Helpful Score: 8
I first read Trigiani in a compilation book of American female authors. I was intrigued by Trigiani's writing style and decided to give this novel a try as my first full read from her. What a story! A novel full of life lessons all can relate to and characters that you'll love and hate. I loved the book so much, that I immediately read the sequel "Big Cherry Holler" the next day! Easy to read- you could plow through both books in a day.
Brooke G. (l3rookeLuvsl3ooks) reviewed Big Stone Gap (Big Stone Gap, Bk 1) on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
The characters made me feel warm and cozy even if the story seemed a waste of time. The story was ridiculous and trite, but escaping to the beautiful scenery and joining in the company of a local drug store pharmacist, a book-mobile driver and a bunch of fun-lovin' other characters was embarrassingly fun. My literary senses were entirely assaulted and I love it. Kinda kinky in a bookworm way... I guess sometimes your story life needs a little trashy spice!
Helpful Score: 5
This charming book reminded me of the movie "Waitress" (starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion) ... in fact, so much did it remind me of the movie that, remembering the name of the female writer/director of "Waitress" was some form of "Adrian," I had to make sure the author and the director were not the same person. (They aren't. This is Adriana Trigiana; "Waitress" was Adrienne Shelly.)
Still, if you liked "Waitress," you might like this book. The qualities of "Waitress" this reminds me of are the tone (that hard to define way of being naturally quirky, effortlessly conveying the idea that the characters are just like this without being aware that it's unusual), the small-town setting, and the piercing insight of the main character's revelations into the world around her and her place in it.
It's a great book to curl up with on a rainy day or a slow Sunday. I read a lot of books in quick 5-minute "bites" of time; this was not a good book for that type of reading. It's a book to take some time with in order to enjoy the progress of the rolling storyline. (Not that the storyline is "slow" - there are plenty of interesting plot developments - but it doesn't have intermittent climactic moments or chapter-by-chapter cliffhangers as so many modern novels do.)
I had never read anything by Trigiani before, but this book may have made me a fan. I will be ordering more of her novels ASAP.
Still, if you liked "Waitress," you might like this book. The qualities of "Waitress" this reminds me of are the tone (that hard to define way of being naturally quirky, effortlessly conveying the idea that the characters are just like this without being aware that it's unusual), the small-town setting, and the piercing insight of the main character's revelations into the world around her and her place in it.
It's a great book to curl up with on a rainy day or a slow Sunday. I read a lot of books in quick 5-minute "bites" of time; this was not a good book for that type of reading. It's a book to take some time with in order to enjoy the progress of the rolling storyline. (Not that the storyline is "slow" - there are plenty of interesting plot developments - but it doesn't have intermittent climactic moments or chapter-by-chapter cliffhangers as so many modern novels do.)
I had never read anything by Trigiani before, but this book may have made me a fan. I will be ordering more of her novels ASAP.
Helpful Score: 4
This is the second book I've read by Adriana Trigiani and I intend on reading everything else she has written! Loved this story about "Ave Maria," a single woman in her 30's who, after her mother dies, finds that she needs a change. Full of wonderful characters, this book does not disappoint!
Helpful Score: 3
My first Adriana Trigiani book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The peole were true-to-life, very much like Southerners act, speak and think....with both the good and bad traits presented.
Set in 1978 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Big Stone Gap is a typical coal-mining town. The people are dependant on the coal mines for their living, even as they deny that the mines are responsible for the Black Lung and other related diseases that take their menfolk. Ave Marie Mulligan, the town pharmacist and self-proclaimed spinster, discovers she's not who she always thought she was when her mother dies and Ave Marie discovers a letter her mother wrote to her before her death. That letter starts her on a journey of self-discovery, for herself and the ones she holds dear.
For a book that will make you stop and question your own life-goals, follow Ave Marie as she learns who she really is and finds that sometimes you have to lose your old self before you can find who you really are.
Set in 1978 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Big Stone Gap is a typical coal-mining town. The people are dependant on the coal mines for their living, even as they deny that the mines are responsible for the Black Lung and other related diseases that take their menfolk. Ave Marie Mulligan, the town pharmacist and self-proclaimed spinster, discovers she's not who she always thought she was when her mother dies and Ave Marie discovers a letter her mother wrote to her before her death. That letter starts her on a journey of self-discovery, for herself and the ones she holds dear.
