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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I put off reading this a bit long after I read the others in the series. But as soon as I picked it up, the characters came back to life like putting on your favorite sweater on a new fall day.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy
A cute one that pulls on the hearstrings, albeit completely obvious and little hamfisted in the writing. The story is lovely and so is the family, but this could benefit from a "show, don't tell" rewrite.
By the time I finished this book, I was thoroughly sick of the main character and all her whining-about a grown daughter who makes good choices, wonderful friends, and a loving husband smh. The final book in the series was not a winner in my mind.
"Ave Maria agrees to helm the town musical, a hilarious reunion of local talent past and present. A lifelong friendship collapses when a mysterious stranger comes to town and reveals a long-buried secret. An unexpected health crisis threatens her family. An old heartthrob reappears, challenging her marriage. An opportunistic coal company threatens to undermine the town’s way of life and the mountain landscape Ave Maria has treasured since she was a girl. Now she has no choice but to reinvent her world, her life, and herself, whether she wants to or not."
"Ave Maria agrees to helm the town musical, a hilarious reunion of local talent past and present. A lifelong friendship collapses when a mysterious stranger comes to town and reveals a long-buried secret. An unexpected health crisis threatens her family. An old heartthrob reappears, challenging her marriage. An opportunistic coal company threatens to undermine the town’s way of life and the mountain landscape Ave Maria has treasured since she was a girl. Now she has no choice but to reinvent her world, her life, and herself, whether she wants to or not."
It was nice to catch up with Ave Maria and her family. I loved some of her insights into the parent/child connection and letting go.
Book on CD read by Cassandra Campbell
Trigiani takes the reader back to Big Stone Gap for the continuing story of Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney and her family (book #4 in the Big Stone Gap series). Ave Maria is feeling a little down because her daughter has gotten married and moved to Italy. Then a stranger comes to town and this results in a break between Ave Maria and Iva Lou. Add to this the stress of Jack Mac’s health problems and the arrival in town of a coal company that plans to employ mountaintop removal and it’s no wonder Ave Maria is feeling out of sorts. On the other hand there is plenty to celebrate – a wedding, a community theatre production, Christmas, and a dream trip to Scotland. It’s an entertaining novel that shows the ups and downs of life and the importance of family, friends, and a place to call home. Campbell does a fine job on the audio. She has a good pace and enough skill with various voices to differentiate the many characters.
Trigiani takes the reader back to Big Stone Gap for the continuing story of Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney and her family (book #4 in the Big Stone Gap series). Ave Maria is feeling a little down because her daughter has gotten married and moved to Italy. Then a stranger comes to town and this results in a break between Ave Maria and Iva Lou. Add to this the stress of Jack Mac’s health problems and the arrival in town of a coal company that plans to employ mountaintop removal and it’s no wonder Ave Maria is feeling out of sorts. On the other hand there is plenty to celebrate – a wedding, a community theatre production, Christmas, and a dream trip to Scotland. It’s an entertaining novel that shows the ups and downs of life and the importance of family, friends, and a place to call home. Campbell does a fine job on the audio. She has a good pace and enough skill with various voices to differentiate the many characters.
Another solid book in the Big Stone Gap series. As a whole, I enjoyed the series. I thought the characters were interesting and I enjoyed reading about their lives in the small, mountain town.
My mistake in getting Home to Big Stone Gap was that I thought I was getting Big Stone Gap, which is what I was supposed to read for my public library’s book club. The beginning of Home to Big Stone Gap, which includes an older woman’s husband having a health scare drew me in, and so I continued on because I thought I was getting a stand-alone book about an empty-nester who might lose her husband. However, after the first few chapters, the intensity faded and I read the rest of the book wondering what I was missing. So this review is based on me having read none of the other books and knowing nothing about the movie. Therefore, I’ll keep my thoughts short, because I’m sure not many people would pick this book up without having read the others.
On its own, I thought this book was anti-climactic. I grew tired of Ave Maria’s diary-like narration, and the fact that she kept pining over old boyfriends (PLURAL) while her husband could die at any minute. I thought her “fight” with her best friend was absurd and took up too much of whatever plot there was supposed to be. If there were another book following this one, I can’t think of what I would want to read more of. Does Jack die and Ave Maria marry her old Italian flame that she so easily pictured herself with? Does Big Stone Gap let the evil company tear apart their mountain? That’s about all I’d be mildly interested in. I guess I ruined any relationship I may have had with this series by reading the last one first, but no, I don’t think I’ll try my hand at starting from the beginning. I’ll give it a couple stars for having a page-turning beginning with Jack’s health scare, and there were some moments where I enjoyed the imagery of Big Stone Gap. But as the book went on, it just didn’t have any satisfying twists or turns, and ended with a silly conclusion to the oh-so-mysterious “Annie.”
On its own, I thought this book was anti-climactic. I grew tired of Ave Maria’s diary-like narration, and the fact that she kept pining over old boyfriends (PLURAL) while her husband could die at any minute. I thought her “fight” with her best friend was absurd and took up too much of whatever plot there was supposed to be. If there were another book following this one, I can’t think of what I would want to read more of. Does Jack die and Ave Maria marry her old Italian flame that she so easily pictured herself with? Does Big Stone Gap let the evil company tear apart their mountain? That’s about all I’d be mildly interested in. I guess I ruined any relationship I may have had with this series by reading the last one first, but no, I don’t think I’ll try my hand at starting from the beginning. I’ll give it a couple stars for having a page-turning beginning with Jack’s health scare, and there were some moments where I enjoyed the imagery of Big Stone Gap. But as the book went on, it just didn’t have any satisfying twists or turns, and ended with a silly conclusion to the oh-so-mysterious “Annie.”
Oh how I have loved this Big Stone Gap series. And I am so sad to be at the end of the series. In this 4th novel, Ave Maria is an empty nester and deals with missing her kids, her husband's health, and a rift with a close friend. I really fell in love with these characters all over again in this novel. The audio version is great... the author does such a great job with the voices, eventhough her Scottish accent was a little rough. Highly recommended if you enjoyed the previous books in the series.
I loved the characters and the setting since it was near Kentucky. I'll read the rest of the series.