Return to Big Stone Gap

Big Stone Gap #4

by Adriana Trigiani

Nestled in the lush Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, the town of Big Stone Gap has been home for Ave Maria Mulligan Machesney and her family for generations. She's been married to her beloved Jack for nearly twenty years, raised one child and buried another, and run a business that binds her community together, all while holding her tight circle of family and friends close. But with her daughter, Etta, having flown the nest to enchanting Italy, Ave Maria has reached a turning point. When a friend's postcard arrives with the message "It's time to live your life for you," Ave Maria realizes that it's time to go in search of brand-new dreams. But before she can put her foot on the path, her life is turned upside down. 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 and offering a way out of her troubles. An opportunistic coal company comes to town and 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.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Adult Fiction, Southern, Audiobook, Adult

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

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

[♥ Sandi ❣ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

This ends the Big Stone Gap series. I have really enjoyed meeting and living along with the characters of this series. Not one to really enjoy a lot of "fluff" books, or even romance, I found myself really enjoying this author. I have listened to most of the story through audio books and they were all read by the author - until this last one. Even though the cover says "Narrated by the Author" that was not the case with the audio I received. It was narrated by Cassandra Campbell - and - I was disappointed! The author Adriana Trigiani has a very distinctive voice and Campbell - although okay - was definitely no comparison. For me, this change took away from the story.

I felt this last in the series did a good job of closing out the story. Home and family is a very distinct part of the novels and the main character Ava Maria had come full circle. Very enjoyable.

[LadyCalico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished the last book of the series and now I am very depressed, like on the day after Christmas when all that's left is the clean-up. I don't know if I'd have liked this book as much if I read it first without becoming acquainted with the characters and all their lovely human flaws in the previous stories. I always like books in which the characters are flawed and the message is acceptance. I think we just bumble through this imperfect life trying to do the best we can and then learn to see the remaining flaws, that are scarred into us too deeply for changing, as our personality. Covering them is deceit and life has taught me the fruits of deceit are never worth the efforts of cultivating them, and how odd we would be if we did achieve perfection! We are here to love and be loved; we are not broken machines to be fixed or discarded. We must try to overcome our faults as best we can, but many are just part of us that we can adjust, somewhat, but never really change--none of us will ever make ourselves perfect, and we can't get a personality transplant. I fell in love with Jack Mac when he talked about deciding to accept (before proposing, thank goodness) Ave Maria's faults, sadness, worries, and emotional scar tissue as just part of the packaged deal--you either take it or leave it. I do not want another book since I am about the same age as the characters and know that there isn't much left except to start killing them off, and this book ends at a very satisfying time of life--when you achieve some degree of imperfect comfort within your own skin. I am just going to wait awhile and re-read the whole series start to finish. I think these are books we will understand and love even more as we get older. I have a hard time now, burying so many friends--but I do hope I have learned to make them feel loved, accepted, no, appreciated for their total packaged deal. I guess I found that true love is loving warts and scars. I'd like to leave Ave, Jack, Iva, Theodore, and Pete at that really good place.

[Maryann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would have liked this book more, but I couldn't get over the inaccuracies. Suddenly, Leah and Worley (who were married in the second book) are no longer married, with no reference to them ever having been married or a story of their divorce or separation. Major plot-lines, like the fact that Mario was married to another woman when Ave Maria was conceived are completely thrown out the window, and suddenly Mario is saying he's in his first marriage with Gia and saying he would have married Ave's mother if she had stayed in Italy - and he's not quite sure why she left. Um... except he wrote her a letter admitting that he was already married. It just brought back the whole Twyla/Spec inaccuracy in book 3 - was she his high school sweetheart, like he said in book 1, or did they meet in their middle years, like Twyla said in Book 3? Where are Ms. Trigiani's editors? When I run into inaccuracies like this, it makes it impossible for me to enjoy the book.