For a book that will make you stop and question your own life-goals, follow Ave Marie as she learns who she really is and finds that sometimes you have to lose your old self before you can find who you really are.
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this series! This is the first book in the series & they need to be read in order. I highly recommend this to everyone!
Helpful Score: 2
I absolutely loved this book! I loved the way the author immediately pulled you into the world and lives of these people. The main character Ave Marie is a gem but she doesn't shine alone in this wonderful little town full of loveable characters. I can not wait to read the rest of this series!
Helpful Score: 2
I was in love with this book. I am from Kingsport and Big stone gap is just a few miles north. Trigiani spun a tale of mountain life that anyone can relate too.
Helpful Score: 1
I bought this book at a second hand store and didnt think that it was going to be very goo. Boy I was wrong! I really enjoyed the story, and once I started reading it i couldnt put it down!!!
Helpful Score: 1
Just OK, not great. The main character was a bit of a yammering grump.
I did like the sub plot...the birth family search, etc. The romance was just unbelievable! She seemed like a very unlovable character to me. She treated this guy poorly and he kept coming back for more!
OK though. I might try another.
I did like the sub plot...the birth family search, etc. The romance was just unbelievable! She seemed like a very unlovable character to me. She treated this guy poorly and he kept coming back for more!
OK though. I might try another.
Helpful Score: 1
Warm and comforting book about a "spinster" who discovers life
Helpful Score: 1
A great story with unsual characters set in the contemporary Blue Ridge Mountains of VA.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed the book and intend to read the rest of the books in the series. It is the kind of light, fun read I will keep around the house for guest to read when they come for a long visit.
Helpful Score: 1
i loved the home town feeling of this book. the characters are quirky and funny.
great story, well told.
Helpful Score: 1
Quite an enertaining read with quirky characters. A very lovable protaganist that you are rooting for the whole time in a book that is too soon over.
Beverly H. (GainesvilleGirl) -
Helpful Score: 1
I liked it! Sure it's not the greatest piece of literature I've ever read,
but there's a lot about it that's just plain fun to read. Ave Maria is a plain old pharmacist with a kind of boring life that she seems to feel was meant for her to live. That is, until later on in the book. Her romantic experiences are few and far between. And there are so few eligible, and suitable for her, men in this tiny town ... what's a thirtyfivish spinster supposed to do? But along comes a piece of information that rocks her world totally off kilter!
I liked the bookmobile librarian too. She's really something, and a woman who is definitely not going to let life pass her by. Maybe I got a special kick out of her role because I am a retired bookmobile librarian. But oh how different my life was from hers!! Good story. Worth the time it takes to read it if you're in the mood for down homey, lightly romantic kind of stuff.
but there's a lot about it that's just plain fun to read. Ave Maria is a plain old pharmacist with a kind of boring life that she seems to feel was meant for her to live. That is, until later on in the book. Her romantic experiences are few and far between. And there are so few eligible, and suitable for her, men in this tiny town ... what's a thirtyfivish spinster supposed to do? But along comes a piece of information that rocks her world totally off kilter!
I liked the bookmobile librarian too. She's really something, and a woman who is definitely not going to let life pass her by. Maybe I got a special kick out of her role because I am a retired bookmobile librarian. But oh how different my life was from hers!! Good story. Worth the time it takes to read it if you're in the mood for down homey, lightly romantic kind of stuff.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this story -- the character are touching & wonderful. This story made me want to move to this town and live there.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, it made me smile and it made me cry. I will definitly read Trigiani's other books. I highly recommend this author.
Helpful Score: 1
A funny, endearing story about the search for being loved by someone, rather than someone to love...
Helpful Score: 1
This was a fun read. Light, perfect for the beach or a winter's night. An interesting town with a long list of loveable characters. Light romance, but that's not the total focus of the story.
Helpful Score: 1
Ave Maria Mulligan is an original. Of Italian decent but in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, she is the town pharmacist, annual play director, and spinster.
