Friendship Cake: A Novel
7 journalers for this copy...
this is a book I almost didn't read. my eyes had just slid on by this title numerous times as it didn't catch my interest *at all*
Until one night I'd finished one book, couldn't find the other I'd been reading, and was desperate for something--anything --to read. The cover art still looked like a boring (to me) book. And then I noticed a blurb by Rita Mae Brown. And then one by Maya Angelou. so I decided to give it a try.
And it is so SO good!! This was WAYYYYYYY more and better than I expected it to be. i was drawn right in, and quickly grew to care....
Thumbs up!!
From Publishers Weekly
How many Southern women does it take to put together a cookbook? Five, in Hinton's sincere but frothy debut novel, in which several female congregants of the appropriately named Hope Springs Community Church in North Carolina decide to create a cookbook; each has her own special recipe to share and a story to tell. On the cookbook committee are pragmatic Margaret, whose down-home wisdom makes her the community confidant; 63-year-old Louise, nursing the unrequited love of her life, another woman, through Alzheimer's; Beatrice, with a finger in everyone else's pie; Jessie, the only black woman in the all-white congregation; and Reverend Charlotte Stewart, their first woman preacher. The project originates as a form of female bonding through food, but as the committee holds meetings to review their progress, a lot more is stirred up than soups and stews. Also on the table are death and sex, friendship and love. The characters introduce themselves in the opening chapters, and their voices are like a potluck dinner, unsophisticated and oddly comforting. Hinton, herself a North Carolina pastor, successfully endows Charlotte with all of the self-doubts that a cleric might feel facing her first congregation. Mostly, though, this is thin fare, with complex issues like interracial marriage and the tragic death of a child resolved by one easy remedy: love. There are 17 recipes included, but these are also pretty basic--banana pudding, relish, grits--leaving readers to wish there were something as satisfying as fried green tomatoes on the menu. Agent, Sally McMillan. 10-city author tour.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
The reaction of the Hope Springs Community Church women's group to the idea of writing a cookbook is lukewarm at best until Beatrice breaks down and confesses that she came up with the idea in hopes that sharing a project will make them better friends. They are an unusual group: Beatrice, the town gossip and make-up artist for the funeral home; Margaret, a reclusive widow; tough Louise, who needs the strength of others as the woman she's secretly loved for 40 years enters the final stages of Alzheimer's; Jessie, an African American, who attended a white church on a dare and found a stronger commitment to the Lord; and Charlotte, the young pastor, who tries to be everything to everyone and risks losing her faith along the way. As these women share recipes and a love of the Lord, they make a friendship cake to last till the end of their lives. Hinton (Meditations for Walking) tackles issues dividing churches today, particularly homosexuality and interracial relationships, in a caring and forthright manner. A deceptively simple first novel; for all collections.
Until one night I'd finished one book, couldn't find the other I'd been reading, and was desperate for something--anything --to read. The cover art still looked like a boring (to me) book. And then I noticed a blurb by Rita Mae Brown. And then one by Maya Angelou. so I decided to give it a try.
And it is so SO good!! This was WAYYYYYYY more and better than I expected it to be. i was drawn right in, and quickly grew to care....
Thumbs up!!
From Publishers Weekly
How many Southern women does it take to put together a cookbook? Five, in Hinton's sincere but frothy debut novel, in which several female congregants of the appropriately named Hope Springs Community Church in North Carolina decide to create a cookbook; each has her own special recipe to share and a story to tell. On the cookbook committee are pragmatic Margaret, whose down-home wisdom makes her the community confidant; 63-year-old Louise, nursing the unrequited love of her life, another woman, through Alzheimer's; Beatrice, with a finger in everyone else's pie; Jessie, the only black woman in the all-white congregation; and Reverend Charlotte Stewart, their first woman preacher. The project originates as a form of female bonding through food, but as the committee holds meetings to review their progress, a lot more is stirred up than soups and stews. Also on the table are death and sex, friendship and love. The characters introduce themselves in the opening chapters, and their voices are like a potluck dinner, unsophisticated and oddly comforting. Hinton, herself a North Carolina pastor, successfully endows Charlotte with all of the self-doubts that a cleric might feel facing her first congregation. Mostly, though, this is thin fare, with complex issues like interracial marriage and the tragic death of a child resolved by one easy remedy: love. There are 17 recipes included, but these are also pretty basic--banana pudding, relish, grits--leaving readers to wish there were something as satisfying as fried green tomatoes on the menu. Agent, Sally McMillan. 10-city author tour.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
The reaction of the Hope Springs Community Church women's group to the idea of writing a cookbook is lukewarm at best until Beatrice breaks down and confesses that she came up with the idea in hopes that sharing a project will make them better friends. They are an unusual group: Beatrice, the town gossip and make-up artist for the funeral home; Margaret, a reclusive widow; tough Louise, who needs the strength of others as the woman she's secretly loved for 40 years enters the final stages of Alzheimer's; Jessie, an African American, who attended a white church on a dare and found a stronger commitment to the Lord; and Charlotte, the young pastor, who tries to be everything to everyone and risks losing her faith along the way. As these women share recipes and a love of the Lord, they make a friendship cake to last till the end of their lives. Hinton (Meditations for Walking) tackles issues dividing churches today, particularly homosexuality and interracial relationships, in a caring and forthright manner. A deceptively simple first novel; for all collections.
