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Summary: Going back Big Stone Gap is like going home.
Review: After reading Big Stone Gap I fell in love with this authors way that she wrote her books and couldn't wait to read her next book. This one was just as good as her first one.Ave Maria and Jack are back, they have there daughter Etta who in the third grade and they have suffered a lose of there son Joe. There is a lot of problems in there lives but they struggle through each of them with love and courage. When Ave decides to go Italy again and to take Etta along with her she finds that in Italy she finds out her true self and finds that things in her life aren't so bad and that sometimes she just needs to look at things in a different way. Overall this was a great love story, with the usual gossip and Ave's friends and her life. This book didn't disapoint me and I am sure her latest book will be just as good as this one was.
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Summary: Big Cherry Holler
Review: I bought Big Stone Gap while on a trip and the clerk in the bookstore recommended Big Cherry Holler also. I am so glad she did. I just loved both books. I like the colloquial speech used by Ms. Trigiani; it is very believable. I live in the Appalachian Mountains and know that the speech is accurate and the mountain folks are just as wonderful as Ave Marie and her clan. What a find. If you want a fast, insightful, honest, funny and sad book, read either. If you want real enjoyment; read both. I have always been a fan of Jan Karon and The Mitford series. I think the Big Stone Gap series is headed for the same kind of following as Mitford. Can't wait for the third (and I hope not last) book in this series to be released. Keep up the good work Ms. Trigiani.
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Summary: Big Cherry Holler
Review: Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani is a charming book. After reading Big Stone Gap, I had to get Big Cherry Holler to find out what was going to happen to these charaters in later life. Southwest Virginia is in for some tough times as the coal mining company is pulling out and Jack Mac loses his job. Now, the true test of the characters mettle is about to be told. This book is about life and some true soul searching. Told in a simple Virginia narrative, life's joys and tribulations are coming to us though the main character Ave Maria. She narrates all of the things that run through her mind, be it good or confused... as she reaches a crossroad in her life. Being that this is a small town and everyone knows everyones business, advice is being offered, but will Ave Maria take it or strike out on her own? This book is filled with humor, love, and passion. Also, romance and some homespun country wisdom are sprinkled into the mix, making this book readable and enjoyable. If you want to find out what happens to Ave Maria read Big Cherry Holler as it starts eight years from where Big Stone Gap left off. A great read, I recommend it highly...an excellent story to treasure.
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Summary: Just like the town.....Heartwarming.....
Review: We live a half hour from Big stone Gap, and the book really brings it to life. What a wonderful portrayal of this part of the country. Looking forward to the next book!!
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Summary: Ave Maria is back and better than ever.
Review: She's been married to Jack Mac for almost 10 years and a lot of water has passed under the bridge, some good and some not so good. We are faced with a fall from Grace on more than one front and the tantalizing aftermath. A wonderful study in the strength of marriage and the sadness that can permeate life after a tragedy takes a family hostage. Ave Maria takes herself and her daughter to Italy and there among her mothers family members she struggles with the things that she has kept buried deep inside. This is a wonderful book and I have to say I enjoyed it as much if not more than the first book. The author was kind enough to chat with our on-line book club and is as warm and honest in person as she comes across in her writing. I can't wait for her next book. Kelsana 12/21/01
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Summary: Let's Hear It For Small Town Life!
Review: If "Big Stone Gap" was about falling in love, then "Big Cherry Holler" is about staying in love. The setting, the characters, and the story are all charming. Ave and Jack are one of my favorite literary couples out there. Thank you Adriana Trigiani!!
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Summary: not as good as the first
Review: while I would still tell friends about this book, it was not as good as the first one. The wonderful characters are still there, but them seem somewhat flat in this story. There is also too much wrapped up too neatly and too quickly, seemingly to ensure a happy ending. Read this if you have the time, but Big Stone Gap was much better and I would have been happy leaving Ava Maria and the gang there.
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Summary: I love this woman!!!!!
Review: I think Ave Maria is my hero!!!!!! I just love the woman and her daughter, Etta. Jack Mac's not too shabby, either. I am truly interested in reading the next installment because I want to see what happens with Pearl and her doctor. Ave Maria makes me long to go to Italy and run to the discos!!!!!
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Summary: Good Entertaining Book to Escape In
Review: This book should be approached like you would approach sitting on the front porch and talking with an old friend. The book is entertaining and a very fast read. The characters portrayed are very believable (having grown up in Southwest Virginia) and the story line is fun (even though at times you will say - that would never happen). Just don't try to ruin it by examining it for some social value. You will enjoy this book if you just sit down and read it to have fun - it's a nice way to spend a weekend.
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Summary: Good story with one flaw!
Review: Big Cherry Holler is a more than adequate sequel to the first entry in this series. I love Ave Maria and feel that she is a lot more like real women than alot of characters I have come across in novels. She is flawed but still immensely lovable which I believe makes her very believable. My biggest problem with the story however was that I feel that Ava was basically getting a raw deal by everyone in her life. Why was this estrangement from her husband all her fault? Either her husband and friends were blaming her unjustly or her terrible behavior towards Jack Mac wasn't actually depicted in the book. I saw a woman dealing with the death of her son the best she could and being a wife and mother to her reamining family the best she could. Granted, she was far from perfect, but who is? Furthermore, her husband seemed to me to be the one having trouble communicating anything to his wife. Time and again, Ava says that Jack Mac doesn't talk to her about anything or that she has to pull everything out of him and then we are told that she is the one who closes herself off from him. Am I missing something?? Other than this albeit rather major flaw, I did enjoy the story and would look forward to a third installment in this series.
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