Big Cherry Holler: A Novel (Big Stone Gap)

The story maintains a cozy, comfortable mood as we are drawn into the small town life of Stone Gap where even the eccentric characters are treated with respect and affection, and we always know that problems will be solved with good people making an effort.

I enjoyed the first book in this series. I couldn't stand the main character by book two. The rest of my book club liked it alright. I personally wanted to strangle the main character. I could not finish the series.

After the magic and suble romance of the first, this one was a real bummer. No love, no magic...at least not in the first chapter or two. I didn't make it any further because it was just too danged depressing with no sign of happiness on down the road.

I think most people buying the book realize that the key plot line is the relationship between Ave and her husband Jack. So if you don't want any hints on what that is, stop now.

Spoilers:

I have to say, after reading the book, that I don't understand what happened between the two. Ave came back from a trip to Italy with her child, and has to confront a misdeed by the husband. After a blowup, she immediately decides it's all her fault. I have to say I found that difficult to believe. I remember the relationship from the first book, and then in this book, Jack indicates that he never thought it would work between them, because of Ave's problems. What??? I don't remember anything like that from the first book. And Ave shouldering all the blame for Jack's infidelities makes no sense.

I am loving The Big Stone Gap series. "Big Cherry Holler" was a quick audio book for me. I'm not usually a fan of audio books, but this series might have changed my opinion on audio books. The author, Adriana Trigiani, is the voice. She is hysterical! The characters are well developed and likable. Many of the characters were quirky, funny, and interesting. The town of Big Stone Gap was painted as "small town Americana." There were quite a few "sighs" and "what are you doing" coming out of my mouth throughout this story. Ms. Trigiani's writing style is a bit similar to Fanny Flagg's - fun plot with a little southern flair. I have to say I am hooked and cannot wait to read the the rest of this series.

I absolutely love the works of this author! This has been the third book of hers I've read and as with the other 2, I've loved it. BIG CHERRY HOLLER follows BIG STONE GAP, and I was happy to see a continuation of all the vivid and colorful characters from that novel. The author has an amazing way of writing about so many different characters yet keeping them all unique with their own lives and problems. She also has a great way of mixing humor into the twists and turns of life that keeps all the characters of their small community intertwined and wonderfully needed for each other. She writes about life as it really is and not like something made up and unattainable.

Life continues after marriage and motherhood for Ave Maria, the book's main character. This book picks up with Ave Maria's life 8 years after BIG STONE GAP ended. And as life often tends to do, she feels her life has taken a turn toward something she can't quite put her finger on but she knows is leading toward a downward spiral for her marriage. This feeling is so often found in life, as marriage can't be taken for granted as lasting the same as it was in the beginning. It's a constant "work in progress" and Ave Maria soon discovers what the cause of her worries is. The book takes us through a deep learning process for Ave Maria, in which she learns what her husband means to her, how she appears to others, and even what it feels like to gain the attention of another man outside of her tiny community circle. She needs to learn exactly WHO she is and how her place in all avenues of her life is, not just how she thinks it is or should be. The book takes the reader along with Ave Maria throughout life in her tiny Virginia coal-mining community, to her beloved Italy, and through the trials and tribulations of her life and all those important to her. It takes us to understand her husband's insecurities, her daughter's needs, and how even the smallest actions mean the world to individual family and friends. After reading this second book of the trilogy, I feel like I know these characters - they are real to me and I greatly enjoy their development, aging, changing and blending.

I'm now beginning to read the third of this trilogy, MILK GLASS MOON. I love the idea of reading more about Ave Maria and all the characters the author has masterfully created. They are vivid, they are real to me, and I feel like I know them very well. The dialogue is sincere - be it in moments of joy or sadness. The dialogue is from the heart - issues are dealt with in a very realistic way. Delving into the next book of this series feels like going back and visiting very good friends. Thank you and high praise to the author for her excellent writing and creation of these books. It's a fantastic world the reader is able to escape into, thanks to Ms. Trigiani - one filled with happiness, sadness, and everything that is realistic what we deal with in our own lives.

In this captivating sequel to Big Stone Gap, we rejoin Ave Maria Mulligan and her husband Jack MacChesney at a point in their marriage that could be the end for them. Three years ago, their son Joe died. And the loss, followed by the period of mourning, have taken their toll. Daughter Etta, who was a year older than Joe, seems to be the glue that cements them.