[Rebekka Steg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very very disappointed with the fourth (and final?) book in Adriana Trigiani's series. Compared to the previous novels, which all really touched me, this one seemed dull and tedious. I found myself not caring about Ave Maria or any of the other characters, which was surprising considering how much I had enjoyed the previous books. The issues are repetitive, and a large part of the book is spend repeating info from the previous novels. This might be good for the reader who hasn't read the first three books, but to me it was just annoying and seemed a waste of time and space. My feelings of Trigiani's authorship are very mixed, some of her books I absolutely love and adore, but the bad ones are really bad. Home to Big Stone Gap definitely isn't her worst, but unfortunately it is still so very very far from her best.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series - in fact its the only full series I have ever read as I am notorious for getting bored - I am the person who had only read the first 2 and a half books in the Harry Potter series and the 1st in Twilight so that proably proves that I am not a sticker! What I love about these books is that they are just really good stories - you feel like you are pulling up a chair with an old friend - there is nothing flash or massively thrilling about them - they are just really good tales of the cosy and not so cosy aspects of small town life, they are quite old fashioned in the way they are written I think, maybe even a little twee? but that is their charm - I think you have to like America and all things American to really enjoy them but most people would be able to relate - I loved the addition of the recipies in this book, as although at first glance it seems a little bizarre to have put them in, I had found myself wondering about some of the weird and wonderful dishes mentioned in the previous books (being from the U.K. and not from America I didn't recognise most of them 'Biscuits and Gravy' anyone???) I also found myself imagining what the characters would look like and who may play them in a film version - somthing I never do - I was really sad that I finished the series so I guess that means I am a fan!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one about a week ago and it must not have been too memorable because I didn't even remember I had finished it when I logged into GR that evening.

I'm going with three stars for two reasons: descriptive strokes and relationships. I liked the descriptive strokes when it came to relationships. They seem to be written effortlessly and I always feel like I understand them. She gives them a level of authenticity I can believe. This is something I can always appreciate.

But the story line didn't grab me in this one because it was more about separate life events than a cohesive story. I really enjoyed the 2nd and 3rd books in this series and I was emotionally pulled in. I was hoping for more of that here. It's sometimes easier when I don't have expectations. So 3 stars.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was ironic that I finished this on my 15th anniversary, because the major things I gained from the entire series was this overwhelming appreciation for long-term, unconditional marital love.

--A love that allows you to appreciate and respect the very core of the person you are married to: their soul, their heritage, their family, their perfections and imperfections.
--A love that sees a couple through death, through difficulty, through the most profound changes in self and in each other.
--A love that stands the test of time.
--And most importantly, a love that brings out the best in two people again and again and again, over time.

These books are like precious gems to me...I value and treasure them, possibly more than any books I've read in my adult life so far.

[Bonnie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Main character: Ave Maria. Does that sound stupid to anyone other than me? She is a pharmacist that does not seem to have the brains to be one. There is a side story in which she is going to direct the town’s holiday theatre production. A male friend from her HS days who has made it big in Hollywood comes home and works on the play. Sure!!!

I have not read the previous books in the series but this book goes back and brings the reader up to date. I am glad that I did not waste my time on the previous books. This book was non plausible and boring. The plot is slow and weak at best. If you want a book to put you to sleep at night, this is the one.

I listened to the book which was narrated by the author. Her voice was as monotonous as the book was non-realistic and boring.

