Home to Big Stone Gap

Cassandra Campbell takes us to Big Stone Gap, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, where Ave Maria Mulligan MacChesney, now having been married to her husband Jack for twenty years, has spent her entire life. Campbell's simple, warm style serves these characters well. As Ave Maria's life is complicated by unexpected events, and she finds herself facing a fork in the road, Campbell reaches into her heart and reveals her emotions and thoughts with tender compassion. Campbell's pace is in sync with these characters and life in these mountains. Be sure to keep a box of tissues nearby. B.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

October 1, 2006
As a narrator, Trigiani slips into the roles of the characters she created as naturally and comfortably as she would a well-worn pair of slippers. As the creator of protagonist Ave Maria, Trigiani has a deep understanding of the character and is able to express all her emotional nuances: her trepidation at all the sweeping changes in her life (her daughter has gotten married and moved overseas to Italy; her husband's health takes a frightening turn for the worse; she discovers that her best friend has been keeping a life-shattering secret from her); her deep love for her family, friends and town; and most of all, her ability to embrace all the lessons life has to offer, good and bad. Trigiani's narration makes all of the colorful characters feel real. They all have a Virginia "country" accent, but she deepens her voice here, adds an emphasized "twang" there to create distinctive voices for each character. Fans of this warm, homey series will find added dimension by listening to their favorite characters brought so perfectly to life. Simultaneous release with the Random House hardcover (Reviews, Sept. 4).

As the author narrates the third in her trilogy of Ave Maria MacChesney, her tenderness for her characters comes across in both her reading and writing. Devoted fans have heard Ave face possible spinsterhood, a marriage at a later age, the death of her son, and the marriage of her only daughter. Now she feathers her empty nest as her beloved Jack suffers a brush with death and the couple launches a new life. The author's narration is uneven. Her flat vocal tones emphasize the story's sentimentality, but her command of accents leads to an excellent portrayal of quirky Blue Ridge Mountain folks. Though the plot is without noticeable leaps or skips, this abridged audio may leave listeners wanting the full story. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine