A solitary artisan. A legacy of bread-baking. And one secret that could collapse her entire identity.
Liesl McNamara’s life can be described in one word: bread. From her earliest memory, her mother and grandmother passed down the mystery of baking and the importance of this deceptively simple food. And now, as the owner of Wild Rise bake house, Liesl spends every day up to her elbows in dough, nourishing and perfecting her craft.
But the simple life she has cultivated is becoming quite complicated. Her head baker brings his troubled grandson into the bakeshop as an apprentice. Her waitress submits her recipes to a popular cable cooking show. And the man who delivers her flour – a single father with strange culinary habits – seems determined to win Liesl’s affection.
When Wild Rise is featured on television, her quiet existence appears a thing of the past. And then a phone call from a woman claiming to be her half-sister forces Liesl to confront long-hidden secrets in her family’s past. With her precious heritage crumbling around her, the baker must make a choice: allow herself to be buried in detachment and remorse, or take a leap of faith into a new life.
Christa Parrish is the award-winning author of three novels, including the 2009 ECPA Fiction Book of the Year Watch Over Me. When she’s not writing, she’s a homeschool mother of three wonderful children. Married to author and pastor Chris Coppernoll, Christa serves with him as co-leader of their church’s youth ministry as well as serving as a facilitator for a divorce recovery ministry. She is now also slightly obsessed with the art of baking bread.
My Impressions:
Stones for Bread is the second book I have read by Christa Parrish, but will definitely not be the last! She is an author to put on your must read list, and her latest novel is proof of her big talent.
Liesl is a baker of bread; a keeper of bread. Bread making is more than a way to make a living for her. It is a way to connect with her past and her passion. It also is a good way to work herself so much she has little time for relationships. Although she has been safe in her kitchen, Liesl is forced to make connections — to her staff, a friendly delivery man and his daughter and to her past. It is her past that has kept her insulated and it is her past she must confront.
I loved the way Parrish tells Liesl’s story. She begins her chapters with glimpses of Liesl’s childhood and then interspersed is a mystical tale of bread containing facts, superstitions and spiritual truths. And for those who are more adventurous and patient than myself, there are recipes for sourdough starter and breads. But it is the characters that really make the story for me — Xavier a retired baker and his grandson Jude, Tee the cantankerous Ukranian cook, the prodding kitchen helper/waitress Gretchen, and the larger-than-life Seamus and his daughter Cecelia, the little girl abandoned by her mother who makes the biggest connection with Liesl.
So if you want a very satisfying read with a complex storyline and well-fleshed-out characters, pick up a copy of Stones for Bread. And you may want a little snack near by; this book really whet my appetite!
Highly Recommended.
Great For Book Clubs.
To read more reviews, click HERE.
To purchase this book, click on the image below.
(Thanks to LitFuse for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)
We’re thrilled to be touring Christa Parrish‘s fourth novel, Stones for Bread. Filled with both spiritual and literal nourishment, Stones for Bread provides a feast for the senses from award-winning author Christa Parrish.
Christa is celebrating the release of Stones for Bread with a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway.
EASY STEPS TO ENTER:
1. Follow Christa Parrish and TNZ Fiction on Pinterest.
2. Then Pin the Stones for Bread book cover (below), the contest graphic (above), or both, and link to this post (using this URL: http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/stones-for-bread-by-christa-parrish).
3. Then fill out THIS SHORT FORM to let us know. (There are also some additional ways to earn extra entries, as well as an option for non-Pinterest users. It’s true—people like that do exist!)
Questions? Email info @ litfusegroup dot com.
Winner will be announced on Christa’s Facebook Page on December 9th. Happy pinning!
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