Friendship Bread

A Novel

By: Darien Gee

Narrated by: Nancy Linari

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.

One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: "I hope you enjoy it." Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others.

Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.

When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.

In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.

About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2011 Darien Gee (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Deliciously entertaining! You'll root all the way as these characters stumble toward forgiveness, understanding, and, ultimately, celebration. A perfect book club selection, Friendship Bread is a treat worth sharing with all the women in your life." (Kate Jacobs, New York Times best-selling author of The Friday Night Knitting Club)

“The wonderful characters in Friendship Bread face life-changing adversity of the sort that either brings us down or transforms us into better people. Darien Gee has a writer’s heart and a baker’s sense of mixing it all just right. The result is a book you will read over and over.” (Nancy Pickard, New York Times best-selling author of The Scent of Rain and Lightning)

“Friendship Bread is a poignant, utterly compelling read. Darien Gee has deftly created a small town so endearing, you won’t want to leave. Friendship Bread is a novel you won’t soon forget.” (Patricia Wood, national best-selling author of Lottery)

Friendships

Cute story for 25 years and up! Loved how it was told and how you were introduced to the characters. Liked how the characters came into each other’s lives and how a small act of kindness goes a long way and how it touches everyone differently.

loved it

Absolutely loved the novel. Simple writing, easy listening, and I wish I lived in the town of Avalon with these characters. This book shows some great connections between people, how one small action can explode into wonderful results, and how things can come full circle when you least expect them to. Yes, its definitely a chick-novel, but a very uplifting, heartwarming story.

A pleasant enough read

I would say that this is a 3-4 star read. The plot is a bit above average for this type of small town women centered book, and the characters do grow on you as the story progresses. Good enough for an audible credit.

Tasty Treat!

What made the experience of listening to Friendship Bread the most enjoyable?

This was a heart warming story for anyone, especially those who have lost a child.

pretty lame

This is one my husband would call a "chick novel." It's not trash, but pretty low level writing.