[Meinir Lloyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm an avid fan of the first trilogy, I've only just read 'Home to Big Stone Gap' and was really looking forward to revisit the wonderful characters in the first three books, but I'm gutted to find a very trite and lightweight book in comparison to the first three. I wonder to myself whether Adriana Trigiana was forced into writing this book against her better judgement? I'm big on 'continuity' and it grated on me the ham fisted mistakes that happened. The first was Worley Olinger seemed to be no longer married to Leah Grimes, Pearl's mother, there was no mention that they were ever a couple! Did they separate, where they never married, did I imagine reading about their wedding in the eariest books?! The other was the description given of Arthur their neighbour in Aberdeen by their host, 'Arthur lost his wife last year...', in less than 40 pages Arthur describes to Ave Maria his early marriage during the war, and the loss of his young wife in the war, and how that affected him and how he never felt the need to marry ever again! Did the author or her editors not proof read the book thoroughly before publishing? The chapters of Ave Maria and Jack in Scotland were terrible, simply because they were so 'twee'! I don't think, sorry I know everyone in Scotland doesn't eat shortbread and haggis continuously, that was lack of research I'm afraid. The scene with the relative who was a 'seer'...well, I'm not even going there, awful! I could say much more, but I'll stop there. The first three books are wonderful and inspirational, a MUST read for everyone, I've recommended them to others so many times, but this one...I will quietly return to the library and forget about it. It's like having the most 'scrummy', most gorgeous 3 layer cake you have ever tasted and topping it off with a watery tasteless icing. Such a shame.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read all 4 Big Stone Gap books within 10 days. Yes, that is odd. A trilogy always seemed like too big a committment. But last month afer reading and enjoying very much both Very Valentine and Brava Valentine, I decided to go for it and tackle the Big Stone Gap series. While I really enjoyed the first 3 Big Stone Gap books, I was disappointed a bit in this fourth one. Probably because I had read the other 3 so recently I noted inconsistencies in this last one that bothered me enough that I had to flip back through the other books to try to figure out... why Worley and Pearl's mother were no longer together, how/why Mario, who had been married to another woman when Ave Maria's mother was with him, was now marrying for the first time much later in life and how Etta went from being 18 to turning 20 at her next birthday all in a couple months. But putting all that over analysis behind, I did enjoy the story overall. I truly wanted to know what happened to these memorable characters. But I found that this book seemed to promise more than it delivered. The feud between Iva Lou and Ave Maria seemed almost too central. The Joe ghost who turned out to be a college student and the mysterious Annie that had been Jack Mac's dog (so important to him that he'd never mentioned it to his wife of 20 years) were both teasers with unsatisfying outcomes. I was left feeling that I wanted to know more -- how does this story continue to the present day? I hope there is a 5th book in this series that will continue Ave Maria's tale, and that it will be more like the first 3 than the fourth in the Big Stone Gap series.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Another F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C book from Adriana Trigiani who never, ever fails to pen a novel that you’ll never forget!

For those who read “Big Stone Gap”, you will enjoy this book immeasurably and for those who haven’t, it can be read as a stand-alone, however it would be best to read the first part so you’ll have an idea who is who and what the changes in this novel really mean.

Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney and her beloved husband, Jack live in the lush Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Ave Maria has quite the string of quirky and absolutely adorable friends. Her family means more to her than anything, especially her daughter, Etta and the son she lost through leukemia at age four.

In this sequel, Ave Maria agrees to head up the town musical and as she’s busy and in deep concentration with collecting actors, assigning parts, talking about costumes she receives an unexpected visit from a total stranger who reveals a very long held secret to her. Bad enough Ave Maria must find a way to deal with this secret but her husband, Jack becomes ill, her daughter moved away to another country and one of her old ‘heartthrobs’ returns for a visit.

How is Ave Maria going to deal with this long held secret, worry over Jack and finding a way to reinvent her life?

This is a fabulous story as is every novel from Adriana. DON’T MISS it!!

[Diane Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read The Big Stone Gap trilogy a few years ago and thoroghly enjoyed them I had forgotten I had this follow up one on the shelf. I was looking for a holiday read and this one filled it. It was lovely to be taken back to the old familiar characters, although it did take a wee while to remember some of them.

A gentle read that takes us forward in time to 1998. Jack and Ave are older and miss their daughter Etta who married and stayed in Italy. Life and time is taking its toll on them both and Jack ends up in hospital. This shakes Ave and brings to light things she would have to cope with had Jack died. A stranger is in town and threatens to ruin a close friendship with one of her best friends, however over time this resolves itself and amends are made and explanations are given. An opportunity arises for Jack and Ave to visit Scotland (a wish Jack has had for many a year to go back to family roots). This gives them both time for reflection and they come back much more appreciative of the life they have and also to let the strings of close family ties loosen a little for her daughter to live her own life in Italy.

All in all I enjoyed this read and also give me food for thought on occasions about life.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me much longer than necessary to finish this book, and I only did so because I was becoming delinquent in returning it to the library. That being said, the reason is that I loved this series so much, I could not bear for it to end! As much as I near hated Jack Mac in parts of the previous books, and frequently became frustrated with Ave Maria, I absolutely fell in love with them, their relationship and all of the other wonderful characters in each of the four novels. Big Stone Gap was described so well, it basically became a character itself. Too often series become boring, they let readers down and are too drawn out; this is certainly not the case with Big Stone Gap. In fact, I wish Trigiani would write one more! (although that is merely me being a selfish fan--her ending leaves the reading wanting more, which in my opinion is the mark of a good book and therefore writer). I could go on and on about how much I loved this series and Trigiani's other novels, but I'll leave it at this: A wonderfully rich, entertaining, well-written series. Must read.

