Just as Autumn turns new leaves, so too must Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney -- the heroine of Adriana Trigiani's absorbing new novel.
Returning to Big Stone Gap, the backdrop for her previous trilogy of books, Trigiani once again invites us into the world of Ave Maria -- the ordinary, headstrong matriarch thrust into the midst of change. It all begins with the arrival of a postcard from an old friend, telling Ave Maria "It's time to live your life for you." It's a true enough assertion -- a lot has happened since previous instalment Milk Glass Moon and Ave Maria has neglected her own emotional well-being. Her daughter Etta has married and settled in Italy. Jack Mac -- handsome, charismatic Jack -- has fallen ill and Ave Maria fears the worst -- yet she can't seem to acknowledge it. And the arrival of a stranger from her past causes her lifelong friendship with Iva Lou to implode. Why shouldn't she begin to chase new dreams?
With her world shaken, Ave Maria attempts to find solace in directing the town musical -- a hilarious and possibly disastrous version of The Sound of Music -- and along the way begins to re-discover the importance of family and friends. But when a heart-throb figure from her past, Theodore Tipton, arrives on a holiday from New York City, Ave Maria once again finds her peace shattered. Add to this a heartless coal company determined to strip-mine the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding her hometown and her growing fear of the future, and Ave Maria begins to see a way out with Theodore. It's always been the comforts of friends, family, home and good food that has won through before -- can it be trusted to win through again?
Home to Big Stone Gap is the fourth book in the Big Stone Gap saga, and is the very best yet. Playwright and novelist Adriana Trigiani has created a wonderful reunion for Ave Maria and her clan, bringing dedicated fans and newbies alike a tremendous return to the small town that so many people call home.
