Adriana Trigiani has authored the Big Stone Gap series, a delightful character-rich, witty story of a spinster living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Walking through the young adult section, I found Triginani had authored two books for teens. The Viola Chesterton books begin as quick peeks into boarding school life in South Bend, Indiana for a 9th grader whose parents must relinquish that year as they travel to Afghanistan to film a documentary. Again, these books are character driven with teen foibles, fears and funny situations. Viola must figure out how to extend herself to a new environment with peers very different from herself, and find where her talents as a filmmaker can be used. Definitely teen material, but good for adults to see into a stage of life that may have been long- forgotten.
Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani
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Will Clark–once an active sportsman and businessman– has been injured in an accident and is a quadriplegic–in a wheelchair and bitterly unhappy about his circumstances. Into his life comes Louisa Clark–a quiet young working class woman whose previous job was working as a waitress until the closing of the cafe. Due to the financial circumstances of her parents, Louisa is forced to look for any employment she can find, and she takes a position as Will’s caretaker. His mother hopes that Louisa can devise a way to life Will’s spirits and involve him in life again. Unsure about her role, Louisa realizes that “Shoved up so hard against someone else’s life forces you to rethink your idea of who you are.” Louisa becomes more assertive and expands her interests, thanks to Will’s influence. Their unique relationship grows and challenges Louisa’s perceptions of herself and what she can accomplish with her life. In 