The Garden of Happy Endings
From Barbara O’Neal, beloved author of How to Bake a Perfect Life and The Lost Recipe for Happiness, comes another magical, heartfelt novel—perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs.
After tragedy shatters her small community in Seattle, the Reverend Elsa Montgomery has a crisis of faith. Returning to her hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, she seeks work in a local soup kitchen. Preparing nourishing meals for folks in need, she keeps her hands busy while her heart searches for understanding.
Meanwhile, her sister, Tamsin, as pretty and colorful as Elsa is unadorned and steadfast, finds her perfect life shattered when she learns that her financier husband is a criminal. Enduring shock and humiliation as her beautiful house and possessions are seized, the woman who had everything now has nothing but the clothes on her back.
But when the going gets tough, the tough get growing. A community garden in the poorest, roughest part of town becomes a lifeline. Creating a place of hope and sustenance opens Elsa and Tamsin to the renewing power of rich earth, sunshine, and the warm cleansing rain of tears. While Elsa finds her heart blooming in the care of a rugged landscaper, Tamsin discovers the joy of losing herself in the act of giving—and both women discover that with time and care, happy endings flourish.
MY REVIEW: Reverend Elsa Montgomery has faced challenges to her spiritual beliefs on more than one occasion, but has always managed to find her touchstone. This time, a shocking death in her own church community triggers a crisis of faith that sends her from Seattle, WA back to her hometown of Pueblo, CO. Shaken and disillusioned, Elsa turns to her sister, Tamsin, and her dear friend, Father Jake. Working in a soup kitchen and tending a communal garden help her to find a sense of peace in keeping busy and helping others. When Tamsin's world comes unglued, and she is forced to move in with Elsa, the two quite different women must resolve their own personal issues. Elsa's heart finds wings when she meets Deacon McCoy, a handsome landscaping expert who lends his expertise to the garden project. In my own personal life, I savor the exquisite simplicity of sun-warmed earth, the pull of a needle through cloth to make a quilt, and the satisfaction of nurturing others through the preparation and serving of needed sustenance. All of these elements come together in author Barbara O'Neal's "The Garden of Happy Endings: A Novel". There is also a richly rewarding sense of healed hearts, renewed faith, and hope for lasting love and happiness. Readers are also treated to a delightful little recipe section--and let me say this about that "Chicken & Dumplings recipe: Oh, my goodness!!! I look forward to reading more lovely works from Barbara O'Neal.
Book Copy Gratis Amazon Vine
The All You Can Dream Buffet
Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs—Barbara O’Neal’s new novel of food, friendship, and the freedom to grow your dreams brings together four very different women longing to savor the true taste of happiness.
Popular blogger and foodie queen Lavender Wills reigns over Lavender Honey Farms, a serene slice of organic heaven nestled in Oregon wine country. Lavender is determined to keep her legacy from falling into the profit-driven hands of uncaring relatives, and she wants an heir to sustain her life’s work after she’s gone. So she invites her three closest online friends—fellow food bloggers, women of varied ages and backgrounds—out to her farm. She hopes to choose one of them to inherit it—but who?
There’s Ginny, the freckle-faced Kansas cake baker whose online writing is about to lead her out of a broken marriage and into a world of sensual delights. And Ruby, young, pregnant, devoted to the organic movement, who’s looking for roots—and the perfect recipe to heal a shattered heart. Finally, Val, smart and sophisticated, a wine enthusiast who needs a fresh start for her teenage daughter after tragedy has rocked their lives. Coming together will change the Foodie Four in ways they could never have imagined, uniting them in love and a common purpose. As they realize that life doesn’t always offer a perfect recipe for happiness, they also discover that the moments worth savoring are flavored with some tears, a few surprises, and generous helping of joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment