Her novel Queen of the Big Time is set in Roseto, Pennsylvania (Northampton County) and tells the decade spanning story of a Italian-American farming family. Middle daughter Nella dreams of becoming a teacher, but circumstances in her life take her on a different path.
The novel features numerous references to Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton; however, the novel also includes references to a university in our neck of the woods as well:
P. 217: 'She (Celeste, Nella's daughter) is far too young to get married, I think, but this is her choice. She was in her first year of college at Marywood and decided it wasn't for her."
p. 218: "'Mom, this isn't about what you had, this is about me. You were never there, which is why I left Marywood."
Also of note is the film makes a passing reference to the 1931 Pre-Code Joan Crawford film Dance Fools Dance, which revolves around the murder of a reporter named Bert Scranton.
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Check out the video below, which is an except from a hilarious lecture Adriana Trigiani gave in March 2010 at Palm Beach County Library. At the 3:42 spot, Trigiani discusses a hilarious exchange with her best friend, Scranton native Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City), regarding the naming of her child.
