Rating: 
Summary: This book is a jewel
Review: Loved this book. Everything rings true, from the quirky names, oddball characters that populate the little town, to the hilarious/sad/bittersweet occurances. It's an easy read and a great story. I just love a well put-together story. And that's the whole sweet-potato right there.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a jewel
Review: Loved this book. Everything rings true, from the quirky names, oddball characters that populate the little town, to the hilarious/sad/bittersweet occurances. It's an easy read and a great story. I just love a well put-together story. And that's the whole sweet-potato right there.
Rating: 
Summary: --Excellent story with memorable characters--
Review: My husband and I listened to the sound recording of this book and were engaged by the story line and the great quirky characters. Big Stone Gap is a small town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the southwestern part of Virginia. The story starts quietly with Ave Maria Mulligan telling the story of her life. She's a 35-year old pharmacist who's mourning the death of her mother and dwelling a lot on her past. She thinks of herself as being rather plain and ordinary and also feels that she will probably never marry. Her best friend, Theodore is a handsome and eligible teacher, but romance does not seem to be part of the relationship. The town people see her as a capable woman who can do anything and will always lend a helping hand. Life is simple in Big Stone Gap and the best part of the week for Ave Maria is when the bookmobile shows up each Friday. In fact, Ave Maria says that everything that's she's learned from life has come from books. Her favorite book teaches the Chinese art of face reading and she practices on everyone's face and the results always seem to ring true. Things change when Ave Maria discovers some family secrets and her entire world is turned upside down. To add even more drama, Jack Mac, another very attractive man begins showing a lot of interest in her which confuses and complicates life even more for Ave Maria. This is a wonderful story by Adriana Trigiani who is actually from the town of Big Stone Gap. I'm really looking forward to reading BIG CHERRY HOLLER, the sequel to this book.
Rating:
Summary: good story
Review: The book started a little slow for me, but finally picked up. Anyone who is small town at heart will love and appreciate this book. The characters are great and fun. It's an interesting story of Ave Maria who lives in the hills of Virginia. After her mother dies, she learns her father in Big Stone Gap is not her birth father. Her pregnant mother fled Italy with a woman named Ave Maria, which is where our Ave got her name. There in the US she met a nice man who took her in and married her--he was the only father Ave Maria knew. Now, with both parents gone, Ave is trying to discover the truth about her past and to find her birth father in Italy. Word gets out that she is a "bastard" (as she calls herself). She also find herself fielding marriage proposals, at 35! However, Ave must find herself before she can find love and that is what she has set out to do. It's a great story about finding one's self and discovering, sometimes a little late, what you want out of life. And sometimes all you need has been in front of you all along. The story was heart felt. At times I wanted to smack Ave and tell her to wake up and see the man that truly loved her, but like her friends, I was patient, as this was something she needed to discover on her own. Can't wait to read the next one!
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, But I Probably Won't Read The Other Two
Review: This book was entertaining with lots of twists and turns. The characters were adorable, and growing up in the south, I could definitely relate. Each character had his or her own words of wisdom to add to the story. All that said, I felt like Big Stone Gap was trying too hard. For me, it was one too many runs to the hospital that did it in. The book was fun, and I certainly have no regrets, but I don't think I will be reading Big Cherry Holler or Milk Glass Moon.
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