Big Stone Gap: A Novel

By Adriana Trigiani

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first novel in the beloved Big Stone Gap series, now a major motion picture written and directed by Adriana Trigiani, starring Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, John Benjamin Hickey, Jane Krakowski, Anthony LaPaglia, and Jenna Elfman
 
This edition features behind-the-scenes bonus material from the film—including photos, excerpts from the script, and favorite recipes from on the set

“Delightfully quirky . . . chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists.”—People (Book of the Week)

It's 1978, and Ave Maria Mulligan is the thirty-five-year-old self-proclaimed spinster of Big Stone Gap, a sleepy hamlet in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She’s also the local pharmacist, the co-captain of the Rescue Squad, and the director of The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the town’s long-running Outdoor Drama. Ave Maria is content with her life—until, one fateful day, her past opens wide with the revelation of a long-buried secret that will alter the course of her life. Before she knows it, Ave Maria is fielding marriage proposals, trying to claim her rightful inheritance, and planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy—one that will change her view of the world and her own place in it forever.

Millions of readers around the world have fallen in love with the small town of Big Stone Gap, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and its self-proclaimed spinster. Full of wit and wonder, hilarity and heart, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book, and one that you will share with friends and family for years to come.
 
WINNER OF THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA ANNUAL LITERARY AWARD
 
Don’t miss any of Adriana Trigiani’s beloved Big Stone Gap series
BIG STONE GAP • BIG CHERRY HOLLER • MILK GLASS MOON • HOME TO BIG STONE GAP

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 1, 2003
• ISBN: 9780345463616

Adriana Trigiani

Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is “a master of palpable and visual detail” (Washington Post) and “a comedy writer with a heart of gold” (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People’s Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana’s screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 1,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.  Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.  Join Adriana’s Facebook LIVE show, Adriana Ink, in conversation with the world’s greatest authors- Tuesdays at 3 PM EST! For more from Adriana’s interviews, you can subscribe to her Meta “Bulletin” column, Adriana Spills the Ink: adrianatrigiani.bulletin.com/subscribe.

Reviews for Big Stone Gap

[elglo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

a great series

[nancynova · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

trekwoman's bookbox; Ave Maria - a 35yo spinster in town & daughter of an Italian immigrant, and running Mulligan's pharmacy, her late father's enterprise figures she will never marry. Eccentric town folk, and a letter from her mother that reveals she's not who she thinks. Two marriage proposals later, she's running for Italy to find out more about her mother's family, before she can figure out where she belongs in the scheme of things. Lots of folksy dialect and small town stories to keep the book moving along.

[terribooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A most unlikely-named main character, Ave Maria, anchors this novel of finally growing up. It is set in a small town in the Blue Ridge, which provides a colorful and, for the most part, lovable, group of characters who become Ave Maria's family after the death of her mother. As her 36th year unfolds, she discovers secrets of her mother, her father, and, finally, of her own, that change her life. I found this book delightful, fun to read, and meaty enough to be a little more than just casual reading.

[clara53_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A soothing read.

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love southern fiction and this series has been on my tbr for quite some time. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me and did not live up to my expectations. It's a mere shadow of great southern lit. The setting in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains was delightful but the missing were the quirky, lovable characters. The characters were here but they missed being anything short of just slightly odd. The main character was Italian and basically the plot surrounded her finding out about her heritage. When all was said and done though, the book's main focus is that of a romance. There is a slighlty unusual love triangle going on and the boy gets girl is the main theme. I'm not big on romances, but that being said, this did make for an easy read and did keep my attention enough that I read the book. It was well written and though they fell short of my expectations I did enjoy the characters.

[cailin_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I saw this book several times and never had any interest in reading it until I saw an interview with the author, Adriana Trigiani. She seemed such a down to earth and charming person that my interest was piqued. I am happy I picked it up! It's a sweet story of Ave Maria Mulligan and her journey to finding herself. The story is at times, sad, sweet, and hilarious. I especially enjoyed the peripheral characters like Iva Lou and Pearl. I have since gotten the rest of the books in this series, along with a couple more and am looking forward to reading those.

[insatiableb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute story. Cute setting. Cute characters. Cute writing. Cute cute cute.This was a feel-good book that touched on some tough, real-life issues but mostly made for a wonderful light read.What I love the most: there are two more books in the series and I'm off to hunt for them!

[khiemstra631 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book so I decided to listen to it again on yet another drive to a dog show. It was just as good the second time around, like visiting with old friends. In eight years time, one forgets a lot of the details while remembering the important parts. I highly recommend this one if you have not already indulged.