Intriguing characters who reflect small town shrewdness and naivity. The narritive takes you places that you never expected to go.
Intriguing characters who reflect small town shrewdness and naivity. The narritive takes you places that you never expected to go.
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book and the three novels that follow it in the series! Great read, great characters and light hearted! I actually didn't know that it had three novels following it until a few years after I had read this one--I was thrilled!
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I first began reading it, but after a couple of pages into it, I became completely smitten with the characters, and the charm of the author's writing style. A great "getaway" read!
This is the first in series of three by this author. I am a huge fan of her books. Great writing & each book is filled with great characters & her writing is so smooth & easy to read. Can't wait for further books from her. Don't miss Hometo Big Stone Gap, Rococo, The Queen of the Big Time & Lucia, Lucia. All wonderful stories. She is now one of my all time favorite writers.
This is absolutely one of my favorite books. It is well written. The pace of the book continues to move forward. One is left with such a good feeling that you will want to read the other three books in this series.
Good read
The book was a nice easy read for the beach.
Wow! Loved this book. Really wanted to know more about Ave Maria and JackMac and I'm so glad that there are sequels!
Really liked this book and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
One of those books where the characters become your friends, you know and understand them so well. Life in Big Stone Gap begins to feel like home. And Ave Maria feels like she could have been your sister, you are that much like her. This is a feel good book and I savoured the last few pages, as I hated for it to come to an end. Yes, I recommend it. You'll be glad you read it.
I very much enjoyed reading Big Stone Gap and the rest of the Stone Gap series. I have been searching for any other books by Adrianna Trigiani. I would reccomend these books very highly
Colleen Gardineer
Colleen Gardineer
Alice H. (alliepoetesswitch) -
This was a fast read. When I got to the last page I couldn't believe the book was done, now I am on to the 2nd book. Can't wait to see what the movie will be like (since the author is the one directing and writing the movie). I think a lot more time with her father would have been nice, but the time that was spent was very quick!! I don't read many fiction stories much anymore but I sure liked this semi-autobiographical fiction.
Delightful. Wonderful characters. One of my favorite authors.
I enjoyed this book very much. Life in a small town has it's advantage and disadvantages, but the comummity of support in this book warms the heart. I look forward to another Adriana Trigiani book.
This was a cute book. Light and fun reading. I enjoy Ms. Trigiani's books because her characters are wonderful and they really "come to life", nothing terribly exciting happens with the plot but I get attached to the characters and want to hear more about their "lives".
This was an excellent book.
Took awhile to get into the book, but once everything started moving I couldnt put it down...til the end.
A small town, where everyone knows your business. Ave Maria is single, owns her own business and therefore is fodder for the small town gossip. But she is a kind, thoughtful person, who takes care of everyone who needs it. When she finds out some interesting facts about her past, things change.
The characters in this book were real and fleshed out so that I would not be surprised to meet one of them in a small mideastern state one day!
Reading this made me feel like I was in a place similar to Mayberry with characters sort of like the ones in the Andy Griffith show. I liked the people and the development of the characters. It was enjoyable, but it wasn't one of those books I just couldn't put down. It seemed to start losing me near the end...I just didn't feel all that attached to the characters anymore. It almost seemed as though the author ran out of stuff to write about so she just wanted to tie up the loose ends and be done with it. It was a nice enough book and I'm not sorry I read it, but I am ok with not reading the next ones. It was enough.
I enjoyed this book so much that I immediately ordered the next. The characterization is done well enough to feel as though the people are real, days after finishing the book, I felt as though I had visited them.
When I started this book I simply could not put it down. I finished the whole series within a week. Great easy read.
It is a wonderful written book. I could not put it down, I never thought that I'd finish reading it so fast. Ms. Trigiani will be on my authors list.
Fabulous novel! Adriana Trigiani is a wonderful writer!
Good southern fiction.
I'm in the minority here, the best I can say is that I didn't hate it. I found this to be vapid and the main character somewhat annoying. I finished it wondering what the big deal was and clearly not interested in reading the rest of the series.