But the tests that prey on their bonds include many stressors, like the closing of the mining company where Jack worked for many years; the start-up of a new company, bringing temptation along with it; and the realization that they are each just going through the motions.

After many years of being the self-described town spinster, Ave's independence could be the very blow that kills their union.

How does Ave's and Etta's trip to Italy for the summer cast a new light on everything? Was leaving Jack behind, at his request, be the final nail that kills the two of them? Or will the time apart remind them of their love and what needs to happen next?

Just as with the previous story of this beautiful part of Virginia, BIG CHERRY HOLLER invites the reader right into the setting. The author paints word pictures that show us the world as our characters see it. And the sense of community, both in Big Stone Gap, and later in Italy, makes us feel as if we're right there with them. I know that I want to revisit these characters and these settings again. And while spending time with them here, we get to see them cast in a lovely and yet real portrait of lives going through struggles; lives that come out the other side with a sense of what it means to reinvent themselves. Five stars.

After whizzing through "Big Stone Gap" and I was excited to start on "Big Cherry Holler" and it did not disappoint! In fact, I was hooked and now cannot wait to read "Milk Glass Moon."

In "Big Cherry Holler" we meet up with Ave Marie eight years after she married Jack Mack. Her marriage has been tested in many ways - the death of her son Joe at the age of 4 from Leukemia changed their lives forever, and several years later, Ave still hasn't fully dealt with the death. When the mines close, and Jack Mack decides to open a construction business, Ave's marriage is further tested when a saleswoman from the lumber company sets her sights on Jack Mack, and aims to break up their marriage. Ave tries to be the sweet wife that Jack wants, but her heart really isn't in it, and it will take a earth-shattering event, to make her realize what has been missing in their marriage all of these years.

When Ave heads off to Italy with Etta for the summer, she does some soul-searching and is tempted by a would-be suitor. Back stateside, things heat up between the saleswoman and Jack. When Ave and Etta return, things still aren't right. After Ave finds a note from Jack's lover, she can't stand the thought of losing Jack and heads straight to Knoxville to be consoled by her best friend Theodore, who basically lays everything on the line to set Ave straight and save her marriage. Ave realizes what has been keeping her and Jack Mack from having a fulfilling marriage all of these years, and sets out to make things up to him, along the way, she also makes amends with Jack Mulligan's sister, Alice Lambert, and discovers what true love really is.

Trigiana digs deeper into Ave Marie's story in Big Cherry Holler and not everything comes up roses. This is a story full of heartache and triumph, another expertly weaved tale by Trigiani.

In Big Cherry Holler, the reader is returned to the life of the folks in Big Stone Gap and to Ave Maria's marriage to Jack McChesney. It is 8 years since their marriage, and Ave and Jack have hit a bump in the road of their life together. They have their daughter, Etta, but they have lost a young son, Joe, to lukemia. Both parents are struggling with that loss.

All the characters are back in the sequel and are as lovable as ever. Ave Maria and her daughter go to Italy so that Ave's Italian family can meet Etta. While in Italy, a handsome stranger befriends the family and is bewitched by Ave Maria. Ave will struggle with her attraction to the gorgeous newcomer and question the marriage that hangs in the balance back in Big Cherry Holler.

I enjoyed the sequel but the first in the series, "Big Stone Gap", is still my favorite. I felt at times that the premise for this new book was a bit contrived. I never really felt comfortable with the strained marriage problems that Ave and Jack were struggling with. Ave went home from Italy and basically took the blame for the problems with the marriage. She felt that she had never really "chosen" Jack; whatever that means. I did understand that both Jack and Ave were struggling with the death of their young son but that was not delved into enough for my liking. Hence, my feelings of the contrivance.

However, the story is still a good one and all the lovable characters from Big Stone Gap are here. I think you will find it a good read and a decent sequel.

