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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I liked this book but found the main character pretty frustrating. Her inability to believe that jack Mac liked her seemed incredible. I me it completely lacked ambiguity and so I found how long it took her to realize it fairly grating. I did like most of the other characters and depiction of small town Appalachia.
I checked this one out because there is a movie with Whoopi Goldberg (my birthdate twin), Jane Krakowski, and Dharma from Dharma & Greg. I remember thinking, it can't be that bad.
I wasn't wrong, but I don't see how this got made into a movie. It was okay.
I skimmed the entire last chapter.
(Seriously, the book should have ended at the previous one or even the one before that.)
I wasn't wrong, but I don't see how this got made into a movie. It was okay.
I skimmed the entire last chapter.
(Seriously, the book should have ended at the previous one or even the one before that.)
Ava Maria’s life is full of vivid and memorable people, aptly described by Trigiani. Ava Maria’s personal doubts reveal themselves with a sincerity and humor that will endear her to readers.
Try this on audio, as Trigiani reads it, making it feel like she’s sitting right next to you, telling a story.
Try this on audio, as Trigiani reads it, making it feel like she’s sitting right next to you, telling a story.
Awful. I was looking for a light, easy read, but this was jut terrible. Two stars because I finished it and it was readable, but this book just didnt do it for me.
Out of all of her books, I have loved the Big Stone Gap trilogy the most.
What a sweet and fun book to read. How can you not fall in love with all of these characters? I felt like I was among friends, reading this novel. The story isn't too heavy, the challenges faced by the characters often come from within their own personalities, the ending is feel-good perfect. A gem, for sure. I will definately search out other books by this author.
Loved this book. It reminded me of Under the Tuscan Sun. It was predictable, but I still enjoyed the different characters and reading about their interactions with each other. It reminded me of Jan Karon's books.
I started this book with high hopes; I'd heard such good things about Trigiani's other books (especially Lucia, Lucia). But I was more than a little disappointed. I found the writing to be trite, and the characters' behavior too often inexplicable.
This book is supposedly about how Ave Maria, the "town spinster" of Big Stone Gap, finds herself and finds love over the course of a year. I suppose that she does, but there were too many improbable things in the story to make either of her discoveries believable.
One discovery that is believable: after her mother dies, Ave Maria is given a letter that her mother wrote and left in the care of her lawyer. The letter explains that the man Ave Maria has thought of as her father (who died many years before the story begins), isn't, and that her real father is an Italian man that her mother had to leave behind when she became pregnant. So far, fine. Part of what results is that the family of her erstwhile father come clamoring for what they see is now their inheritance, including the house Ave Maria grew up in and the pharmacy business she now owns and runs. What does Ave Maria do? Rather than fighting this based on the fact that her father's will gave all of his property to her mother, who then gave it to her (although this is mentioned), Ave Maria chooses to protect the assets from the grubbing relatives by transferring the whole thing to her 16-year-old assistant! And as if that weren't improbable enough, she then begins to separate herself from the every-day running of the business and leaves it in the teenager's "capable hands"!
Moving on. At 35, Ave Maria is thought of by the town and by herself as a spinster. She prizes herself on her independence, although she wishes she could fall in love with someone who would want to marry her. But, when someone she's known since childhood suddenly proposes to her, she says no, thinking that he's only asking her out of pity, or is playing some kind of trick on her (this I found eminently believable, because if someone up and proposed to me without any sign that they had any special feelings for me, I'd feel the same way!). The man in question gets mightily offended, but doesn't stop trying. Unfortunately, he also doesn't really do anything to demonstrate that he's loved her since they were children (we don't find this out until much later). So why should either we, as readers, much less Ave Maria, believe that he's madly in love with her? Apparently, all her friends knew he was in love her, but we're not told any single thing that he did to demonstrate it. What's more, they apparently knew that she was in love with him, even though we're not told what she may have said or done to give that away. And, none of them will tell her what they've so sneakily observed. Ave Maria does eventually feel all the love, and they get married quickly, and seem very happy. Which is great. Except I don't believe it.
This book is supposedly about how Ave Maria, the "town spinster" of Big Stone Gap, finds herself and finds love over the course of a year. I suppose that she does, but there were too many improbable things in the story to make either of her discoveries believable.
One discovery that is believable: after her mother dies, Ave Maria is given a letter that her mother wrote and left in the care of her lawyer. The letter explains that the man Ave Maria has thought of as her father (who died many years before the story begins), isn't, and that her real father is an Italian man that her mother had to leave behind when she became pregnant. So far, fine. Part of what results is that the family of her erstwhile father come clamoring for what they see is now their inheritance, including the house Ave Maria grew up in and the pharmacy business she now owns and runs. What does Ave Maria do? Rather than fighting this based on the fact that her father's will gave all of his property to her mother, who then gave it to her (although this is mentioned), Ave Maria chooses to protect the assets from the grubbing relatives by transferring the whole thing to her 16-year-old assistant! And as if that weren't improbable enough, she then begins to separate herself from the every-day running of the business and leaves it in the teenager's "capable hands"!
Moving on. At 35, Ave Maria is thought of by the town and by herself as a spinster. She prizes herself on her independence, although she wishes she could fall in love with someone who would want to marry her. But, when someone she's known since childhood suddenly proposes to her, she says no, thinking that he's only asking her out of pity, or is playing some kind of trick on her (this I found eminently believable, because if someone up and proposed to me without any sign that they had any special feelings for me, I'd feel the same way!). The man in question gets mightily offended, but doesn't stop trying. Unfortunately, he also doesn't really do anything to demonstrate that he's loved her since they were children (we don't find this out until much later). So why should either we, as readers, much less Ave Maria, believe that he's madly in love with her? Apparently, all her friends knew he was in love her, but we're not told any single thing that he did to demonstrate it. What's more, they apparently knew that she was in love with him, even though we're not told what she may have said or done to give that away. And, none of them will tell her what they've so sneakily observed. Ave Maria does eventually feel all the love, and they get married quickly, and seem very happy. Which is great. Except I don't believe it.
2,5/5 : J'ai trouvé les sujets abordés intéressants, Ave Maria est la vieille fille de son village et alors que sa mère vient de mourir, elle découvre que son père biologique est un certain Mario de Schilpario. Récits de filiation et histoires de célibats et même de deuil, ça avait du potentiel dramatique. Pourtant, l'auteur ne fait qu'effleurer tout ces problèmes, tout reste très superficiel et creux. J'ai trouvé les personnages finalement peu attachant et un peu béni-oui-oui. Je m'en doutais donc je ne suis pas déçue, mais disons que je m'attendais quand même a être un peu émue, en plus j'aime bien les chick lit. Mais là, je ne sais pas, ça m'a semblé un peu fantaisiste et l'écriture desservait l'intrigue à mon sens en donnant un aspect joyeux et léger à des sujets profonds et sérieux...