This book was such a surprise. It started off kind of slow, but very quickly became so interesting I could not put it down. The back cover says that this is "a gem of a book with a giant heart" and I could not agree more. Ave Maria Mulligan is a true heroine and so down to earth and lovable that women everywhere can identify with her. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel! I highly recommend this book.
wonderful story!
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentric in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the towns self-proclaimed spinster, a 35 yearl old pharmacist with a "mountain-girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she discovers she's not who she always thought she was.
First of three; not at all what I expected, but entertaining.
Simply wonderful. Loved to read it, hated to finish it.........
A nice story that you can read quickly and remember forever.
nice hometown story about a small town in the mountains of Va.
Great beginning to what i hope will be a great series!! Adriana Trigiani came very highly recommended to me and she didn't disappoint. Love her writing!
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetimea trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Brimming with humor and wise notions of small-town life, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book with a giant heart. . . .
First in a series of 3
First in a series of 3
A good story set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Very good, it's a keeper!
This author is one of my favorites and I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters are well developed and a little quirky. The setting is interesting and the story well told. Just a light read with laughs and a few sad incidents. If you enjoyed Lucia, Lucia you will probably like this one, too.
Loved this book! Easy reading and very touching. At first it is a little hard to get into but well worth the effort. When you finish it you don't want it to end at all. But very fortunate for all of us who are so involved with the characters in this book, the author has continued on 8 years later with her next novel Big Cherry Holler --with more of the same people you have grown to love.
I really enjoyed this book. Could not put it down! Hope to read the sequel soon.
Great characters. Life in a small town in Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Great series! Read this book first. I highly recommend this to everyone!
I really liked the book and will now be doing a search for the next book in the series, "Big Cherry Holler".
Predictable but well written.
Loved this book! A great Appalachain novel.
Couldnt put it down
I thought this book was great! I enjoy reading about different cultures, so I found this book especially appealing.
this book came recommended, but i couldn't get into it. my loss, your gain.
Great book! Out book club enjoyed it!
Delightful, fun read!
A good comfort read. I read it in two days.Very interesting characters.I can't wait to read the next one in the trilogy.
A good read set in an existing small town in TN. Interesting characters!
Good author and nice story,
Excellent book you will fall in love with the characters!
A nice summer read. Characters were interesting, story engrossing.
I really enjoyed reading this book-- I found the characters engaging, the plot mellow but interesting, and the setting of the book fascinating. The author's writing style is lovely and descriptive, and the dialog between characters very believable. Overall, the reading experience was like sinking into a good movie. I'm now reading the sequel and enjoying that as well.
Excellent! A must read.
Wonderful, heartwarming story of a pharmacist who feels out of place in the mountains of Western Virginia.
Wonderful book. I loved it and couldn't put it down till I had finished it.
Very engaging, quick read, could not put down.
This book is "charming and unforgettable." I enjoyed reading this book. It was completely different from any other book I have read.
Book #1 in the Big Stone Gap trilogy. A non-traditional romance that does justice to the people of the Appalachians.
A gem of a book, the pages will just keep turning
Light and satisfying--but not the typical cotton candy beach fare. This book is actually fairly intelligent!
about 70's small town in beautiful applician mts. Story of an italian girl who finally finds love after being unmarried for so long. It is really great because the references etc. and mannerisms about italian families combined with added recipes actually in books are so realistic. Its a great love story too. Made me cry!
I loved this book, great story!
This is apparently third in a trilogy. I did not read the first two but plan to. Big Stone Gap is in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. This is about a 35 year old "spinster" (according to town standards)who finds her life is not what she always thought it was.
Very enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the other books in the series now.
I really loved this book and I intend to read the rest of Trigianni's novels now!
In the town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, not much happens. The highlight of 35-year-old Ave Maria Mulligan's week comes on Friday, with the arrival of the Bookmobile, the sight of which sends her into raptures. Her favorite book concerns the ancient Chinese art of reading faces. Through her face-readings, we come to understand the hostilities simmering within her family: her father whose small eyes are the clear "sign of a deceptive nature." Her aunt who "has a small head and thin lips. (That's a terrible combination.)" Adriana Trigiani's first novel concerns the family scandals that befall Ave Maria in this seemingly uneventful town. Greed, lust, envy--all the ancient emotional elements--manifest themselves even in this hamlet of "ordinary folk."
