? What makes each one important? How do they differ from one another?
How does the time and place- the Golden Age of Hollywood- affect Loretta’s relationship with Clark Gable? What are the standards that are set and why? What is it in this setting that makes it so compelling? How would the circumstances change if their relationship took place in modern times? Would a story like this be as spellbinding and compelling in Hollywood today? How does the allure of mystery and secrets factor into that?
Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable play very different roles in Loretta’s life, despite both being her love interest. How does each of them affect Loretta’s personal growth? To what degree does her relationship with Spencer influence her later relationship with Clark? Loretta says her biggest regret is not marrying Clark Gable. Do you agree or disagree?
Though Alda and Loretta come from very different backgrounds, they work well together. How does Alda’s upbringing and history prepare her for a life as Loretta’s secretary? What values do they share? Are there parts of their individual upbringings that teach universal lessons? In contrast, how does Loretta’s view on the nature of love differ from Alda’s? What factors can be attributed to their differing views?
Despite their feelings for one another, Loretta and Clark can’t make their relationship work. What stands in their way? What do you think draws Loretta to Clark, even though she knows she shouldn’t let herself get involved? Do you think that Clark’s love for Loretta was something more meaningful to him than any of the other romances/marriages he indulged in? If so, at what moment did you realize that?
In Padua, Loretta experiences the making of grappa with Signore Ducci. He says to her, “Grappa is life. You use everything to make it, all the things that no one wants, that no one can use, we use. Everything in life, whether sweet or bitter, ends up in the glass- a mix of.” How would you apply this metaphor to Loretta’s life, specifically?
“Loretta” is a stage name; her given name is Gretchen. Only those closest to her call her by her given name, and as a public figure, she has somewhat of a double persona. How is her true self different from how she is perceived by the masses?
Do you think following all the different story lines is crucial for the plot? Can it be considered a story about Loretta and Clark, or really a story about Loretta and Alda? How does one story lend itself to the other?
Loretta is a devout Catholic. How does her faith inform her major life decisions? What role does her faith play in her romantic, familial, and platonic relationships?
Clark doesn’t have a relationship with Judy, but there are many factors involved. To what degree is this Loretta’s choice, Clark’s choice, or eventually Judy’s choice? What are the circumstances for each of them that lead to this end? Discuss how this turn of events transpires from each character’s point of view.
Why do you think Alda felt the need to tell Luca about her past, despite Loretta’s advice? Do you think it was presented as a sort of test? Do you find Alda’s outlook on the hypocrisy of the standards of men and women in relationships to be more modern?
There’s a colorful cast of supporting characters in this novel- David Niven, Carole Lombard, Enrico, Loretta’s sisters, Mother Superior, Tom Lewis, and more. Is there a particular character that you feel is more significant than the others? How do they further the plot?
Motherhood plays a significant role in this story. How does Loretta’s relationship with Gladys influence her choices as a mother to Judy? Why do you think Alda never adopted children? Do you think Loretta’s pregnancy and role as a mother herself contributed to Alda’s decision to that end?
The novel begins and ends in modern times in South Bend, Indiana. Why do you think the author bookended the novel in this way? What is Roxanne’s role in the main story that takes place before her time? Overall, how does the past inform the future, and vice versa?