However, I was slightly disappointed in this book. It wasn't what I expected ~~ for one thing, it skipped over 8 years in Ava's life. There were several storylines in this book that were loosely threaded together and sometimes, it was barely even touched upon. For instances, when Ava came home from Italy, the author barely even skim over the issues on why Ava and Jack agreed to be apart for awhile. In this book, Ava was more wishy-washy than strong and determined. There weren't that much humor in this book. And it seemed to be a rushed and hurried job.
Ava takes her daughter, Etta, home to Italy to meet her grandfather and grandmother ~~ Jack was originally supposed to go with them but at the last minute, he decides to stay home. While in Italy, Ava meets a dashing American, Pete, and had to choose between two men. This is the basic plot of the story.
If you're looking for a light entertaining read, this book would be it. But if you're looking for a more substantsial book, this isn't it. This one barely glimmed over the relationships Ava has with her best friend, Iva Lou and Fleeta, and other characters from Big Stone Gap. Sometimes the story just doesn't go as well as it should have. It's an ok book from an exceptional author. Hopefully, Milk Glass Moon holds more promise than this one.
10-1-03

Adriana Trigiani continues the fascinating saga of love and life in Big Stone Gap, Virginia exploring the deep emotions which surface in unexpected ways within the lives of Ave Maria (Mulligan) and Jack Mac (MacChesney). They are now a married couple of 8 years with a daughter named Etta, and a son Joe who died at the age of four, shortly after being diagnosed with a fatal illness. The shadow of his loss accompanies both Ave Maria and Jack in ways neither of them imagined. This loss gradually erodes their ability to communicate in important ways. They resume an every day routine that is shattered by the permanent closing of the local mine where Jack and his family have worked for several generations. Around this time Ave Maria receives an offer to become a 50% partner, manager, and pharmacist at the local drug store she used to own. She had signed it over to Pearl Grimes, now a 24 year old successful entrepeneur who is opening up a chain of stores. When Jack Mac hears of Ave Maria's acceptance of this job offer ... from sources other than his wife ... his pride is wounded. He misinterprets her acceptance as lack of faith in his ability to provide for his family.

Ave Maria encourages Jack to explore new avenues and supports him in starting a construction company with local business partners. Although they settle this conflict amicably, in other ways they grow apart. The romance and physical love which was so alive during the initial years of marriage has now diminished and taken a backseat to current everyday reality. When Ave Maria sees Jack eyeing a young and beautiful blonde-haired woman, wearing tight blue jeans, she recognizes the desire which she used to kindle within him . She is sensing possible problems in her marriage but has difficulty expressing these feelings to her husband. He, too, recognizes their love is diffusing and suggests a family trip to Italy where Ave Maria's relatives reside. At the last minute, he backs out of this vacation, citing business committments. He gives his blessing to Ave Maria and daughter Etta, to enjoy this trip of a lifetime to the mountain village home of her Italian ancestors in northern Italy. Ave Maria and Etta are fully welcomed with all the genorsity and love that a close-knit Italian family can provide. Phone calls from Jack at home leave Ave Maria wondering about the one thing preying foremost on her mind her ability to save her marriage. Jack had essentially told her before she left for Europe, she needs to decide if being married to him is what she really wants in life.

As often happens in exotic romantic settings, Ave Maria meets a tall handsome blue-eyed dark haired man at a local outdoor cafee ... he asks her to dance. It turns out he is an American from New Jersey (half Italian) visiting the region on business. He is embraced and received as a family friend by her Italian relatives. He is even accepted by her daughter, aunts, and father (who happens to be engaged to a young Italian shop owner, the same age as Ave Maria). However, deep beneath the surface of this friendship lies unexpressed sexual desires and churning emotions. At about this time, Ave Maria receives a phone call from Big Stone Gap, VA from her librarian friend Iva Lou. She strongly expresses concerns that Jack Mac is involved with the beautiful blonde who is a business associate of Jack's but who made no secret of the fact she desires to be more than associates. This reader had tears in her eyes numerous times while reading the book, especially when surprising details were revealed that explained the reasons for the deep inner turmoil of the main characters. The author possesses a subtle, clear, beautiful use of language. She creates a wonderfully complex and well crafted story about the lives of a highly engaging couple which makes for a deeply satisfying reading experience.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