[Florence (Lefty) MacIntosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to rate it 1 ½, what happened to the author’s sense of humour? By book 4 this story is just worn out. The main character Ave Maria has aged into an weary bore, her husband & daughter now so one-dimensional you could care less. Granted there are still a few gems. When Freeta (the jaded old lady who works the diner) is asked if she’s planning to wear a veil at her upcoming wedding she responds pithily “Hell no, a veil at my age I’d look like a beekeeper” But lines like that are just an echo of the charm & lightness that was prevalent in the 1st novel. There was some interesting tension created between Iva Lou & Ave Maria when their friendship took a bad turn, handled well. Other than that, pretty poor effort

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely ending to the series! Thought it might have had a sad ending - so glad it didn't!

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 4th book in this series and it speaks to me as have the others. I don't know if this is because I feel a kinship with Ave Maria - pharmacists, mothers who lost a child to cancer, and women of the south. Whatever the reason, this book was lovely to read. Ave Maria is dealing with her daughter's marriage as Etta has settled in Italy with her new husband. She must deal with a crisis with her husband's health, a revelation about a dear friend, and a company that threatens the mountains that she loves. This is a novel about changes and losses. Maybe it's that I've reached the same stage in my own life but I found so much to enjoy and learn from in this story.

Quotes to remember:

I make my way through the stone house, and it feels so empty - as it did before there were children. I don't know if there is a sound lonelier than the silence of everybody gone.

Autumn is my favorite time of year; it seems to say "Let go" with every leaf that turns and falls to the ground and every dingy cloud that rolls by overhead. Let go. (So hard to do when your nature tells you to hang on.)

I think about dying and all those who are now gone. I feel as though I am falling in line behind them, my mother, my father, Fred, my beloved Spec, and Joe. I had my mother to talk to when Fred died, and when she died, I had Iva Lou to help me. When Spec died, it seemed I had the whole county to mourn with me, so I never felt alone. When our son died, it was the worst thing that could happen to us, but it was happening to our family, and there was much consolation in Etta's love, and a lot to learn from a little girl as she grieved. Somehow, to share the very worst of life with Jack made it bearable. He showed me how to live with pain, live through it to get beyond it. I wouldn't have known how to do it without him.

Ever since Joe died, I knew that when my time came, I'd see him again. It's not that I want to die, but I don't think it's so terrible, because I know he'll be there. I'm looking forward to seeing him.

But when it's life or death, all bets are off. We make that walk alone, and no amount of love or wishing will change the outcome.

Time can do a lot of things - it can make memories sweet and it can dull pain - but it doesn't take away pain entirely.

"But I know why we had children."
"You do?"
"Because most of it is really good. And if grief is the price you pay for what's really good, it is well worth it."

There is a great gift in being with those you love as they're dying. When you've said all you can say, when you've done everything you can to make your loved one comfortable, when there is at last nothing left to do, all that remains is the mystical moment of surrender. Why should anyone face that alone? Maybe there is some master plan at work...How could one so young see things so clearly? Was it her fate to be there? Maybe fate is the footwork of decisions made with loving intentions.

We don't stop being mothers when our children leave us; we continue to teach them in everything we say and do. I still marvel at how much I count on my mother's love and advice, even though she has been gone over twenty years. I close my eyes and can still hear her voice, and there's never any question in my mind what her advice would be...Taking care of my mother when she was sick prepared me to look after my soon and then my husband when he fell ill. I couldn't see it at the time, but my mother, even as she was dying, was still teaching me how to be a good person right up to the moment I lost her. "There is no thing as too much generosity," she used to say. She wasn't talking about dropping off soup for someone sick (though that's important) or running errands for someone homebound (though that's kind). She was talking about a generosity of spirit, about being present when a person is afraid. She taught me not to run but to stay and listen. When people are sick, they crave reassurance and care, and when they're dying, they need to feel treasured. They need to know that you loved them, and that you always will.

How rare that reinforcement is! Most of the work in this world is thankless: parenting, the drudgery of our daily jobs - we contribute so much that no one sees or acknowledges.

