Short description
The long awaited next chapter in the beloved and bestselling BIG STONE GAP saga: an unforgettable journey of true love, forgiveness and hope.
Long description
Seismic changes are about to take place in Ave Maria's life. Her daughter, Etta, barely eighteen, is married and living in Italy; the health of her husband, the gorgeous and ever-dependable Jack Mac, is failing and she has scarcely noticed; friendships she has enjoyed forever are under threat. And then to town comes a mysterious stranger, revealing a long-buried secret. Her world shaken, Ave Maria must face up to the past in order to build a new life for herself and for Jack.
Review
Trigiani revisits the sleepy Virginia hamlet of Big Stone Gap.The author of the Big Stone Gap trilogy (Milk Glass Moon, 2002, etc.) rejoins her small-town characters as Ave Marie and her husband, Jack MacChesney, head home after attending the wedding of their daughter Etta in Italy. The story focuses on Ave Marie as she tackles the ennui of being an empty-nester. Upon her return, Ave Maria resumes her work at the pharmacy and catches up with friends, but she feels a void and soon volunteers to direct the local musical production. There's plenty of drama waiting for Ave Maria outside the theater doors. First, Jack is stricken with an illness that threatens to widow Ave Maria, and then, Ave Maria has a falling out with her best pal, Iva Lou, over a mysterious stranger who pops up on Thanksgiving Day. Throughout, this can all be a drag: Ave Maria is self-absorbed. The world seems to revolve around her whims and worries. It's a wonder how she has so many men swooning over her. Her meddling can be a source of amusement, but her stubbornness is grating. When it comes to these characters, Trigiani lets no thought go unmentioned and no inane detail missed. The glorious setting and the disarmingly frank supporting characters save this work from being nothing but mediocre dross.Cloyingly sweet tale about life and loss in a small country town. (Kirkus Reviews)
additional information
Adriana Trigiani grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, and now lives with her husband and daughter in New York City. In addition to being the bestselling author of BIG STONE GAP, BIG CHERRY HOLLER and MILK GLASS MOON, she is an award-winning playwright, television writer, and documentary filmmaker.
Customer reviews & ratings
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Yet another treasure from Trigiani
Reviewed by Mrs Gail Malcomson from Pretoria, South Africa on 20 April 2007
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
This is the fourth book in which Adriana Trigiani brings to life the trials and tribulations of Ave Maria and her family and friends from Big Stone Gap so realistically and compassionately that you feel that you actually know these people. The love between Ave and her husband Jack Mac bloomed late but has endured throughout their marriage and been enriched by the mixture of American and Italian cultures that runs through their lives. They have suffered the deaths of their respective parents, their only son and several friends, they have endured the spectre of extra-marital affairs and their only daughter has married young against their wishes. But the experience they have gained and the love of their family and friends has seen them through thick and thin. With Etta now married and about to have a baby, albeit living on the other side of the world in Italy, no doubt the saga will continue - I for one certainly hope so.
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