Big Cherry Holler is the sequel to Big Stone Gap, and it's every bit as enjoyable as its predecessor. Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney is now married to Jack MacChesney for eight years; they have a little girl, Etta, who was just born as Big Stone Gap ended. When the coal mining business leaves town, Jack is left unemployed and needing to redefine himself. Ave Maria, not an openly warm woman, although very likeable, doesn't do much to help him, and their relationship is tested. Suffice it to say they both need to reevaluate their feelings. In the meantime, all the other characters we met in Big Stone Gap are here, too: Iva Lou, librarian and expert on men; Fleeta Mullins, cranky but likeable cynic; Pearl Grimes, the young lady to whom Ave sells her drugstore in B.S.G.; Spec Broadwater, the rescue squad captain; and Theodore Tipton, Ave's close friend who becomes director of the marching band at the University of Tennessee. This is another very enjoyable book about love, marriage, and self-identity, set in a small town with people who know all about each other, but also care for each other in a heart-warming way. Although it's not necessary for understanding this book, just for the pleasure of spending more time with these characters it would be a good idea to start with Big Stone Gap and then visit with them again in Big Cherry Holler.

Upon finishing Big Stone Gap last week, I immediately ordered Big Cherry Holler which I finished last night and today I'm ordering Milk Glass Moon. The characters are well developed and believable. In the first novel, Big Stone Gap, Ave Marie was trying to figure out who she is and in Big Cherry Holler, she pretty well figures it out. She's not perfect but very likeable and I'm rooting for her continued success. I appreciate Adriana's clear expression of thought and enjoy her ability to blend tragedy with hope and determination of the human spirit. Her stories depict the challenge of relationships, especially those which endure over the years. If Milk Glass Moon is just half as enjoyable as these first two novels, I won't be disappointed.

Adriana Trigiani has done it again! After reading this novel, I felt like I had been to the best family reunion ever. Although a bit more serious than its predecessor, Big Cherry Holler was a pleasure to read and its characters a joy to revisit.
It's been eight years since Ave Maria Mulligan and Jack MacChesney tied the knot. Their marriage started off wonderfully, but like most relationships, eventually things change. Feelings regarding the death of their son and changes in the mining industry -- Jack's lifeblood -- has put a major strain on their relationship. And with too many years as an independent spinster behind her, Ave Maria finds it hard to completely let go and be a full participating part in her marriage. Plus, those rumors of infidelity don't help matters much. In hopes to fuel the dying spark, Ave plans a summer trip to Italy for her, Jack and their 8-year-old daughter, Etta. But as they say, the best laid plans can often go awry....
Big Cherry Holler is a wonderful testimony to the joys and trials of marriage. I related to both sides of the story and even felt I learned something about men versus women. And of course those quirky Gap residents are back for more laughs: still-sexy-but-married Iva Lou Wade Makin, who has all sorts of marital advice to share; savvy business woman Pearl Grimes; Theodore Tipton, Ave's best friend with a secret all his own; and Rescue Squad volunteer Spec Broadwater, who finds himself in an interesting situation. I loved this novel - more so as it neared the end. Vibrant cast of characters and a real drama that unfolds slowly throughout the book. Hope there is another Big Stone Gap novel in the works!

In Big Stone Gap, the first book of this trilogy, the reader is introduced to the charming characters of this mountain community in Virginia. In the second book, the tone is much more serious as the reader is taken into the eight-year-old marriage of Ave Maria and Jack MacChesney. The couple have two children, but their son dies at an early age from leukemia. Another misfortune strikes when the local mines are closed and Jack loses his job. These two tragedies cause Ave Maria and Jack to look inside themselves and to ponder the meaning of love and commitment. They begin to see that their different temperaments and ways of dealing with tragedy are beginning to pull them apart. Both of them are tempted to be unfaithful and how they deal with this situation determines the fate of their marriage. This is a very well-written book, full of insights about the relationships between men and women and how they are effected by the baggage that people carry with them.

In this sequel to the excellent and haunting "Big Stone Gap", we catch up with Ave Maria MacChesney (nee Mulligan) 8 years after her marriage to Jack Mac. Her close-knit circle of friends are still around, including the irrepressible Iva Lou. Ave Maria's life, however, continues to be an ever-changing tableau replete with loss, love, yearning, and hope. Ave Maria has become a mother, and only when she takes her young daughter to Italy for the summer does she face the reality of the walls which have arisen between her and Jack. Both she and Jack are facing change and their lives are moving in different directions at a rapid clip. Both have some tough decisions to make. Will either of them succumb to temptation? Can their marriage survive the changes necessary to sustain everyday life which have a huge impact on their diverse personalities? The answers to these questions and more are delivered with wit, humor, angst, joy, and the earthy wisdom of a master storyteller. This second volume of a trilogy packs a wallop and I can't wait for the third book.

