Big Cherry Holler

By: Adriana Trigiani

Narrated by: Adriana Trigiani

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Ave Maria must decide between old love and new adventures in this enthralling second novel in the beloved Big Stone Gap series

“Heartwarming . . . Everything that really matters is here: humor, romance, wisdom, and drama.”—The Dallas Morning News

Eight years have passed since Ave Maria Mulligan married Jack Mac, moved up into the hills, and dug in her roots even deeper. But Ave Maria soon discovers that the mountains cannot shelter her from the painful lessons of the heart. As her life reaches a crossroads, almost everybody in town has advice to offer—including the Bookmobile’s self-appointed sexpert Iva Lou Wade, savvy pharmacy owner Pearl Grimes, crusty chain-smoking cashier Fleeta, and of course, the always-wise band director Theodore Tipton. But when Ave Maria takes her daughter to Italy for the summer, her passion for a seductive stranger will test her marriage—and push her to choose the man who is truly her destiny.

At once funny and deeply poignant, resonant with the power of love and forgiveness and the unexpected events that force us to stake a claim in our own lives, Big Cherry Holler is a wise, wonderful story to treasure.

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

©2002 Adriana Trigiani (P)2012 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

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

"Delightfully quirky...chock-full of engaging, oddball characters and unexpected plot twists, this Gap is meant to be crossed." (People)

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

Loved it

What made the experience of listening to Big Cherry Holler the most enjoyable?

Though it took me some time to get used to Adriana Trigiani's voice, by the time I was reading Big Cherry Holler, I was loving it and visualizing the characters in my head. I loved following the various people in the book and began taking a vested interest in the wellbeing of Ave Maria and her family.

What does Adriana Trigiani bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her accents were spot on. I loved them and though I couldn't see how, after listening to her more recent books, I could get into a book such as Big Stone Gap, I very much did.
I think that since Ms. Trigiani grew up in the area where the story takes place, she was able to capture the feeling of the culture of this society.

If you could take any character from Big Cherry Holler out to dinner, who would it be and why?

For sure it would be Ave Maria. I loved the way as she was talking to people, she reflected immediately on her inner thoughts which were often quite different from the way she was coming across to the person spoken to. I could really relate to her perspective much of the time.

Any additional comments?

This series is nothing short of delicious. I have just read the third book and have just downloaded the fourth. xxxAdriana

Growing Pains in Mountains of Virginia

This is the second of the Big Stone Gap stories. Ava Maria and Jack have been married about ten years and have the sweetest little girl, Etta. Their marriage is facing "growing pains" . . . they've lost their precious four year old son, Joe to leukemia three years earlier, and grief does horrible things to people. When the coal mines close, Jack loses his sense of identity and Ava Maria doesn't help things by having no clue as to how men tick. In my opinion, neither Jack nor Ava Maria help the situation much . . . both retreating to their own corners and flirting with disaster . . . as humans sometimes do . . . I could have done with a little more depth and wisdom at that point . . . but all and all, I love the characters in this series. The narration is perfect, and by the author. I'm listening to next book already, Milk Glass Moon.

Just the book I needed

A perfect escape book -- likable, fun characters -- late 1970's Virginia coal mining town - just a great listen. The author narrates the book with wonderful expression that brings each character to life and gave me plenty of out loud laughs. Relationships are sensitively explored and evolve leading to #2 in this trilogy.

LOVE THIS AUTHOR!

I happen upon her book "Big Stone Gap" by chance. I was not familiar with Adriana,, but I read the reviews and purchased the audio version. Wow! Loved it! But, what makes the books in this trilogy even better, in my opinion, is Adriana, herself, is the narrator of them. I love the characters. I love the author's humor, and how she brought the characters to life. I actually laughed out loud at times.

Amazing!!!! Surpasses the original

Couldn’t stop listening! This entire story is made by the masterful narration from the author. Can’t wait to start the third installment!

Excellent

Such a great book on the dance of marriage. Loved the narration and the story line!

Loved the characters

The audio really made the difference for me. All the characters were done by the author.

Defines love and friendship

I loved this book even better than the first one and can't wait to continue the series. This book doesn't sugarcoat love and marriage, rather it reminds you that relationships take work (sometimes a lot) in order to last. It actually made me look at my own marriage and ask myself if I was doing enough, if he was doing enough, and what we could do better in hopes of having the strongest relationship possible. The story shows that we're all human, capable of mistakes, and deserving of love and forgiveness. It's not just about their marriage, but events that happened with everyone in the town kept my interest going from start to finish. I can't wait to read the next one!

Outstanding!

Easy to listen to. Easy to get to know and fall in love with each character. Descriptive enough that you feel like you are one of “them”. I not exactly sure how the author did it, but this book is better than and cheaper than therapy. You feel what Ava’s feeling so deeply, that it causes you to do some soul searching yourself. I love that through it all, Ava recognizes what Jack Mack has gone through, too. And she owns her part in putting him through it. ( I’m sick of all these weak men in books and movies!) Yes, we can have strong women AND strong men in a relationship. Loved the book and loved your narration.

Big Cherry Holler

Great sequel to the Big Stone Gap! Anyone with a marriage in trouble should listen!