I almost finished a book in one night last night, and I read the last 3o pages this afternoon. That's the first time I've done that it a long time. But Adriana Trigiani's books are always like that for me. She and Jan Karon are what I pick up when I need a good story with endearing characters that allow me to escape from my world into theirs for a few solid hours. I actually bought, Home to Big Stone Gap, when it came out a year and a half ago, but I let my mom and sister-in-law borrow it and just finally stole it back from one of their shelves in Tennessee. I won't say whose shelf I had to steal it from.
All of Trigiani's books are great reads, but I am especially fond of the Big Stone Gap novels. Perhaps it is because they talk about places and things that are home to me. Johnson City and Bristol. Music at Carter Fold on Saturday nights and small mountain churches on Sunday mornings. Biscuits and gravy and soup beans and cornbread. Curvy mountain roads and independent mountain people. But even if you aren't from there, you will fall in love with her characters and get drawn into their stories. You may even find yourself staying up like a college student again.
So if you are looking for some good summer reading or something to help you forget your whining, fighting, disobedient preschooler and toddler...not that I am saying anything about my own precious boys...pick up one of Adriana Trigiani's books. You'll be hooked.
Oh, and I must mention that this book found a special place in my heart for it's condemnation of mountaintop removal mining.
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5 comments:
Music at the Carter Fold on Saturday nights. (deep sigh of homesickness) My parents and I took my English husband the first time he came to America with me, and he loved it. That night will forever be a part of our family folklore. I hope to go back when we're home.
I've never read any of Trigiani's books, but they're widely available over here. I must pick one up, but I'm always afraid I'll become too homesick!
Thanks for the review! I'm always looking for a good book.
I love love her books too!
Johnson City - did you just say Johnson City? :) I know we've talked about this before, but my Mom's family is from Johnson City and I spent a LOT of time there during summer vacation. Now I'm over the hill (heh)and down a ways in NC, but I do love mountain stories...gonna have to look this author up.
Have you ever read any books by Sharyn McCrumb? She is from the Appalachians and has written atleast one book located in east TN (they might all be - I don't know). The one I've read is "The Ballad of Frankie Silver" - which I think was based on a true event (although the rest of the story is fiction). It takes place in the mountains between NC and TN.
I just finished Jan Karon's latest novel... although it was mostly set in Mississippi instead of western NC so it didn't have the taste of Appalachia that her Mitford novels have. Nevertheless, it reminded me lots of my mom's upbringing in northern Louisiana.
Thanks for the recommendation of another good storyteller. I'll put her books on my list.
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