I probably should not have started this book with such high expectations, but since I so much enjoyed Big Stone Gap, I assumed I would love Big Cherry Holler, also. Although the book begins promisingly, with Ave Maria's young daughter competing in a radio quiz bowl, and the voices of the characters I loved from Big Stone gap were back and sounding familiar and enticing me back into their world, I was extremely disappointed with the conclusion that Ave Maria was not only "wrong" in her attraction (but there was little credit given her for saying "no") to another man, but she was ALSO "to blame" for Jack's affair... that's just plain wrong - Jack should have been responsible for his own choices and actions, not Ave Maria - it seems the author is saying that just because Ave is not a "perfect wife" (like Jack is "perfect"? Bull!), it was ok for Jack to cheat. Ave's best friend, Theodore, sure doesn't act like a "friend" when Ave comes to him, broken-hearted and needful of support only to be told coldly that she brought it all on herself... now I'm not one who thinks a true friend should lie, but to tell a hysterical, hurting FRIEND how wrong she is instead of first offering care, comfort and a validation of that friend's feelings seems cold and cruel to me. It's like telling a friend who is starving that it's her fault that she's hungry and she needs to wake up and smell the coffee, then slamming the door on that friend instead of feeding her.
And we're not done bashing Ave Maria yet... the way she mourns for her dead son is "wrong," and since Jack was ready long before Ave was to talk about it, he becomes superior to her and a victim of Ave's "distance," even though he sure doesn't seem all too patient or eager to accept Ave's attempts to communicate love and a willingness to try to communicate to her husband. How cold is it, anyway, to agree to take a summer trip with your wife, tell her you're not going at the last minute, and then not show any kind of feelings when she tells you how much she's looked forward to spending time together on the trip?
If you want to take a chance with this book, I recommend checking it out from the library rather than buying it.

A good follow-up from Big Stone Gap. After several years, we find Ave has had many changes in her life yet she is still the woman who questions things. As with the previous novel, the reader gets to know the characters quite well with parts of their lives unlocked throughout the book. Once again, we get to go to Italy as Ave visits her family and discovers much about herself.

Ave Maria Mulligan returns, this time as the wife of coal miner Jack McChesney and mother of Etta. The supporting cast of personalities in Big Stone Gap are still there, but there are big changes on the horizion. Theodore has left the small town to dazzle the college crowd with his half time spectaculars, leaving Ave marie without her sounding board. When the mine closes and Jack Mack has to look to find something to fill up that big hole in his life, Ave Marie isn't sure that she is still enough. Soon, it seems like every move she makes, no matter how good her intentions, is taken wrong and there is no hope for a happy ending. It is not until she returns to visit her father in Italy, and also is forced to look at some hard truths about herself, that Ave Marie discovers the answers she is looking for. The answers that lie in Big Stone Gap.

I was interested enough in the characters from Big Stone Gap that I had to pick up this sequel to find out what happens in the next phase of their life. This book lacks the life-changing personal discovery that made Big Stone Gap such a good read. It's a halfway-decent story about making a long marriage work. The search for and the delight of new love from Big Stone Gap aren't here, and it isn't as much fun to read about people making it work in a humdrum kind of way.

Making a marriage work after the death of a child is a momentous task, and one that wasn't adequately addressed by Trigiani. There's a wealth of literature on the subject, but to me, Jack and Ave's marriage and their struggles didn't seen true to life. It was almost as if Trigiani made up this trauma out of thin air to give their marriage something to stumble over, and she didn't develop it fully.

This isn't as captivating at the first novel about the Big Stone Gap characters. Read them in order if you are trying out the series.

Long time spinster Ave Maria Mulligan married Jack MacChesney in the far better novel Big Stone Gap. But, alas, the marriage has grown stale. Following the death of their second child the two find it increasingly difficut to communicate, or even to muster much concern for the other. The supporting cast of characters is so much more fun than the main characters that I have trouble mustering up much concern for Ave and Jack myself. The book comes alive when Ave and her daughter travel back to Italy-without Jack--to spend time with her family. Upon her return to Big Stone Gap she and Jack eventually effect a reconciliation. One hopes that it "takes" because another novel exploring their further marriage travails would be too, too much.

