It's been a while since I read the first two books of this series, and I'd forgotten that I really didn't care for the second book. When the library got this one in, I decided to revisit Big Stone Gap and finish the trilogy. Now I find out there is a fourth book. (I'm going to pass on that one.) In book three, the main character Ave Maria is hitting fifty, still with Jack, and having a hard time dealing with the idea that her daughter has a mind of her own. The book spans about six years. What saved book two for me was Ave's friend, Theodore, finally telling her to get over herself. Unfortunately, Theodore has moved even further away geographically and wasn't available for the necessary duties this time. That fell to Etta, Ave's daughter. The best moment in this book for me was when Etta tells Ave what a spoiled rotten brat she is, always wanting everything her way and getting hysterical when people have their own plans. Thank you, Etta, I'd been thinking that for about fifty pages, and it desperately needed to be said. Ave started out as a snarky, independent, smart character. A little insecure, but able to push through it. Over the span of the three books, she's become more of a control freak, more whiny, more neurotic, more annoying. She also spends half of this book pining about an almost-affair years before and how "every wife needs a Plan B." No, no you don't. When you have a hard-working, honest, faithful, supportive husband, you do not spend that much time flirting with the "what if" guy. Not if you have a lick of sense or any respect at all for your spouse. Stupid woman. When she's not thinking about or flirting with Mr. Bluebell Field, she's digging up her daddy issues so she can rehash them again. It gets old. I found myself skimming her self-talk and angst parties to get to the far more interesting parts with Iva Lous, Fleeta or Spec. There's also a minor detail that bugs me: how does a small general contractor and the pharmacist of a struggling small-town store afford to spend the entire summer in Italy? (And not just once!) Most people in Appalachia live a year off what just the plane tickets would cost. Trigiani describes small town Appalachia beautifully. It makes me a little homesick for my old hangouts. She also has invented some wonderfully quirky minor characters, and I enjoyed catching up with their antics. As for Ave, I'm over her. At this point, she's become more irritating than interesting.
Etta is growing up! This third installment of the Big Stone Gap series made me sad, yet happy at the same time. Ave and Jack Mack have come a long way in their marriage, and have settled into a life at the center of Big Stone Gap. Jack Mack has aspirations beyond Big Stone Gap, but Ave seems very comfortable in her current life. In this book, Etta goes through the teen years to graduate from college. These are tough years for Ave as she copes with a daughter who is nothing like her, but has all of the spirit and stubbornness of the MacChesney's. Even after all of these years, Ave's Italian heritage still sets her apart from the mountain people of Stone Gap, and she's not a "native" like her daughter and husband. During Etta's high school years, the family travels back to Italy, where Jack Mack hones his passion for cooking and Etta deepens her relationships with her Italian relatives. When Etta heads back to Italy after high school graduation by herself, she calls home with shocking news that changes Ave and Jack's lives forever. I can't wait to read "Home to Big Stone Gap" so I can learn more about the next chapter in their lives.
What do You think about Milk Glass Moon (2007)?
Unbeknownst to me, i read book 4 first...then when i realized that, i started with book one, and then continued on. This is book three, and probably my favorite of the whole series. (of course, it could be because i have grown so fond of all the characters by now that i really enjoyed the story, and conclusion).The lead character, Ave Maria, can be a bit annoying, which made the series hard to read sometimes...but in this book, her "annoying" character comes to the realization that she is a pain in the ass, and that perhaps she should lighten up a bit.(of course, its not until the end that she realizes this) :)Her friends and family all know her to be this kind of person, and tease her a bit about it in this book, which to me, was sweet justice to her character. When you are reading and thinking, "enough already...put on your big girl panties and deal with it"...the other characters basically tell her that for you :)A lot of things happen to many of the characters in this book too...sad, happy, interesting, fun....and she covers a lot of years in this book, as well as answering some questions about the folks we've come to love. All in all, a nice, light book...and i have to admit, as a whole, i enjoyed the series very much!
—Lisa
I just love this series and love Ave Maria, Jack Mac, Theodore, Iva Lou and most of the characters in it; they are as real to me as the people I grew up with in my own little mountain mining town. Nobody gets into the heads, hearts, and flaws of her still-lovable characters like Trigiani. Granted, Etta is a bore, but bores exist in real life. I am so glad she wrote a fourth book, which I can't wait to read. I guess I don't want a fifth one, if she decides to write it, since the characters are just a bit older than me, and if she writes another book, it would probably be to kill off Jack Mac or one of my other favorites, and I am losing too many old friends in my real life as it is. I prefer my fictional friends to just fade off into the sunset with their life lessons learned.
—LadyCalico
Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney's story continues in this third book of the Big Stone Gap series. With her daughter growing into a young woman, the mother daughter relationship changes, and both must work to find a comfortable ground with each other. At the same time there are challenges to face with her husband Jack, their beloved town, and the friends and neighbors met in the earlier books. The story travels from southwest Virginia to the Italian Alps to New York as each situation unfolds. Trigiani's descriptive style again brings alive the Italian Alps as well as her lovable characters.
—Betty Strohecker