Count who's here, not who's missing.

I can't help but remember those I've lost through the years...I resist the sadness and regret that comes with grief. The here and now is good enough. In fact, it's plenty good enough.

Grief makes you feel ancient. I know. You join the worst club in the world. You stand in line with anyone who ever lost someone they loved, and you mourn with them. There's no diversion from it, no quick way through it, no free pass to acceptance. You just have to live through it. At first that seems impossible...I didn't fight it; I let myself be sad for a very long time, and after a while, my world opened up...At the time I would have given everything I had to bring her back, and believe me, there are days when I would give everything I own to see her again, but that's impossible...She didn't stop being my mother when she died. She just went to the other side. She's still there, pulling for me. I can feel it.

Some men age like rat poison. A box of that stuff can be a hundred years old and it still works.

Life is not doled out by chance...You don't have a choice about when a child comes into the world or when they go - I don't care how much science they fool with...there's destiny involved. There is purpose in all of it.

This is the mysticism of Scotland, the play of light and dark against the richest blues and greens. It's as if time itself has a color here.

As we began to eat, I think how lucky we are to be part of a wonderful extended family who shows us how to live. I thought the Italians, with their gusto and warmth, invented fine living. And now I see that in the Scottish Highlands, where the winds off the sea blow bitter cold, that shelter can always be found in the loving hearts of friends.

...if you get to live long enough, if you make it to eighty, you realize that the only priceless gift you can leave behind is that you did more good than harm to the world you lived in.

We shouldn't let a day go by when we don't stop and think about what we are to each other and how the best part of that is the part that changes. That's the mystery. And that's the part of people that's divine. Accepting the unknown and trusting it.

[Carmyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was my least favorite book of the bunch. There was nothing wrong with it, but it just didn't resonate the same way the others did. In this one Ave Maria goes through a period of estrangement with her best pal Iva Lou and I had a hard time really understanding it. I enjoyed their trip to Scotland and it actually made me want to travel there based solely on their descriptions. This book also had a smattering of recipes included in the text when various foods were mentioned. I can't remember if that happened in the other books; if it did, I didn't notice. I thought it was sort of cutesy and though it wasn't a terrible thing in any way, I liked it better in "Like Water for Chocolate" (a great book, by the way... espec. if you like magical realism). Even though this final book in the Big Stone Gap series didn't rock my world I am quite glad to have read them again. They are a bit melancholy but satisfying and comforting too.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series. I grew up visiting relatives who lived in Appalachian West Virginia, some in town in the valley and some up in the hollers and these books really reminded me very much of what it was like when I'd visit each year...that everyone knows everyone and all of their business, the eccentric personalities, what it was like to watch downtown shops close up when WalMart came to town--all of that was so familiar.

I'd love to see another book in the future with Etta's story as a mom...and Ave's as a grandma!

[Library Lea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save yourself some time and think about Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. You will get the same idea without even reading Home to Big Stone Gap.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually start my reviews with a quick synopsis of the book, but there is way too much going on in this book for that. Just read the back cover. :-)
Anyway, Home to Big Stone Gap basically starts off where the last book ended. Etta is now married in Italy and Ave Marie and Jack have an empty nest. What will Ave Marie do now? Well, all of us devout Big Stone Gap fans know that Ave Marie's little town is never short on drama (both kinds). Ave Marie agrees to direct the next town musical, The Sounds of Music, with a very interesting cast. The reader learns about a huge secret Iva Lou has been hiding that may ruin her and Ave Marie's friendship and Jack gets sick. Jack has also been talking to someone about being a consultant to a strip-mining company. I love how open and opinionated Ave Marie is about this. And she doesn't back down, even when Jack gets upset with her. Ave Marie is still very self conscious and worries way too much. You would think that after 20 years with Jack MacChesney she would be over all that. But it does make Ave Marie a character that many can relate to. I for one can. The best part of the book is the trip that Iva Marie and Jack take at the end of the book. It sort of brings things full circle. Sort of...
I wish this series didn't have to end. I feel like there is still so much more we need to learn about and from all the characters and Big Stone Gap. It almost feels like I'm going to miss out on a friend's last few years. There is more story here that I hope the author will one day revisit.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading other reviews makes me think I read a different book than everyone else. This book was a collection of disjointed story lines that never wove together in any meaningful way. I kept expecting something to happen to reveal the plot, provide some sort of climax, tie it all together. But that something didn't arrive. The story was simply boring.

