Milk Glass Moon

This is the third book in the “Big Stone Gap” trilogy. Ave Maria’s daughter Etta is now a teenager (or almost? Anyway, by the end of the book, she’s 18). I don’t know that there’s really a plot. It’s their relationship as Etta grows up, and Etta making stupid teenage mistakes/decisions. There are a couple of trips to New York (for Ave Maria) and to Italy (for the entire family (I think)). And there are some good secondary characters.

So, without an actual plot, and it moved pretty slow… and teenage girls. It was ok, can’t say much more than that for me. I loved Ave Maria’s best friend (at first), but she also made a stupid decision that I was quite disgusted with later (you’d think she was the teenager!). I think show more I’m very much like Ave Maria. I’m not a parent, but it wouldn’t surprise me if I had been, that I’d be similar to her.

I listened to the audio, read by the author herself. She has a slightly monotone voice, but also has a Southern accent (I always thought she’d have an Italian accent!). It did keep my interest, for the most part, it just wasn’t a terribly exciting book. And oops, I thought it was a trilogy, but it appears there is a 4th book. I think I am unlikely to pick it up. show less

I rejected Trigiani's earlier two books in favour of this one that sounded more interesting. Then I figured out while reading it that they were a series of three. I'll probably go back and read the first two at some point now. The story spans about six years as the narrator's daughter ages from twelve to eighteen. I really liked the time span. A lot of books cover a very short period of time, a year, or several lifetimes. I can't remember reading many books covering a few years like this. The author has crammed tons into the story, some of which seems rather irrelevant (but which may make more sense in the contaxt of the two earlier books) but I liked it that way, it felt like a complete story.

for some reason this was my least favorite in the big stone gap series. it had a rushed, pat feeling. ave maria seemed much more bossy and less likeable than usual, at least in her interactions with etta...although an explanation was supplied. also, the resolution to her conflict with her daughter seemed forced and too quick...she was angry on one page and over it two pages later (or at least it seemed that way). still, adriana trigiani is one of my favorite writers and i am definitely looking forward to her next book.

Not as interesting as the first two in the series, but still a fun read and escape to the 'South', as well as Italy. I do love the main characters voice. She often has the same reactions that I do to certain situations - like running in to the floozy (Karen Bell) that attempted to steal her husband. Great internal dialog there;) A fun and delightful continuation to the history of Ave Marie, Jack Mac and their daughter Etta, as well as all the other eccentrics of Big Stone Gap that I have come to love.

Settling down with a book from Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series is like curling up on a Sunday afternoon with a cup of hot chocolate and a hot water bottle - it's warm, comforting and very enjoyable.

In this episode of Ave Maria's life, she struggles with her daughter Etta, who is growing up from a little girl into a young woman. Ave Maria had defined ideas of what her daughter would be like, but the headstrong Etta has different ideas. Meantime, a person from Ave's past comes back into her life and makes her assess her marriage closely...

All the familiar cast from the first two books are here - Iva Lou, Fleeta, Spec and of course Jack MacChesney, and reading about them is like receiving a letter from an old friend. If you enjoyed show more the first two books in the series, this one is recommended. show less

I love Trigiani's writing. Her characters open themseleves to us, letting us inside their fears, their joys, their flaws, their happiness. This is the third book in the Big Stone Gap series. I will continue to read her works.

The third book in the Big Stone Gap series. While I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, Big Stone Gap and Big Cherry Holler, I found this one to be just okay, a little better than average.

The main character of this book is Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney. In the first two books I really loved her character and her choices in life. This time I wanted to shake her more than once. Instead of the strong character from the first two books she seemed whiney and even shrewish at times, especially within her relationship to her teenaged daughter. I also felt he book seemed rushed, going through years with the turn of a page.

That said I still enjoy the eccentric characters, and the beautiful descriptions, especially of Italy. And I show more love Jack Mac, Ave's true blue husband; even though I think his appearances here were mostly to calm down Ave after one of her outbursts.

Not as good as the first two, but still gets extra points for bringing me on another trip to Big Stone Gap, which probably won't happen again, as it appears as if there is another book in the series it will be centered elsewhere. show less