This story is a continuation of Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series. I love Ave Maria and all that she goes through. The story made me laugh and cry. I am thankful to Adriana Trigiani for helping me forget my own life struggles. I was able to capture her characters and want to continue reading. It was fun to keep up with the characters, places and lives in the next installment of Big Stone Gap. Having visited Italy only once in my life, it was a great reminder of the love I have for the Italian culture. Peaceful mountain terrain anywhere is calming and relaxing.

Following on from Big Stone Gap, part 2 of Trigiani's trilogy picks up Ave Maria's life 8 years after her marriage to Jack.

Darker, sadder but more honest and insightful than Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler faces up to the fact that

a) life isn't always a bed of roses

b) people often screw up

... but it doesn't have to be the end of the world when it happens.

NB: I'd ordered this at the same time as Big Stone Gap, and enjoyed reading them back-to-back, while the characters and `history'of Big Stone Gap was still fresh in my mind.

I enjoyed Big Stone Gap and anticipated the sequel, hoping it would further explore the relationship between Ave and Jack. I always found their relationship and Ave's decision to marry him in the last part of BSG a bit shallow minded, with Ave putting her dreams and aspirations aside to become the doting housewife. An easy ending. I was curious to see how the relationship would develop, obviously Ave is a more complex person that that, only to find Ave and Jack smack in the middle of a crisis and serious lull in their relationship. Never having experienced the "good parts" which were not fully realized in the first book, I continue to wonder why Ave chose this life. Of course, Ave goes off and attempts to explore herself with a glimpse of her old independent spirit, only to return to BSG and accept all of the fault for the breakdown of their relationship. Pleazzz.

This story is a continuation of Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series. I love Ave Maria and all that she goes through. The story made me laugh and cry. I am thankful to Adriana Trigiani for helping me forget my own life struggles. I was able to capture her characters and want to continue reading. It was fun to keep up with the characters, places and lives in the next installment of Big Stone Gap. Having visited Italy only once in my life, it was a great reminder of the love I have for the Italian culture. Peaceful mountain terrain anywhere is calming and relaxing.

Following on from Big Stone Gap, part 2 of Trigiani's trilogy picks up Ave Maria's life 8 years after her marriage to Jack.

Darker, sadder but more honest and insightful than Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler faces up to the fact that

a) life isn't always a bed of roses

b) people often screw up

... but it doesn't have to be the end of the world when it happens.

NB: I'd ordered this at the same time as Big Stone Gap, and enjoyed reading them back-to-back, while the characters and `history'of Big Stone Gap was still fresh in my mind.

I enjoyed Big Stone Gap and anticipated the sequel, hoping it would further explore the relationship between Ave and Jack. I always found their relationship and Ave's decision to marry him in the last part of BSG a bit shallow minded, with Ave putting her dreams and aspirations aside to become the doting housewife. An easy ending. I was curious to see how the relationship would develop, obviously Ave is a more complex person that that, only to find Ave and Jack smack in the middle of a crisis and serious lull in their relationship. Never having experienced the "good parts" which were not fully realized in the first book, I continue to wonder why Ave chose this life. Of course, Ave goes off and attempts to explore herself with a glimpse of her old independent spirit, only to return to BSG and accept all of the fault for the breakdown of their relationship. Pleazzz.

This is a continuation of the story revolving around Maria and Jack after their marriage and change of location. After she married Jack MacChesney (a Scottish cousin of Kenny who is from East Tennessee), they move to Kingsport, Tennessee. Big Stone Gap is not your typical Southern small town; it is a mountain town in the Appalachian mountains of southwestern Virginia. At the highest peak, one can see parts of four other Southern states: Kentucky, North Carolina and West Virginia. It is strange to have an educated 35-year-old professional woman fall in love with an uneducated coal miner, no matter how good looking he is.

Now, it is eleven years later and much has happened to them in Kingsport at Big Cherry Holler. "Rick and Mousey want to start a construction company: the three of us. We think there's going to be a lot of development in the area." For the first time in his life, Jack is officially his own boss. "Mr. J's Construction Company opened its door on November 20, 1983. A real reason to celebrate Christmas." Shoo the Cat is asleep in the hallway in an empty box Etta uses for Barbie school.

