Big Stone Gap / Big Cherry Holler

Big Stone Gap #1-2

by Adriana Trigiani

Very light edge wear and slight reader signs. Extremely clean and tight. Ships quickly and packaged carefully!

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Literary Fiction, Family, Book Club

560 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2005

About the author

Join Adriana Trigiani and the great authors and luminaries of our time on the YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ PODCAST! Available wherever you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/adrianatrigiani

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 2,700 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.

Reviews

[Logan Cantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored book #1 of the Big Stone Gap series, so I couldn't wait to read book #2. Big Cherry Holler did not disappoint. It takes a wild twist that you don't see coming which makes it exciting and devastating at the same time. This book introduces the reader to an older Ave Maria who has been married for over a decade and had 2 children, but after losing her youngest, her marriage starts to take a turn for the worst. This is a wonderful story about never giving up and working through pain and loss.

The story also takes us back to Italy (which I am a total sucker for) and gives you a taste of that Italian tradition. Ave Maria takes her daughter Etta to meet the extended family and she falls in love with her Italian heritage, and a certain Italian boy as well.

I love how these books incorporate a lot of comic relief in the middle of a sad or tough moment so that the books never get too depressing. This series is about real life. You'll find no fairy tale love stories here. This teaches you to work at it. Love is never simple and it is something you must always work for and fight for.

[Marielen · Rating 2 out of 5]

the story was an ok read. I found that the main character was way to whiny. she was trying to move through certain issues, but at times i did find her a tad annoying!!!!!i enjoyed reading books from the south. The story was bit dry.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this duo about a year or two ago, when I was really sick/ had terrible vertigo, etc. I liked both stories quite a lot, the main character Ave Maria really appeals to me, for some ineffable reason, ergo, all her books/ stories are fast enjoyable reads. I recommend her. (Trigiani).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. It's one of the few books I got my mother to read with minimal nudging. Sadly enough i never read the 3rd book. It sort of fell off my radar.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK love story, not really my type of book, but since I saw the author speak, it was a good idea to read another of her books. I liked the first one better -- about Loretta Young.
This one was part of a trilogy -- Ave Maria and Jack Mac have been married for several years and their marriage is in trouble. Will a trip to Italy solve their problems?
The book had some beautiful descriptions of the Italian Alps and the hill country of Southwest Virginia along with some wonderful idioms, such as "If you give a cat milk, it will keep coming back" (reference to flirting).

[Doreen Lamar · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd in this series. So enjoyed this continuation. I am glad that there is another book after this one!!! Milk Glass Moon continues the Big Stone Gap series, dealing with the developing maturity and independence of Ave Maria's daughter. The characters show further depth and development. There is a very touching ending. Really liked this book

[Louise Goodrich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. Nothing in it rings true to me. The whole plot line of a handsome American falling in love with her immediately after she arrives in Italy with her daughter is just not plausible. Her husband's affair is her fault somehow, and he skates. Nope.

[Rori Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book, & read more of Adriana.

[Bertina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - what a great follow-up to Big Stone Gap

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I keep torturing myself? I keep thinking that the next Adriana Trigiani I read will be the one that changes my mind, the one that I like, the one with characters that resonate. In this novel, Ave is suffering from the loss of her son Joseph, who died at 4 from Leukemia and she doesn't know how to deal with the loss, so she represses it to the extent that she grows distant from her husband Jack Mac and runs the risk of losing her whole family.
However, it all seems blown out of proportion because Trigiani focuses so little on Joseph and his illness that it seems a minor subplot, a side note. And her distance from her husband and all the self-pitying, self-loathing, self-absorption just seems like wasted time. The lovable town characters that made Big Stone Gap bearable and mildly entertaining are there yes, Iva Lou, Fleeta, Pearl, but they too are relegated to lower level status. Pearl's relationship with the Indian doctor in town, and eventual marriage, would have made for a much more interesting central story, how Pearl blossoms and deals with an inter-racial relationship in a small mining town would have been far more engrossing. To start with, Pearl is a much more likable character. She's self-motivated and a self-starter with confidence, someone I would much rather read about and spend time with. Ave is unrelatable because her problems seem all of her own making, she has trapped herself in a glass box. I also disagreed with much of the advice that her friend's gave her. It was unbelievable to me that Jack Mac would have been unfaithful, and the fact that his wife did not know how to deal with loss and became distant seems a feeble rationale why he might be tempted to stray. A shoddy premise. The whole trip to Italy and romance with Pete also seemed so contrived and unrealistic. You never get any sense of Pete as a person with a purpose or unique identity, he's just there for window dressing. Very disappointing. Don't think I will bother with the third installment of this series.

[Marcia]

After finding herself and her new life, does happiness unabated ensue? Of course not. Although there has been happiness and children, there has been loss and drifting from the love Ave Maria and Jack Mac found. Can they dig deep, look at what they had and rekindle their marriage? Will the handsome, charming and insistent stranger pull Ave away while under the spell of a summer in Italy? And what of Jack, home alone and also being pursued by an understanding and available business woman, while confused by his wife's continuing grief and aloofness. Big Stone Gap must also deal with the loss of the coal mine jobs that has sustained the community for years. All the quirky and "mountain" characters are back in this believable sequel that reveals marriage as more than the romance of falling in love.