**A good book with lots of interesting characters. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.**
**A good book with lots of interesting characters. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.**
Pretty good book all around.
Wonderful, heartwarming book where you sometimes want to shake the heroine. Have the other two in the series and can't wait to read them.
A "comfort" read, highly praised by the New York Times, USA Today, and Whoopi Goldberg on the cover. Small-town life is depicted in ways that everyone can understand, and the heroine very believable. You feel like you know this person intimately. Good read.
I loved the entire Trilogy. I laughed, I cried, excellent book. This is the first of three.
A great start to the series!
Excellent story. Well-written and it turns out how you want it to.
A very good book, I did not want to put it down once I started it.
First time reading this author. I enjoyed it and will probably read her other books. The story was fine tuned and left out enough information to keep a series going. Interesting characters and way of life in Big Stone Gap.
BIG STONE GAP is absolutely the best! A must read for anyone who likes their characters off-beat, but real; their plot line veering, but funny; and the ending not an ending at all but a new start!
From back cover: Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime—a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Brimming with humor and wise notions of small-town life, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book with a giant heart. . . .
From back cover: Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five year old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime—a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Brimming with humor and wise notions of small-town life, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book with a giant heart. . . .
This was a real winner! The characters were endearing.
Just OK, not great. The main character was a bit of a yammering grump. It was a silly unbelievable story.
"Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state." Whoopi Goldbert says, "It's one of my all-time favorite novels....unforgettable."
Book one with a sequel: A pharmacist in a small town, important and friends with everyone but without love. After discovering her real father and coming to grips that she was not who she thought she was, she made changes only to be turned around in a new direction with a proposal from a childhood friend - who would have thought?
The story continues (in a second book)..........with more twists and the same friends you knew in this book.
A book that I enjoyed because it was written like life unfolds. I felt like I knew the town folk as if I lived there.
The story continues (in a second book)..........with more twists and the same friends you knew in this book.
A book that I enjoyed because it was written like life unfolds. I felt like I knew the town folk as if I lived there.
"As comforting as a mug of chamomile tea on a rainy Sunday" NYTimes Book Review
"Charming...readers would do well to fall into the nearest easy chair and savor the story." USA Today
"Delightfully quirky...chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists." People Book of the Week
"Charming...readers would do well to fall into the nearest easy chair and savor the story." USA Today
"Delightfully quirky...chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists." People Book of the Week
After the death of her mother, a young woman in a small Appalachian mountain town discovers that an essential part of herself was not true. How she attempts to reconcile this, aided and abetted by a selection of quirky friends and neighbors, forms the heart of this novel. Trigiani loses some points for her odd pacing -- the story moves in fits and starts toward the goals established by the main character, with multiple side trips around and through side stories.
The first in a Trilogy, looking forward to reading the next one.
Woman who is a 35-year old spinster in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia searches for her true identity while her life is filled with interesting characters and a fulfilling career. Good read.
very good
Slow moving. Was ok but very slow. Love story some might like.
Great book! I enjoyed the series.
Another buddy read in my online book club, The Reading Cove. I can't agree with most of the other reviews here on this. I've renamed it BIG STONE YAWN.
The story line seemed to be of the "make it up as you go along" ilk. Much of the events surrounding Ave felt too contrived. Started off cozy and quaint, but contrived for happy-ever-after with everything.
I can't recommend, and I won't continue the series. :(
The story line seemed to be of the "make it up as you go along" ilk. Much of the events surrounding Ave felt too contrived. Started off cozy and quaint, but contrived for happy-ever-after with everything.
I can't recommend, and I won't continue the series. :(
I am in the minority here. I really did not like this book. The main character was unlikable and the circumstances seemed contrived. I slogged through the whole thing thinking that it would get better because of the many positive reviews both here and on amazon but for me, it didn't.
Carol F. (cactusflowerwomen) reviewed Big Stone Gap (Big Stone Gap, Bk 1) on + 628 more book reviews
I had this book a long time before I finally chose it to read. While it was interesting, it did not hold a candle to "Bloodroot" by Amy Greene, which I had just finished, and loved. Read them both and see if you don't agree with me.
