Friendship Bread

Friendship Bread by Darien Gee

About The Book:

An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated. 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. About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens. 

My Thoughts:

I loved this book! The characters in the book are so vivid and great, you feel like you know them and are a part of this town. I've not read any of the other books by this author, under her different writing handle, but this book makes me want to. The writing is effortless and flows along beautifully. It keeps you hooked until the very end! I will add this to my book pile, and it will be a part of the books I will read again and again.

About The Author:

Darien Gee lives in Hawaii with her husband and three children. She is also the author of three novels under the name Mia King. To learn more about Darien and the inspiration behind Friendship Bread, visit her at www.friendshipbreadkitchen.com.

Pre-order this book on Amazon HERE. Book on sale 4-19-2011.

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Random House and Goodreads. All thoughts and opinions are my own.