[Suzanne Skelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a delightful mix of characters! From the very beginning of the book you feel like you have known them all your life.

The story which has to do with the relationships between people, also inspires the reader to attach themselves to the setting in which they story takes place. First you find yourself easing comfortably into the small mining community Big Stone Gap in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Then you are swept into the natural beauty and passion of the small Italian village where the protagonist's father lives and where she tries her best to set her life in order.

A delightful read!

[George Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just completed this book; delightful. I guess it's a woman's romance novel, but it didn't feel that way to me for most of the book.

It's a culture study of Big Stone Gap, Virginia, a small coal-mining town portrayed as more like Mayberry than anywhere else I can think of. There're many characters who will stay with you. The main character is introspective in depth, and I greatly enjoyed her telling me of her story.

The movie got bad reviews, so I don't think I'll watch it. But I encourage those with an interest in the Southern Appalachians and the people there to pick up this book. I'm sending it to my sister now.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not usually a fan of author-read books, and I had my doubts when I started to listen to this book. Well, suddenly everything feel into place, and I really became invested in the characters and the story, and the setting seemed very real. Ava Maria Mulligan is the town's pharmacist and also its "spinster." In addition, she is a very independent soul, which creates challenges in her love life. It was fun, and sometimes frustrating, to make it to a lasting relationship. And, now I need to go get a book on the art of chinese face reading!

[Denise Kuntz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished book 1, Big Stone Gap. One of my friends read this trilogy years ago, which she truly loved; therefore,she gave me this set for my own enjoyment! I truly enjoyed the first book so today I am starting book 2, Big Cherry Holler. I really like the story line and love the characters! This is the first time that I have read any of Adriana Trigiani's work, so far not bad at all. I am looking forward to the next three books to this set! I truly want to thank you again Renee for these wonderful gifts!!!

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and identified and sympathized with the main characters journey through her marriage. I found several "Ah Ha!" moments in this book and it forced me to take a closer look at myself and the people and things I take for granted in my life. A wonderful, insightful journey.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't love the way this story went, but I did appreciate some of the insights the author shared about marriage and relationships. After reading this, I really, really want to travel to Italy. I think I'll continue with the series, and hope the unfortunate events of this book are forgiven and left behind.

[Kt. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is two books in one cover. I am loving it so far (after finishing the first novel - Big Stone Gap - and just starting the second). My only complaint is that the book is written in present tense, which can be exhausting to read after several hundred pages. Otherwise, great characters/great story.

[Verlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Adriana's writing style. I liked most of her characters but was pretty sure I wouldn't like them in real life. I have had experiences with the issues dealt with, and appreciated the insight of the book or author. Trigiani is easy to read, and comfortable. small hick town...right up my alley. I also enjoyed the stuff of Italy.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not the usual Trigiani read, I enjoyed parts of this book, especially the mother daughter relationships. Definitely chick-literature, would not recommend this everyone, especially to the men in my group! Again, the Italian culturisms are delightful to read. I could do without the romantic trials.

[Ginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 2nd of the Big Stone Gap books, it is set 8 years (!) after the first. (Apparently Trigiani is not intending for these to go on forever.) Mostly the same characters. The ongoing marriage-on-the-rocks drama was almost overwhelming to me, but characters and pleasant writing made it worthwhile. I'll read the third book.

[Carmela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved that this was a continuation of the first book, and I loved the part in Italy, but I thought our heroine was a bit of a Debbie Downer and she was getting on my nerves. Lucky for her, her supporting cast of characters kept the flow going and got us to the end so I could move on to the next story.

[Joanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 2 in the series. Ave is having some trouble in her marraige-they're in a slump of sorts-and she's trying to decide what she really wants. In some ways I think I liked this one even better than the first.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like reading about people's lives and situations, it's a great one about a little mining town. Greg made fun of it everytime he heard me listening to it. (I listen to most of the books I "read". A bit corny at times, bit I like that.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The same characters and setting from Big Stone Gap. Eight years have passed and you meet the characters again. The main character has a choice and the author leaves you hanging to find out which way the story will go. Not as light-hearted as the first one but still good read.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, not as well as Big Stone Gap, but enough that I'm moving on to Milk Glass Moon which is number three in the trilogy. I don't usually read "series" books, but this one has been a good little escape- the parts set in Virginia as well as the Italy parts.

[Mssuzyq623 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very relevant to mylife, so i like it. A little corny at times, but still a pleasure to read. Getting the next one of the series out of library. Until that comes in, I'll read another one of hers I got from the booksale!

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like 3.5 stars for me. I was kind of bugged with the main character for the first half of the book but then I ended up relating to her (that's probably why I was bugged) and appreciated the things she figured out about herself as a wife.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series!