I was also triggered by major horticultural inconsistencies. The writer describes gardens and landscapes full of flowers that don't bloom at the same time of year. In this story we have snowdrops (February) blooming along with narcissus (April), and cabbage roses (June/July). Included in this mix are 'blue jonquils' which don't even exist (jonquils are a type of narcissus that are never blue). Then they fly home to the US and the redbuds are in bloom (April) with crocus (feb/march) and peonies (May/June). Please tell me I'm not the only one who is bothered by this!

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful, heartwarming tale of family, friends and the ups and downs of both.

[Krista Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in a small, close knit town, this story brings back so many good memories of more simple times. The author finds a way to pull you in and weave the story around you just like you were a part of Big Stone Gap. What a great read!

[Linda S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Home to Big Stone Gap was like visiting with old friends again. Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney, her family, and her friends are all in this novel which tells the story of their on-going adventures after the last book in this book series ended. No spoilers - just a recommendation to read all 4 books. Adriana Trigiani has a beautiful writing style and her characters as well as where they live (Big Stone Gap and Cracker's Neck Holler) come alive.

[Karen Rand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Adriana Trigiani’s books and a trip back to Big Stone Gap. Revisiting beloved characters from s a special treat.

[CHRISTY · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fourth and best in the Big Stone Gap series, it wraps up nicely and realistically.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to complete the series. 4 Stars.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the entire series! Adriana is an amazing storyteller!

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister and I are very similar. Knowing that she has enjoyed all of Trigiani's books I figured that I would also. Evidently, I wasn't as thrilled as she was.

The story takes place in a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of VA. Ava Maria and her husband Jack both grew up in the area and have remained there all their lives. They have one child, who has recently married before finishing college and now lives in Italy. Ava Maria misses her dearly and does what she has perfected to a science - she worries.

When a friend sends a postcard to Ava telling her that it is time for her to live her life for her she experiences a change and knows that she needs to follow some of her dreams. Life throws curves at us, however, and just as she decides to seek those dreams her life is turned upside down.

The story seemed flat and didn't have any of those fabulous conflict and conflict resolutions that really make a good story. There were, however, some places with a nice use of language. One that I enjoyed was a description of Ava talking to Arthur, their neighbor in Scotland. She tells Arthur that the cat has never taken a liking to them. Arthur responds that the cat is old and "sometimes we are just too old to bother to make new friends. I'm almost there myself, he adds." Ava respnds, "I'm glad we got here before the cut off!" Another one that I really liked was in the epilogue: Ava is reflecting and says, "Shelter can always be found in the loving hearts of friends."

I am looking forward to her Valentina books so perhaps those will be different enough to earn more stars from me.

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review :Home To Big Stone Gap by Andriana Trigiani. 12/12/2017

Trigiani is extremely insightful as she touches on so many widespread truths about the human spirit and life. The story makes the reader feel right at home introducing great characters and being in a serene town and cozy environment. This is a smooth clean cut novel with a family who lives in the mountains in Virginia. Most work around that area was coal mining and that’s where most of the men worked until some were stricken with black lung. The stories about a strong and independent woman, Ave Maria Mulligan who has reached a turning point in her life and she realizes that it’s time for changes and new dreams. However, before she can head down that path, her life is turned upside down.

People who know about Ave Maria call her the “town spinster” yet she works as the town’s pharmacist and for the Rescue Squad. As we are introduced to the town’s community and Ave Maria’s friends who are lovable characters as Fleeta, Pearl, Jack Mac, and Theo. For some reason she never felt a part of the community. Her life revolved around her work but when her mother dies of cancer she receives a letter from her mother’s lawyer that her mother had wrote. After reading the letter Ave Maria slowly unfolds the mystery surrounding her life and her family’s. The secrets and family information that were explained in the letter kept me captivated.

The story was full of surprises, adventure, tears, laughter, and suspense. It was a small town where everyone knew everyone and the behaviors, emotions, and happenings are what made the story interesting and the words flowed smoothly to the end.