[blakelyn_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There is nothing better to me than a good, southern novel. This one fits the bill. Set in Big Stone Gap, VA, it tells the story of Ave Maria, the self-proclaimed "Town Spinster", who runs the pharmacy in town and is grieving the recent loss of her mother. Her world takes a sharp turn when she learns that the man she knew as her father, who didn't quite live up to his responsibilities, was never her real father after all. Once Ave finds her real dad, and subsequently "finds herself", all the pieces of her life seem to fall into place.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I see shades of the early Barbara Kingsolver books here.Ave Maria is 35, a pharmacist in a small Virginia mountain town, the "town spinster." The book follows her life for a year. Her mother's been dead for a year, her Dad dead for 10. But Ave discovers that her "father" really wasn't, the story builds from there. It's a warm, friendly book - reminiscent of Lorna Landvik and Fannie Flagg. I will definitely read more of her works.

[lincroft_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked it. Maybe it was a cultural thing but I could identify with Ave Maria in some ways.

[msbeautiful · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed reading about the culture in the book's setting

[tloeffler_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ave Maria Mulligan is the town pharmacist in Big Stone Gap, VA. When her mother dies, she leaves a letter telling her big secret, which changes everything Ave Maria always knew about herself. This is a fun little story of life in the mountains, with all the attendant personalities. Sometimes Ave Maria acts stupidly, but she realizes it eventually, and of course there's a happy ending. This was a good book to read when I found myself in need of a little fluff.

[susanbevans · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a great book - small town America at it's best (and worst.) You will fall in love with the characters - they are amazing!

[jepeters333 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ava Maria Mulligan finds family in Italy, falls in love, gets married.

[teenielee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am so sick of female characters who are confused with their lives and themselves and have to stomp off when someone is trying to tell them something. I think miscommunication is a weak plot point and this book would have been better if the author had the balls to give the main character some balls as well.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My daughters and I listened to this book on a long car trip and enjoyed it very much. I don't know why I haven't gone on to read the author's other books.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ave Maria Mulligan is the pharmacist in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Her mother was born in Italy which makes her quite different from most of the local population. She is quite active in the community, serving as an EMT, the director of the town's drama, and other things. She loves the bookmobile that runs through the community and considers some of the books as her own since she's about the only one who checks these titles out. Her mother has recently died. She wants to find out more about her Italian father and contacts some of her family in Italy to find out more about him. She's not really interested in marriage, but Jack Mac, a local miner, is interested in her. I expected to like this book more than I did. While the book does a good job depicting the small mining town in its geographical location, I didn't find myself warming to Ave Maria quite as much as I'd expected to do so. I felt the character development was not as full as it should have been. My favorite character was Iva Lou, the bookmobile librarian.

[jennannej_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pleasantly surprised by this book. The name sounded a bit hokey and didn't really inspire me to read the book, but I found a cheap copy at a thrift store and picked it up anyway. 'What the hey.' I thought, 'I can always bookcross it!'Imagine my surprise when I was completely enthralled with this book. It was not your cookie cutter plot. There were so many twists and turns that I never knew what was coming next. The characters were sympathetic and nothing was completely ridiculous. I co...more Pleasantly surprised by this book. The name sounded a bit hokey and didn't really inspire me to read the book, but I found a cheap copy at a thrift store and picked it up anyway. 'What the hey.' I thought, 'I can always bookcross it!'Imagine my surprise when I was completely enthralled with this book. It was not your cookie cutter plot. There were so many twists and turns that I never knew what was coming next. The characters were sympathetic and nothing was completely ridiculous. I could see something like this happening in real life.I don't really want to say much about the story, because it's just too good to spoil with any hints. It's about life in a small town near Appalachia. It's about family and love. It's about friendship and learning more about yourself.Just do yourself a favor. Give it a shot.

[silenceiseverything · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay, so I love books about the South. I don't know what it is about them that makes me love them so. Maybe it's the small-town charm that most books about the South have or maybe the quirky characters that I always end up adoring. Or maybe it's just simply the locale. Frankly, I think it's just all of it. Sigh, they really do make me want to live in the South (even though I'm sure I'd miss the cozy New England winters), but until then, I can just live vicariously through books like Big Stone Gap. I just loved Big Stone Gap. I loved and adored every single one of these characters. But I really identified with Ave Maria (Plus I think it sort of helped that I pictured Ave as Paget Brewster due to the many Criminal Minds marathon that I've been watching and I adore Paget Brewster). So, she's the town-spinster; 35 and never been married. And I identified with her because I usually find myself exasperated when people (mainly my family) usually start off a conversation with "You're pretty. I don't understand why you don't have a boyfriend." Which then, of course, continues on with "What exactly is wrong with you that you don't seem at all bothered by this?" Okay, so I'm 21 and while I have had boyfriends, they weren't anything serious. I'm a college student and don't really want to focus on having a serious relationship right now, yet everyone else acts as if this is a cardinal sin. Ave Maria was also in this situation. She's so focused on what everyone else wants that she's not really sure what she wants, herself. Due to this, I ended up loving Ave Maria even more because she was so deliciously flawed on top of being funny and quirky. I really didn't mind one bit being in her head. Now, back to the other characters. Let's start off with the men. Theodore and Jack: sigh. Seriously, I don't think they could've been written anymore swoon-worthy. Theodore was just the most amazing best friend and just so cute and cuddly. And Jack was just adorable and was such great boyfriend/husband material. I really just fell in love with both of them. And I totally loved the relationship that Ave had with both men. The romance was also so squee and aww-worthy. Oddly enough, the non-romance fan in me really enjoyed the relationship. I loved Pearl, Fleeta, and Iva Lou (the book-lover in me loved Iva and her bookmobile to bits and pieces). Again I state that I adore quirky characters and these were all just so well-written. Every single one of the characters in Big Stone Gap had such great personalities and they, in turn, brought out another facet of Ave Maria's personality and it was all so great. So, yeah, I have much love for Big Stone Gap. There is no doubt in my mind that I'll be re-reading this one for years to come and it'll be like being reunited with old friends. This is just the kind of Southern charm I look for when reading a book about the South (down to craving the corn muffins). Big Stone Gap is highly recommended and I for one can't wait to read the other installments.

