One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.
Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.
When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.
In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.
It has been 15 years since I've enjoyed Friendship Bread (cake is what we called it). It was a bittersweet treat. When you first receive a starter batch you had 10 days of assignments on how to take care of it and then finally got to bake it and taste it's goodness. Then you had to give your divided batter away. Soon you dreaded the offer of more dough! My kids had a great time checking on their batter and reading to find out what they had to do to it that day.
This book brought those memories to the surface with delight. It is easy to relate to and root for these characters. A heartwarming, emotional story of friendship, loss, grief, reconciliation and forgiveness. Nestled between the lives of our characters are little vignettes of others touched by receiving friendship bread and a starter package.
The book includes recipes and tips. I am so tempted to ask if anyone has a starter batch!
Author: Darien Gee
Published: April 5, 2011
Pages: 363 (ARC)
Genre: Fiction
Source: LibraryThing's Early Reviewer
Finished: 3-19-11
4 Bears
This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Random House Publishing Group thorough Library Thing's Early Reviewer program and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.”
10 comments:
Well, that brought back memories. It has been quite a few years ago that we were making Friendship Bread in our area. I must say I loved it.
What a nice review, you talked me into adding this book to my TBR list.
This sounds like fun! Oh I remember that friendship bread. Yes, at first it is so much fun to feed it and stir it and wait ... and then you soon run out of people to share it with. And the fun of feeding the starter begins to fade. Regardless, I plan to check out the book.
I remember these recipes. Yes, I also remember wondering what to do with the giveaway portion! LOL
Think I might just read the book and not worry about the recipe. It's good, but....
I have this book to review also. I had a starter for quite some time. After awhile no one wanted any more of it. It is fun to come up with different varieties of bread to make with the starter. I'm looking forward to reading the book. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did.
this totally sounds like one I would enjoy reading. My SIL always sends me a starter batch!!
I'm so glad to see how much you enjoyed this book. I'm just starting it and I can see it'll probably be a fast read.
Hi, Nise'. I just finished part one of Tyger Tyger and can honestly say that I recommend it! If you know anything about Irish mythology and folklore I would recommend trying to look past that part, but, other than that, the plot moves along well. :)
I remember hearing about this quaint practice but have never participated. Kinda makes me want to ;)
I've tasted the final result; never made the bread.
I just finished this book last night, and loved it!! It makes me want some starter too!
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