Hope you enjoy this as much as i did!
This was one of my Mom's ~~I'm gradually registering her books, but awhile back it dawned on me that if I release them from mine, it's easier to follow them. Anywho, this is my apology for taking so long with Menopaws.
Enjoy our great weather!
This was one of my Mom's ~~I'm gradually registering her books, but awhile back it dawned on me that if I release them from mine, it's easier to follow them. Anywho, this is my apology for taking so long with Menopaws.
Enjoy our great weather!
Arrived in the mail yesterday. Looks like a good read. Thanks for the RABCK!
The first book in the Hope Springs trilogy...I enjoyed meeting and getting to know the five women who came together to create a church cookbook. By coming together to create the cookbook, they also began to open their lives to each other and truly become "friends". The book was an easy, gentle read. I would like to read the next two books in this series.
Journal Entry 5 by dabercro at ~~~ ♥ ~~~ A Friend ~~~ ♥ ~~~, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Released 14 yrs ago (11/17/2009 UTC) at ~~~ ♥ ~~~ A Friend ~~~ ♥ ~~~, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Sending to Aberpeter in Kirkland, WA.
Sending to Aberpeter in Kirkland, WA.
arrived yesterday. thanks dabercro
Friendship Cake is a quick, uplifting read about 5 women who become friends during the process of putting a cookbook together for their church. Each of the women experiences some struggle in her own life and it is the other women in this group that pull together and help each other out and ultimately create deep bonds between the five of them.
Adding to the ABC Bookring: Books Beginning with the Letter F
I chose this from the "F" Book ring. Looks good.
Surprisingly good. Much better than I expected. Loved all the characters.
Saving for the Food Book Box.
Saving for the Food Book Box.
Journal Entry 11 by heartthumper at Food Book Box, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Released 8 yrs ago (9/23/2015 UTC) at Food Book Box, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Added to the Food Book Box.
taking this out of the food book box
8/22/2016
As others have stated this was a very easy, sweet read about a group of women becoming friends while working on a church cookbook.
8/22/2016
As others have stated this was a very easy, sweet read about a group of women becoming friends while working on a church cookbook.
dropped in the mail to tribefan for Akron's Reading Festival in February
This book will be released at the Akron Reading Festival, held at the downtown Akron Public Library on February 4th 2017!
Journal Entry 15 by Tribefan at Akron Reading Festival in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Ohio USA on Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Released 7 yrs ago (2/4/2017 UTC) at Akron Reading Festival in -- Mail or by hand-rings, RABCK, meetings, Ohio USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Released at the Akron Reading Festival, held at the downtown Akron Public Library on February 4th 2017! Look for the Rubber City Book Posse!
Bookcrossing: n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.
- from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary
Welcome to BookCrossing!
Thank you for picking up this book. Please make a journal entry on the BookCrossing site (www.bookcrossing.com) to let me know that this book has found a good home with you. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (its free). If you join, please consider indicating that you were referred by Tribefan. I hope you enjoy the book. You can make another journal entry with your comments when you’ve finished reading. Whenever you’re ready to send it on its way, make a journal entry if you are giving or sending this book to a known person, or release notes if you are leaving it “in the wild” again for anyone to catch. Then watch its journey. You’ll be alerted by e-mail each time someone makes another journal entry. It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free.
Bookcrossing: n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise.
- from the Concise Oxford English Dictionary
Welcome to BookCrossing!
Thank you for picking up this book. Please make a journal entry on the BookCrossing site (www.bookcrossing.com) to let me know that this book has found a good home with you. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (its free). If you join, please consider indicating that you were referred by Tribefan. I hope you enjoy the book. You can make another journal entry with your comments when you’ve finished reading. Whenever you’re ready to send it on its way, make a journal entry if you are giving or sending this book to a known person, or release notes if you are leaving it “in the wild” again for anyone to catch. Then watch its journey. You’ll be alerted by e-mail each time someone makes another journal entry. It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free.