A dull slice of 'Cherry' pie
The second book in the Big Stone Gap trilogy.
When last we left our neurotic, frumpy country girl heroine Ave Marie, she was on her honeymoon with Jack Mac. Now eight years later, the couple have a daughter, Etta, and their relationship is strained. This is partly due to the tragedy they suffered when their son Joe died of leukemia, and partly due to Jack's pretty, on-the-prowl new coworker. Ave Marie's friends, all outspoken and well-meaning, put her on her guard and advise her to - put simply - be a more attentive wife. But when Jack insists that Ave and Etta go on holiday to Italy without him, the insecure Ave starts to fear the worst. When she is nearly swept off her feet by a handsome American tourist, it is clear that she has a choice to make. The question remains, for whom is she making it - for herself, or for her marriage?
Well ...
They are all here again, the interesting characters that populate the tiny town of Big Stone Gap. And Ave Marie is the same as ever, to her own detriment. And I'm just as frustrated to see her with Jack Mac as I was seeing them get together at the end of the last book. Trigiani tackles some big issues here - adultery and child death being the two big ones. Frankly, it's not a good fit here. I think it's an issue of style, at least for me. There just isn't enough fun to be had here because the weight of Ave's marriage troubles get in the way. Conversely, the only part I did like was when she was vacationing in Italy, surrounded by family and friends, being wooed by the sympathetically-written tourist Pete. It was the only part of the book that seemed freeing - and I even wanted her to leave Jack for Pete!
Ave's problem is that she's too independent and doesn't want to rely on Jack - even though she does so without knowing it. She realizes it, and her friends quickly agree with her, but not before they give her terrible advice about how to behave in a marriage. In a way, it seems like Trigiani is making excuses for not letting the character grow in between books. For example, even though her friends tell her she's not working as a unit with Jack, they don't seem to treat her as though she's a married woman. As a result, they inspire frustration in the reader. Ave does have an epiphany about how she expected marriage to change her like a magic spell, which makes her seem quite childish. And did I mention that all of Ave's character flaws from the first book are only put in greater relief here?
I was never on board with Jack Mac as Ave's true love. Something about them rang false, and although Trigiani attempts to address that, it never convinces me. A depressing follow-up. Rating: 2 extramarital flings out of 5.
Well ...
They are all here again, the interesting characters that populate the tiny town of Big Stone Gap. And Ave Marie is the same as ever, to her own detriment. And I'm just as frustrated to see her with Jack Mac as I was seeing them get together at the end of the last book. Trigiani tackles some big issues here - adultery and child death being the two big ones. Frankly, it's not a good fit here. I think it's an issue of style, at least for me. There just isn't enough fun to be had here because the weight of Ave's marriage troubles get in the way. Conversely, the only part I did like was when she was vacationing in Italy, surrounded by family and friends, being wooed by the sympathetically-written tourist Pete. It was the only part of the book that seemed freeing - and I even wanted her to leave Jack for Pete!
Ave's problem is that she's too independent and doesn't want to rely on Jack - even though she does so without knowing it. She realizes it, and her friends quickly agree with her, but not before they give her terrible advice about how to behave in a marriage. In a way, it seems like Trigiani is making excuses for not letting the character grow in between books. For example, even though her friends tell her she's not working as a unit with Jack, they don't seem to treat her as though she's a married woman. As a result, they inspire frustration in the reader. Ave does have an epiphany about how she expected marriage to change her like a magic spell, which makes her seem quite childish. And did I mention that all of Ave's character flaws from the first book are only put in greater relief here?
I was never on board with Jack Mac as Ave's true love. Something about them rang false, and although Trigiani attempts to address that, it never convinces me. A depressing follow-up. Rating: 2 extramarital flings out of 5.
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