The Lost Art of Mixing

By: Erica Bauermeister

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell

Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

National best-selling author Erica Bauermeister returns to the enchanting world of The School of Essential Ingredients in this luminous sequel.

Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. There’s Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Finnegan, quiet and steady as a tree, who can disappear into the background despite his massive height; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect....

Their lives collide and mix with those around them, sometimes joining in effortless connections, at other times sifting together and separating again, creating a family that is chosen, not given. A beautifully imagined novel about the ties that bind - and links that break - The Lost Art of Mixing is a captivating meditation on the power of love, food, and companionship.

©2013 Erica Bauermeister (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Erica Bauermeister's characters are alive and savory as the food she describes so well.... Most chapters in The Lost Art of Mixing could stand independently, but blended together, they make a memorable novel. The Seattle author reminds us how the rituals surrounding food sustain us emotionally and spiritually by giving us opportunities to gather as family and community, sharing more fully in one another's lives by taking the time to break bread together." (Portland Oregonian)

"The individual stories are so compelling and woven together so seamlessly that I fell in love with every one of them. Beyond that, I think the author must have strung the words together with magic because they left me mesmerized." (First for Women)

"Harrowing and graceful at once, this is some of Bauermeister's strongest writing." (The Seattle Times)

I loved this little book

These characters, first met in the School of Essential Ingredients, are so beautifully and carefully sketched! Please give us more Erica, and choose Cassandra to help make them come to life!

First Book is Better

I loved the first book because it linked the characters together in a cooking class. The second book didn’t have the cooking class, it was a bunch of characters and their backgrounds.

Feel Like I Came Late To The Party

I bought this book as part of a sale, not realizing that this was a series book...either book two or three. Compliments to the author, I did not realize this till well within the book. It felt like a stand alone book.

The story was going alone fine till the addition of external family. Maybe these additions and backstories were to create depth of charactors. It didn't work. In my opinion they brought nothing to the story and only took away the real interesting tales.

I will go read the first book - because it appears that's where the good story is. I'll let you know when I get there.

love this author

enjoyed just like her other stories. she's great at interweaving people and their stories and bringing them together and apart while each grows in their own unique way. food or another sense is always at the center of her books too.

Beautifully written!!

Supreme imagery. Wonderful revisiting characters and meeting new ones. I hope there will be a third visit to Lillian’s kitchen.

Really Good Story

I didn't realize it when I bought this book, but it's actually a sequel to The School of Essential Ingredients. Based on my experience with The Lost Art of Mixing, I would definitely like to go back and listen to book 1. This book is SO much more than your average romance. It's about romance, family, opening up to new relationships, and letting go of past ones. Placing a restaurant at the center of the story is the perfect backdrop to what's going on in the characters' personal lives. And Campbell really helps you get to know each character. If it seems to start out a bit slow, stick with it. In my opinion, it's worth the wait.

If you're looking for a book that doesn't sacrifice depth to give you that feel-good storyline. This may be the perfect book for you.

Wanted more!

I so enjoyed the first book, The School of Essential Ingredients, in this series and thought this was "good" but could have been great!
I love the character of Lillian in the first book and she's developed a bit more in this, but then, she's dropped! I wanted to find out more about the baby, how she is juggling the restaurant and I so miss the cooking classes! That said, I do love Erica Bauermeister and I've read and enjoyed several of her other books this year (including The Scentmaker) and will likely read her again. Cassandra Campbell's narrations are always great.

great story, terrible narrator!

I love this author! The narrator pronounces words like a valley girl, she really detracts from the story with strange inflections and overly long pauses. I can't listen to any more of her!

Honest review

I thought it was a really good book but fell short in the end compared to the first book.

Warm Easy Read

Would you listen to The Lost Art of Mixing again? Why?

It is comforting, not complex more lyrical than compelling

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

It is character driven with rich imagery

Which scene was your favorite?

the kitchen

Who was the most memorable character of The Lost Art of Mixing and why?

The cook