A woman in small Virginia mountain town talk about her life, her relationship with the close knit community and her dreams.
Really enjoyed this book.
Amazon.com
In the town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, not much happens. The highlight of 35-year-old Ave Maria Mulligan's week comes on Friday, with the arrival of the Bookmobile, the sight of which sends her into raptures. Her favorite book concerns the ancient Chinese art of reading faces. Through her face-readings, we come to understand the hostilities simmering within her family: her father whose small eyes are the clear "sign of a deceptive nature." Her aunt who "has a small head and thin lips. (That's a terrible combination.)" Adriana Trigiani's first novel concerns the family scandals that befall Ave Maria in this seemingly uneventful town. Greed, lust, envy--all the ancient emotional elements--manifest themselves even in this hamlet of "ordinary folk." Fans of Fannie Flagg or Rebecca Wells will enjoy this down-home tale, full of small, everyday details and colloquial revelations. The writing is often awkward, but so too are the characters who inhabit this place: the Bookmobile lady who thinks of herself as the sexiest woman alive; the amateur actors in the local Outdoor Drama who bristle with ambition when they hear that Elizabeth Taylor is coming to visit. In Big Stone Gap, her visit is so anticipated, it's like she's an angel sent from heaven. --Ellen Williams
In the town of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, not much happens. The highlight of 35-year-old Ave Maria Mulligan's week comes on Friday, with the arrival of the Bookmobile, the sight of which sends her into raptures. Her favorite book concerns the ancient Chinese art of reading faces. Through her face-readings, we come to understand the hostilities simmering within her family: her father whose small eyes are the clear "sign of a deceptive nature." Her aunt who "has a small head and thin lips. (That's a terrible combination.)" Adriana Trigiani's first novel concerns the family scandals that befall Ave Maria in this seemingly uneventful town. Greed, lust, envy--all the ancient emotional elements--manifest themselves even in this hamlet of "ordinary folk." Fans of Fannie Flagg or Rebecca Wells will enjoy this down-home tale, full of small, everyday details and colloquial revelations. The writing is often awkward, but so too are the characters who inhabit this place: the Bookmobile lady who thinks of herself as the sexiest woman alive; the amateur actors in the local Outdoor Drama who bristle with ambition when they hear that Elizabeth Taylor is coming to visit. In Big Stone Gap, her visit is so anticipated, it's like she's an angel sent from heaven. --Ellen Williams
I agree with People (who chose it as their Book of the Week -- it's Delightful, quirky, the characters are unique and the unexpected plot twists pull you throuhg to the end. Whoopie Goldberg proclaimed it as her all time favorite!
"Delightfully quirky...chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists." People Magazine Book of the Week
"Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state." (from back cover)
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thirty-five-year-old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting celebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime--a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Brimming with humor and wise notions of small-town life, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book with a giant heart.
This was a neat book...the first I've read by this author, and I was pleased to see that she has a sequel to this (Big Cherry Holler) that's set 8 years after the conclusion of Big Stone Gap. Told in the first person, I really enjoyed the writing style. Books set in the late 70's but written post 2000 are rare, and this is truly a gem!
This was a neat book...the first I've read by this author, and I was pleased to see that she has a sequel to this (Big Cherry Holler) that's set 8 years after the conclusion of Big Stone Gap. Told in the first person, I really enjoyed the writing style. Books set in the late 70's but written post 2000 are rare, and this is truly a gem!
Nested in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the tiny town of Big Stone Gap is home to some of the most charming eccentrics in the state. Ave Maria Mulligan is the town's self-proclaimed spinster, a thrity-five-old pharmacist with a "mountain girl's body and a flat behind." She lives an amiable life with good friends and lots of hobbies until the fateful day in 1978 when she suddenly discovers that she's not who she always thought she was. Before she can blink, Ave's fielding marriage proposals, fighting off greedy family members, organizing a celebration for visiting delebrities, and planning the trip of a lifetime---a trip that could change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. 'FUNNY, CHARMING, AND ORIGINAL'...Fannie Flagg......."ITS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE NOVELS...UNFORGETTABLE"....Whoopi Goldberg
