Big Stone Gap

By Adriana Trigiani

‘One of my all-time favourite novels’ WHOOPI GOLDBERG
‘Funny, charming and original’ FANNIE FLAGG, author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café
 
How do you face the future when the past won’t let you go?

Big Stone Gap is a sleepy village where kids get married and start families at eighteen, and stay for ever. So thirty-five-year old Ave Maria Mulligan is something of an oddity. A self-proclaimed spinster, as the local pharmacist she's been keeping the townsfolk's secrets for years.

Now Ave Maria is about to discover a scandal in her own family's past that will blow the lid right off her quiet, uneventful life.

Soon she's juggling two unexpected marriage proposals and conducting a no-holds-barred family feud. The thought of spending the rest of her life in Big Stone Gap is suddenly overwhelming . . .

The ultimate Small Town American novel from the bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife, a Richard and Judy Book Club pick.

Praise for the BIG STONE GAP series:

'Hilarious and romantic. I couldn’t put it down’ SARAH JESSICA PARKER
'One of my all-time favourite novels' WHOOPI GOLDBERG
‘If you love curling up with charming tales of small towns and quirky characters, switch off with this’ COSMOPOLITAN
'Delightfully quirky' PEOPLE
'As comforting as a mug of chamomile tea on a rainy Sunday' NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
'Utterly addictive' GLAMOUR
'As quirky and charming as her first novel. If you are not a fan already, you will be after this' COMPANY
'Honest, wholesome entertainment with a spicy Deep South kick' DAILY MAIL
'As warm and sweet as Southern Comfort' ELLE

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Jan 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781471167102

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

[tonifgmamtc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed my time with this book. The characters are original and the setting feels authentic. There's humor and tragedy and great southern charm. I'm definitely continuing the series.

[gennac-606910 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A lighthearted, mostly charming read. The novel's "spinster" (an absurd adjective used in excess throughout this novel) heroine bumbles through an identity crisis as she copes with her mother's death and rethinks her life. Predictable in its picture perfect ending and rife with somewhat ridiculous plot twists, Big Stone Gap still manages to amuse with its story of small town Virginia and its eccentric residents.

[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.

[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.

[jellyish · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Big Stone gaps has such delightful, real characters. I loved this whole series!

[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.

[msbeautiful · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed reading about the culture in the book's setting

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[mickyfine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's the late 1970s in the small Virginia coal-town of Big Stone Gap and Ave Maria Mulligan, the self-declared spinster of town, is convinced that during her 35th year big and positive changes are coming for her. And while change does come, it doesn't seem all that positive to begin with.This one ended up on The List after I read [Dear Fahrenheit 451] and while I can see the appeal of the book and get why the librarian author recommends it, I also can declare that it's not really my kind of book. I was initially worried it was going to be too Southern cutesie for me and while it moved away from that, I didn't find the town all that charming. I cared enough about the characters and the plot to read the entire first book but I don't feel compelled to read the rest of the series. YMMV.

[sink222 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good "book club read" liked the trilogy. Slow at first, but kicked in a bit. I enjoyed 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.

[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.

[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.

[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!

[kellyoliva_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Big Stone Gap is an easy, amusing read with quirky, memorable characters. However, it does lack the momentum of an exceptional story that leaves the reader completely satisfied. It is easy to love Ave Maria, the novel's protagonist, yet the love story that Trigiani weaves for her is drawn-out and overly sentimental. I found the plot line to be weak and, in some places, too unrealistic. The book did not hold my interest throughout, and, though I bought the second book along with the first, I am unsure that I will read the sequel. Overall, I found this book to be a disappointing read.

[bellalibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Big Stone Gap was an easy read, but it's endearing southern characters make you want to learn even more about them. Onto the next title in the trilogy...

[brandie_14 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cute book ... I really enjoyed it. Not sure if I wil read the follow-up book though. I read part of it from the back and, well, it didn't grab me like this one did! Maybe someday ...

[tanyatomato · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Nope not for me - too cutesy, and to many parenthesized phrases (what's with that, huh?). I liked Lucia, Lucia so I thought I'd try another, but it didn't work out.

[wyvernfriend · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting, light quirky love story, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where events are conspiring to rock Ave Maria Mulligan out of her comfortable existence. Undemanding, leaves you quite happy with having read it.

[kimreadthis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

PlotAve Maria Mulligan is the pharmacist in Big Stone Gap. Her father Fred, who she was not close to, died years ago, leaving her the pharmacy chain. Her Italian mother, Fiametta, died last year after a long struggle with cancer. Ave Maria receives news from her mother's will that she was not Fred Mulligan's daughter, but Mario Barbari's in Italy. Her mother became pregnant while unmarried and fled Italy, meeting Fred in the U.S. Ave Maria tries to find her father throughout the book, eventually reuniting with him and her mother's remaining family in Italy near the end of the story. Meanwhile, Ave desires to find someone to love to spend her life with as she is middle-aged and afraid of being a spinster; still, she does not necessarily want to open herself up to being loved. She has a close friendship with high school band director Theodore Tipton; the two try briefly to make a love connection, but realize they are just best friends. After a tumultuous back-and-forth, Jack MacChesney and Ave Maria get together. Jack had been dating divorceé Sweet Sue Tinsley and then was briefly seen with new school teacher Sarah Dunleavy, but had loved Ave since 6th grade. She never allowed herself to see his interest. Jack proposed rather abruptly to Ave (before any dating or discussion), which turned her off. He paid and arranged for her Italian family to surprise her in Big Stone Gap, where she met her biological father for the first time. All is a happy ending.SettingBig Stone Gap, Virginia - a small town in the Appalachian mountains. Takes place in 1978-1979CharactersAve Maria Mulligan is independent and self-supporting. Jack MacChesney is respectful, thoughtful, and a good worker at the coal mines. Iva Lou Wade Makin is the sexy town librarian who runs the bookmobile and finally settles down and marries Lyle Makin during the course of the book. Ave's coworkers Fleeta and teenage Pearl keep Ave sane at work. Ave and Peal have a strong relationship, where Pearl's work gives her some self-confidence.PacingVery leisurely, occasionally slow.NarrationFirst person from Ave's perspective.=====Language - PG-13 - a few brief instances of harsh language. e.g., 1 BS, 1 f*ck, 2 SOB.Sex - PG - mention of sex. Premarital sex is inferred, but happens "off-camera"Violence - noneHomosexuality - none

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsIn the late 1970s in a small town in Virginia, Ave Maria is 35-years old and a “spinster”. She is a pharmacist and owns the town pharmacy. She has never worried too much about not having a man. Her father died a long time ago and her mother just recently died; she left a letter for her daughter: a letter that will change Ave Maria’s life!I liked it, but I didn’t like the parts in Italy as much as the parts in Virginia. And did she really have to throw that extra bit in at the very end? I know, most people probably like and expect that kind of ending, for how that story was going, but I didn’t like or expect it. It actually hadn’t even occurred to me until it happened. I will still, however, continue the series (trilogy?).

[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.

[elglo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

a great series

[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.

[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!