Little Beach Street Bakery

I shy away from Chick Lit.  I am not sure why except I think I feel that that aspect of life has passed me by.  I am no longer a 30 something looking for love.  I am advancing into my Miss Marple stage or at least the Mrs. Marple stage!

I do like books with recipes such as the Tea Shop Mysteries so perhaps the bread recipes are what grabbed my attention.  I am so glad they did.  I loved this book.  I am drawn to the setting and the food but eventually the story sucked me in.  

Polly's life is falling apart.  She and her boyfriend are facing bankruptcy with a failing business and their relationship has hit rock bottom as well.  There is nothing left for her to do but leave and try to start over.  She moves to a small island into a falling apart former bakery with a grouchy baking rival as her landlady.  Before long her therapeutic baking attracts the attention of some locals which leads to a new relationship that isn't what it seems.

Although the ending is uplifting, there are plenty of drops along the way.  

From Amazon:

In the bestselling tradition of Jojo Moyes and Jennifer Weiner, Jenny Colgan's moving, funny, and unforgettable novel tells the story of a heartbroken young woman who turns a new page in her life . . . by becoming a baker in the town of Cornwall

A quiet seaside resort. An abandoned shop. A small flat. This is what awaits Polly Waterford when she arrives at the Cornish coast, fleeing a ruined relationship.

To keep her mind off her troubles, Polly throws herself into her favorite hobby: making bread. But her relaxing weekend diversion quickly develops into a passion. As she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, each loaf becomes better than the last. Soon, Polly is working her magic with nuts and seeds, chocolate and sugar, and the local honey—courtesy of a handsome beekeeper. Packed with laughter and emotion, Little Beach Street Bakery is the story of how one woman discovered bright new life where she least expected—a heartwarming, mouthwatering modern-day Chocolat that has already become a massive international bestseller.

Jayber Crow

I am not sure where I read about the book Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry, but it piqued my interest.  I went right to the library to find it.  Part of the reason I was drawn to it was because the reviewer said it was a book he had to read in seminary.  I assumed it would be "religious."  It wasn't religious but it was spiritual.

Jayber Crow is an orphan.  He has decided to become a minister; however, in college he confronts questions for which there are no answers.  At least the answers will be for him alone and it may take a lifetime to learn them.  So he leaves college to wander.

Eventually, he settles in a small town and takes over as the only barber.  It is here he truly ministers. His clients depend on him for more than a weekly shave and a haircut.

From Publishers Weekly

The role of community in the shaping of character is a recurring theme in the work of poet, essayist and novelist Berry, as evidenced once more in this gratifying novel set in Berry's fictional Port William, Ky. Jayber Crow, town barber from 1937 until 1969, is born in the environs of Port William, but after the deaths of his parents and, later, his guardians, he is sent to an out-of-town orphanage at the age of 10. Returning 13 years later, in the flood year of 1937, the solitary young man goes on to learn the comradely ways of the town. "In modern times much of the doing of the mighty has been the undoing of Port William and its kind," Crow reflectsAa reflection, too, of Berry's often-stated beliefs that salvation must be local, that rootlessness and a fixation on the postindustrial era's bright new toys will destroy us environmentally and economically. Crow earns his living with simple tools; he becomes a church sexton, though he is not unthinkingly pious; and his unrequited love for farmer's wife Mattie Chatham is pure and strong enough to bring him serene faith. In contrast, Mattie's husband, Troy, the novel's villain, disturbs the "patterns and cycles of work" on Mattie's family farm, trumpeting "whatever I see, I want" and using a tractor. The tractor stands for the introduction of new machinery and the unraveling of the fabric of family farming. It is not surprising when Troy cheats on his wife nor does it come as a shock when the Chatham's young daughter becomes a victim of dire chance. Berry's narrative style is deliberately traditional, and the novel's pace is measured and leisurely. Crow's life, which begins as WWI is about to erupt, is emblematic of a century of upheaval, and Berry's anecdotal and episodic tale sounds a challenge to contemporary notions of progress. It is to Berry's credit that a novel so freighted with ideas and ideology manages to project such warmth and luminosity. 12-city author tour. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Me

I loved this book.  Perhaps the theology of the book lies in Jayber's desire to always be fair, to live true to his own beliefs, and to be part of community.  Jayber added so much to his town in ways that far exceed his mere occupation.

It is not a difficult book to read.  As Publishers Weekly says it is a leisurely pace.  That doesn't mean that the reader will want to put it down.  Despite the fact that there isn't one strong plot line, there are several issues that need resolution.

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry may be difficult to find.  My library had an old well read copy but my local Barnes and Noble had two paperbacks.  

This was my first read of 2016 and a very satisfactory was to begin.