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Good, but I felt like the ending was rushed in comparison to the rest of the book. But Iām also sitting over here like, how does someone not know that a person has been in love with them since 6th grade? š¤·š»āāļø It was still an enjoyable read.
I loved The Shoemaker's Wife so was excited to read this, but it took a VERY long time for it to feel like I was reading the same author. The back half of this book is definitely stronger than the first half, but not strong enough to make up for just how WEIRD the beginning is. Everyone sounds so strange and fake, I cannot follow the main character's decisions and reactions to things - basically, nobody feels real at all. Lots of telling and not showing. If we're only going to follow the thoughts and feelings of one character, it's usually better if that character is someone I can relate to. It was honestly so bad that I thought it might be a stylistic choice, like, the book only gets a) interesting and b) smooth to read as she opens up and becomes less isolated from her neighbors. The romance is also underdeveloped in a frustrating way.
Not my favorite. I might try another of her later books but this one was just not it for me.
ETA: Oh yeah, just remembered the Chinese face reading theory. Why do we have phrenology in this book? Like, what is THAT about?
Not my favorite. I might try another of her later books but this one was just not it for me.
ETA: Oh yeah, just remembered the Chinese face reading theory. Why do we have phrenology in this book? Like, what is THAT about?
Adriana Trigiani writes with wit and grace about misguided romances and family secrets, and so very winningly about generous hearts. Trigiani has a Southern voice that perfectly embodies her main character, the embattled Ave Maria Mulligan.
B+
B+
This is a quick and easy read that is on the whole enjoyable, despite its over reliance on emotional reasoning over logic.
The story is a bit of a coming of age story, if one can say of a 35 year old woman. It is set in a mountain town in Virginia and features more than a few stereotypes. But, the setting also feeds the humor of the story. It is set in the late 70's, although it is difficult to feel the time stamp on the setting other than some comments regarding fashion. I'll be honest, it felt more like a small mountain town in the 2000's, when the book was written.
As with the last Trigiani book that I read, I found the heroine's lack of emotional intelligence frustrating. Most of the book felt like she was chasing her tail, acting childish, and floating by without a plan. I just can't relate to. And, quite frankly, if I let myself think upon it more deeply, it is exactly the type of "chick lit" nonsense that lead so many women to have unrealistic relationship expectations. Life isn't a story where
Ok, backing it down a notch, I'll just accept it as I do my fantasy literature and leave it at that. From a stylistic perspective, the narrator likes to meander throwing in different stories here and there, but not so much to be completely disruptive. Also, it feels like the book lingers well after the pinnacle of the story.
The story is a bit of a coming of age story, if one can say of a 35 year old woman. It is set in a mountain town in Virginia and features more than a few stereotypes. But, the setting also feeds the humor of the story. It is set in the late 70's, although it is difficult to feel the time stamp on the setting other than some comments regarding fashion. I'll be honest, it felt more like a small mountain town in the 2000's, when the book was written.
As with the last Trigiani book that I read, I found the heroine's lack of emotional intelligence frustrating. Most of the book felt like she was chasing her tail, acting childish, and floating by without a plan. I just can't relate to. And, quite frankly, if I let myself think upon it more deeply, it is exactly the type of "chick lit" nonsense that lead so many women to have unrealistic relationship expectations. Life isn't a story where
Spoiler
the super nice, dependable hot guys has been in love with the plain chubby girl since sixth grade despite that fact that she has ignored him through the years and then still wants her after she stomps his heart into the ground and waits for her to come around and they live happily ever after.Ok, backing it down a notch, I'll just accept it as I do my fantasy literature and leave it at that. From a stylistic perspective, the narrator likes to meander throwing in different stories here and there, but not so much to be completely disruptive. Also, it feels like the book lingers well after the pinnacle of the story.
I like many of the characters of this book. I found it fun and quirky. Everything seemed to wrap up too simply in the end. However, sometimes that is exactly what is needed. I recommend this to anyone who wants a simple, easy read.
torn b/t a 3 and a 4 but alas.....I think the author could have easily improved the book. But overall, nice piece of southern fiction, taking place in an area with which I'm familiar (Blue Ridge Mtns in VA), with a character I could identify with on some levels. I'm not an old maid, but I am 35 and afraid to love. She oculdn't see how she was sabotaging her own life and missing obvious signals from men around her. I liked her spirit. I also really enjoyed the depth they showed in her family and the searching for roots, learning about the people and places we come from, and how it all forms who we are today. I appreciate the female friendships, male friendships, the nuances of a small town, etc.
I would read something else by this author.
I would read something else by this author.
What a sweet story that made me smile and was just one of those overall feel-good books. The entire story was a bit unrealistic, but that was what made it a good book for escaping during this time of COVID.
More like a 3.85 (almost a 4). It's a sweet tale of a clueless woman living in a small town among a set of small-town characters (all somewhat caricatured) and the protagonist's need to get a clue. Some of the more difficult plot points are glossed over and made to seem 'easy' when they likely wouldn't have been easy, so comes across as a little implausible, but love prevails (don't pretend I ruined the ending for you; it's a romance (of sorts),so of course, love prevails).
Once in a great while, I read a book that completely charms me. This is that book. With a main character named Ave Maria, how can you not be utterly charmed? The cast of characters and sweet unfolding of events (I couldn't decide between Theodore and Jack Mac for the longest time...I loved them both) make this book enjoyable and darling. It hit close to home with the heroine being in her 30s and as of yet, unmarried. This is an all around wonderful read, a skilled interweaving of character's lives to paint a picture of a quaint, country town. Loved it!