Customer Reviews

Big Cherry Holler

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This author delivers in a big way. What a treat it was to see her interviewed on the Today Show and realize there was a sequel to Big Stone Gap. Her characters are multi-dimensional...real, endearing, flawed, fun, exasperating folks. The author employs a engaging practice of setting each of these books after a life-altering event, so the big event itself exists as if a silent but essential player in the unfolding of the story. This is a book one is anxious to speed through, but sorry to see end. This reader believes it is best to read Big Stone Gap first or some developments in Big Cherry Holler could be confusing. It's fun to see what has happened, not only to Ave Maria and Jack Mac, but to Pearl, Iva Lou, Fleeta, Spec, and Aunt Alice. (What great names!) Both books are immensely funny and achingly sad, this reader's favorite combination in a novel. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

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!

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.

Big Cherry Holler by Adriana Trigiani is a charming book. After reading Big Stone Gap, I had to get Big Cherry Holler to find out what was going to happen to these charaters in later life. Southwest Virginia is in for some tough times as the coal mining company is pulling out and Jack Mac loses his job.

Now, the true test of the characters mettle is about to be told. This book is about life and some true soul searching. Told in a simple Virginia narrative, life's joys and tribulations are coming to us though the main character Ave Maria.

She narrates all of the things that run through her mind, be it good or confused... as she reaches a crossroad in her life. Being that this is a small town and everyone knows everyones business, advice is being offered, but will Ave Maria take it or strike out on her own?

This book is filled with humor, love, and passion. Also, romance and some homespun country wisdom are sprinkled into the mix, making this book readable and enjoyable. If you want to find out what happens to Ave Maria read Big Cherry Holler as it starts eight years from where Big Stone Gap left off.

A great read, I recommend it highly...an excellent story to treasure.

BIG CHERRY HOLLER is a sequel that delivers! I loved it! Ave Maria is truly everywoman -- she juggles a job, her child, and her marriage. The humor, love and community of the first book are still there, and while the first book had Ave coming to terms with herself, BIG CHERRY HOLLER has her coming to terms with her marriage. And what a story! The twists and turns (not to mention a trip to Italy) kept me hooked from the beginning. But there are tender moments and poignant moments as Ave deals with the loss of her son. Adriana Trigiani captures the ups and downs of marriage, the juggling act all mothers face and the love that keeps it all together. Even if it is tested once in awhile.

A month ago I read "Big Stone Gap" by Adriana Trigiana. The book put me under a spell, rendering it impossible for me to come up for breath until I had read the last page. I had such a good time with Ave Maria and her neighbors that I eagerly purchased the sequel, "Big Cherry Holler". Although the tone of this book is not as light as that of the first book, you will still be able to find the same group of old friends along with some new ones. Only this time, they deal with heavier issues such as the death of a child, marital strife,etc.

Trigiana writes as if she were a best friend to her readers, filling them in on all of the deep, private thoughts of Ave Maria as she comes to terms with her marriage and her life. The thoughts are realistic and surprising at times, but always genuine.

I hope to see the third book soon in this wonderful series.

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.

In the last seven days I have read BIG STONE GAP and BIG CHERRY HOLLER. I tried to slow down, and saver every page But I Couldn't! I ate each page like a dish of chocolate ice cream -- wanting more and more! At night I would dream about "The Gap," and during the day I would day dream about traveling in Italy with Ave Maria. I felt her pain, and her joy! In the end I wanted to be one of her many "colorfull" friends! Now that I am done reading both of these books I am lost, waiting for the Movie (which I read is in the making) and the 3rd (I hope) book about this charming place called BIG STONE GAP! I recommend both books highly!

Big Cherry Holler stays true to the first book (Big Stone Gap). The characters are as real and as crazy/funny as real life people. In this novel a couple struggles with the death of a child and how it shakes a marriage to its very foundation, causing the couple to take a new look at what the foundation actually is. Ave Maria, the main character, is so busy protecting herself from feeling anything that she fails to live her life fully. Her husband, Jack, has his own reactions to all of these events, and wants his wife to be free to make the important decisions and choices she must face in order to be happy and live fully. This is truley an amazing insightful look into the hearts and souls of these characters. Trigiani gentley enters their private lives and proceeds to guide us through their thoughts, hopes and dreams. The friends and family of Ave Maria and Jack add a delightful touch of humor and friendship that really are a critical part of the novel, as important as friends and family in real life. Trigiana is a wonderful story teller and manages to touch your heart with her tale.

I wasn't upset, but what happened to this second book in the trilogy? I can only hope we return to the amazing writing of Big Stone Gap in book three. This one was ok, maybe because I loved returning to a beautiful place and time. I loved the characters returning to make me laugh. These things were all hear in round two but without the heart. The story was ok, I loved visiting Italy and watching Etta grow up. But missed the amazement of Big Stone Gap that kept me on the edge of my seat. I didn't find this had any suprise in it. Just a story of a married couple trying to cope with life. Don't worry...I'm on to book three with hopes of loving it as much as the first!