Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Millions of readers around the world have fallen in love with the small town of Big Stone Gap, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and the story of its self-proclaimed spinster, Ave Maria Mulligan. In the series' enchanting debut, Ave Maria reaches her thirty-fifth year and resigns herself to the single life, filling her days with hard work, fun friends, and good books. Then, one fateful day, Ave Maria's past opens wide with the revelation of a long-buried secret that will alter the course of her life. Before she knows it, Ave Maria is fielding marriage proposals, trying to claim her rightful inheritance, and planning the trip of a lifetime to Italy--one that will change her view of the world and her own place in it forever. Full of wit and wonder, hilarity and heart, Big Stone Gap is a gem of a book, and one that you will share with friends and family for years to come. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE - Features behind-the-scenes bonus material from the film--including photos, excerpts from the script, and favorite recipes from on the set "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."--People " A] heartfelt tale . . . In an anecdotal style reminiscent of Fannie Flagg, Adriana Trigiani engagingly captures a slice of small-town America."--San Jose Mercury News