Big Stone Gap

A Novel

By: Adriana Trigiani

Narrated by: Adriana Trigiani

Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first novel in the beloved Big Stone Gap series, now a major motion picture written and directed by Adriana Trigiani, starring Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, John Benjamin Hickey, Jane Krakowski, Anthony LaPaglia, and Jenna Elfman

“Delightfully quirky . . . chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists.”—People (Book of the Week)

It's 1978, and Ave Maria Mulligan is the thirty-five-year-old self-proclaimed spinster of Big Stone Gap, a sleepy hamlet in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She’s also the local pharmacist, the co-captain of the Rescue Squad, and the director of The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the town’s long-running Outdoor Drama. Ave Maria is content with her life—until, one fateful day, her past opens wide with the revelation of a long-buried secret that will alter the course of her life. Before she knows it, Ave Maria is fielding marriage proposals, trying to claim her rightful inheritance, and planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy—one that will change her view of the world and her own place in it forever.

Millions of readers around the world have fallen in love with the small town of Big Stone Gap, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and its self-proclaimed spinster. Full of wit and wonder, hilarity and heart, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book, and one that you will share with friends and family for years to come.

WINNER OF THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA ANNUAL LITERARY AWARD

Don’t miss any of Adriana Trigiani’s beloved Big Stone Gap series
BIG STONE GAP • BIG CHERRY HOLLER • MILK GLASS MOON • HOME TO BIG STONE GAP

©2003 Adriana Trigiani (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Delightfully quirky... Chock full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists.” (People)

"As comforting as a mug of chamomile tea on a rainy Sunday." (The New York Times Book Review)

“Charming... Readers would do well to fall into the nearest easy chair and savor the story." (USA Today)

awesome story

love love the characters and this story. cannot wait to read the next three books.

Great reader Slow but entertaining

Where does Big Stone Gap rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is one of the better ones. The story takes place in the blue ridge mountains, the reader talks in 1st person and tells her story with a twang. It isn't a book you can't stop listening to but you definitely want to go back to carry on the story.

What did you like best about this story?

How the main figures outlook changes and develops over time.

What about Adriana Trigiani’s performance did you like?

She stayed in character pretty well.

This book had me fall in love with love all over

This book had me fall in love with love all over again! I had a hard time getting past the author's voice, but the story captured my attention. I have to admit I caught myself staying in my car, long after I got home, just to listen to this story in silence. Can't wait to read the next 2 books in the series!!

Relatable but sappy for my taste

Relatable, cute, syrupy and sappy including a few lines of food for thought though ...

Why?

Would you listen to Big Stone Gap again? Why?

Yes

What did you like best about this story?

The love story.

Which scene was your favorite?

When she was waiting on the porch and he got home.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Pretty much

Any additional comments?

Why would you add an interview at the end of this book that reveals the twists of the next? That was such a bummer.

Wonderful story

Would you consider the audio edition of Big Stone Gap to be better than the print version?

Yes, because the author is reading it and puts her special knowledge of each character in to her narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ave Maria

Which character – as performed by Adriana Trigiani – was your favorite?

Iva Lou

Who was the most memorable character of Big Stone Gap and why?

Ave Maria because she is not perfect and she is ok with that! She is also willing to change.

Any additional comments?

This is a coming of age story about a 35 year old town pharmacist who has never been married. This book is so much fun! It takes place in the south with all the traditions, twang and hilarity that comes with it. You can actually envision the big hair on these ladies that we come to love. There are so many fabulous one liners it would take forever to write them all down. I found myself laughing out loud through the entire book. Not the epic masterpiece of The Shoemakers Wife but it is a wonderful, heart warming, great characters kind of book. Perfect for any time of the year!

enjoyed

enjoyed it immensely. I loved the narration by the author who obviously knows the characters best. laughed frequently

Oh how I didn't want it to end!

This is all women. Loved the humour but mostly loved how much women can relate to it. It is us.

Do not listen to the interview at the end!

Any additional comments?

Do not listen to the interview at the end of this book! The Author is wonderful but gives away some very important information regarding the plot in the second book. I was very frustrated!

Enjoyed every minute of it!

Loved the voices and the humor. Got to get Milk Glass Moon next! Feel like I know the characters.