Big Stone Gap

Very nice story. Mountain setting, well developed characters, authentic themes. Looking forward to the next one.

Cute story, but not written very well.

Trigiani captures the multiple levels of family dynamics so well. In this book - the start of a series - we are introduced to a 35 yr old who has just lost her parents and for whom life is changing rapidly. The relationship she had with her parents is examined in an off hand way, as are the familial relationships among the rest of the townspeople. But all the while, the real story is the universality of family bonds. Ave's realization of the bonds that she has frame the path of this story.

The first time I heard of this book was when I saw the movie trailer. I love it when movies are made from books; it's fun to compare the differences and discover what I like or don't in each. I found it to be a light, fun story and I enjoyed the quirky characters and small town setting. The story was a bit sappy and unrealistic at times and I tired of how wishy-washy the main character was but that is part of what makes her so lovable. As for the movie, well, this is one of the few times that I enjoyed the movie more than I did the book. If you don't take things too seriously, the characters and story will make you laugh and warm your heart.

I really liked this book. Very descriptive. I felt I knew the characters. Looking forward to seeing the movie!
Literary Leopards March 2014 selection.