[tipsister · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Big Stone Gap, by Adriana Trigiani, is a charming novel with a wonderful cast of characters. The main character is Ave Maria, a thirty-five year old pharmacist who considers herself the town spinster. After her mother passes away, she learns the truth about who she really is and that the man who raised her was not her biological father. As her world tilts beyond what she has always known, she finds herself letting go of her past and looking toward the future for the first time in her life. The characters that make up the town add so much to the charm of the novel. It wouldn't be the same without Iva Lou, Pearl, or Theodore. There is even a cameo by Elizabeth Taylor! If I have any complaint, it's that it took a while to get to the romance. Ave was just way too stubborn!This is the first novel I've read by Adriana Trigiani and I enjoyed it. It is a sweet story and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys smiling!

[kerinlo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For the most part I liked this book and I enjoyed reading it. I found the main character and the supporting characters to be interesting and quirky. I especially liked Trigiani's style and her descriptions of small town life in the Virginia mountains. However, by the end of the book, I found Ave Maria to be a tad irritating because she is so thickheaded about her relationship with Jack Mac (who sounds like heaven!). I found Ave Maria's character to have a lopsided evolution and her inability to see what is in front of her to be irritating and unbelievable. I did root for her character to find happiness, but to also quit the whining. If Theodore is such a good friend, why doesn't he just tell her truth already? The book also seems to push too much into the last 30 pages and seems to be trying to wrap things up too quickly. This is a good Sunday afternoon read.

[brightspark_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I didn't expect to enjoy this book, (there was something about the cover that put me off) but was very pleasantly suprised. I liked the characters, and it had a good story-line. Had to stop myself from reading the second one straight away.

[tara5marie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had happened upon an Audio version of Adriana Trigiani's Queen of the Big Time and was instantly hooked. It was recommended to be to try the Big Stone Gap Series (then just three books) since I liked QOTBT so much. I couldn't have been more pleased with the suggestion. These books are something I go back and read time and time again. Adriana gives her characters such a real voice that you feel like you know them as people before you are half way through her novel. You weep with them, you laugh with them, and you want to see how their lives grow and develop. I think that this novel and the books that follow will be classics that people will be reading long after my time.

[mzonderm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[turtlesleap · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not a book that will make you think but is, nevertheless a pleasant book to read. There is humor here although some of Trigiani's representations of regional characteristics are a bit overdone. The characters seem real and likeable and the story is intriguing enough to keep the reader's attention engaged. That said, the story also becomes a bit tedious in places. I found myself paging rapidly through some parts of the book, thinking, "just get on with it!" more often than I would have liked. Still, I'd recommend it to a friend.

[2lz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this 4 book series and was so sorry when it ended. The four books have recurring quirky characters in a charming Virginia Community. I am a fan of Adriana Trigiani.

[lorin77_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is pretty light piece of froth, but in general I liked it. Some things had me scratching my head (you love him? really?), but the characters are sweet and likeable. Plus, I am from Virginia, and am familiar with the area this book is set in (I went to school in the foothills, though I grew up in the Tidewater, not the mountains, where this book is set). I always like reading books that are set in familiar locales.

[mirrani_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I got this book because it was, in some ways, a local read for me. My family comes from both North Carolina and Virginia and some members have mountain ties, so I am very familiar with the culture and experiences of such a setting. It must be said that reading the mountain/southern accents was a very fluid experience since they were so well done.What I wasn't really expecting was a book about a person's evolution in their space and time. I enjoyed the read, but when I was finished I felt a little bit of a lack of something, as if my mind was trying to turn some invisible set of pages to find the meaty part of the plot I'd missed. Character relations are wonderfully written and explored, and each individual grows in their own way based on what has happened to them, but that doesn't give the plot that boost you would expect. There is some mystery, but nothing really noteworthy, there is a little bit of a quest, but it's a little like watching someone talk about their vacation while they show you the photo album.This book was very well written and easy to get in to, but I still wish there had been just a little less of the emotional woman in distress and a little more of... something that I still can't quite put my finger on.

[debavp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent!! Just the right mix of humor and sadness. Great character development. Can't wait to read the next installment!