By now, they have two children, ten-year old Etta, and little brother Joe who dies unexpectedly from lieukema. They have trouble dealing with his death, even at such a young age. In April, 2005, my grandson was killed in a one-car accident in Florida. His family continues to grieve. Zachary wrote to me, "Life without Tristan is like the dark side of the moon. It's been eighteen weeks since I've seen him -- can't think of the last time I hugged him or told him I loved him or was proud of him. All I know is that I failed him, or he'd still be alife if I'd protected him more. "I still suffer enormously -- it's actually worse now, because the shock and numbness are wearing off." A marriage will suffer as they attempt to bear the scars of their son's untimely death.

Maria takes Etta to visit relatives in Italy after she suspects that Jack has found solace in a bittersweet relationship with Karen Bell. Fleeta Mullens says, "Men are men and he definitely had a fine time while she was running around Italy." You can be married and make a friend with the feelings sometimes intense. That's not infidelity. She finds someone who lessens the pain, handsome Pete Rutledge, in Italy who comes to visit Big Cherry Holler and causes a lot of flack, though he and Jack get along well. Jack is talented with his hands but not a reader like Maria, the last book he read was MOBY DICK in the eleventh grade. Of course, Pete is more cosmopolitan, as Italins always are. There are plenty of colorful scenery, whether she's traversing the Alps or the Appalachians where we find all the folky charm of the natives.

Maria had become co-owner of the pharmacy in Kingsport, but the story is of a mother grappling wiht grief over the loss of a child and its consequences. Jack decorates the soda fountain ; "all we need is Lana Turner on the stool and we're in business." This tragedy of life which hits most families is the problem of letting go of the past, the old hurts and waiting for something wonderful to happen; of expectation we have about our mates. This is the human side of marriage and the cross we all bear to have our own families and happiness either in the hills of Tennessee or in a small town in Italy.

Honestly, Big Stone Gap was better but I loved the fact that I could pick this book up and read about the same town and the same people. The subject matter in this book is heavier than the first, but it was still a good book that is worth reading.

Adriana Trigiani has a gift for bringing the reader into the story. I can see her characters in my mind. I think if I visited the places where her stories take place, they would seem familiar. I care about what happens to the people in her story, and I couldn't put this book down until it was finished. She is a compelling storyteller and my new favorite author!

Big Cherry Holler is a more than adequate sequel to the first entry in this series. I love Ave Maria and feel that she is a lot more like real women than alot of characters I have come across in novels. She is flawed but still immensely lovable which I believe makes her very believable. My biggest problem with the story however was that I feel that Ava was basically getting a raw deal by everyone in her life. Why was this estrangement from her husband all her fault? Either her husband and friends were blaming her unjustly or her terrible behavior towards Jack Mac wasn't actually depicted in the book. I saw a woman dealing with the death of her son the best she could and being a wife and mother to her reamining family the best she could. Granted, she was far from perfect, but who is? Furthermore, her husband seemed to me to be the one having trouble communicating anything to his wife. Time and again, Ava says that Jack Mac doesn't talk to her about anything or that she has to pull everything out of him and then we are told that she is the one who closes herself off from him. Am I missing something?? Other than this albeit rather major flaw, I did enjoy the story and would look forward to a third installment in this series.

This is an excellent book, and excellent follow-up to her first book, Big Stone Gap. I live approximately 3 1/2 hours south in Knoxville. (Where UT Pride of Southland Band is directed by Theodore) I love the area about which she writes. I have spent considerable time in Southern Virginia. I love it almost as much as East Tennessee. The areas are quite similar It makes me feel both pride and proud to read good and true books about such a misunderstood area. Compunded with the area of the country, is the fact she is Catholic and Italian. (Not everybody is Baptist in Smoky Moutain/Blue Ridge Area) What a wonderful twist. I understood and empathized with this character, and all the other coloful characters. I know quite a few of these people in others. This book will be enjoyed by people of the area, but those who want an honest portrayal of the area I love.

I love Adriana Trigiani,s work because she always gives me a terrific story about a family, whether they're blood related or a friend who's as close as family. I enjoy the adventures in Italy and the way Ave Maria always figures out what's really important in life.
Linda

One of my hobbies is historical fiction. This very loosely fits those parameters. I enjoyed reading about life in the Appalachian Mountains, had a little mystery and a little romance, all in good taste. Just the right size for a quick, fun read. Not too long.