Bread & Wine Book Review!

Bread & Wine a love letter to life around the table with recipes, is written by Shauna Niequist and an excellent read, might I add! I loved her book so much, I look forward to reading her other two books: Bittersweet and Cold Tangerines. She is an excellent author and I just love how she ties recipes into her life stories.

   Not only did I take several recipes away with me, while reading, but I also experienced the sense of hope and happiness. Shauna writes stories of her time spent around the table, bringing together the ones she loves, in family and friendships... Everything she mentioned on the togetherness of the people who mean the most to her, I want for my life. I want the close family that laughs together. I want the strong friendships that can share everything with each other. It was nice for me to read "that it doesn't take a decade, and it doesn't take three times a week." to make that happen! That her strong friendships were based on three years. I haven't had a real friend since high school... so this gave me hope that it can happen.

 "God knows more then I know, that he sees what I can't. that he's weaving a future I can't even imagine from where I sit this morning."

   I enjoyed how Shauna shared her ups and downs of conceiving. I could relate to her some, not because I've miscarried or hadn't gotten pregnant...but because I've wanted baby #2 for so long and life circumstances just haven't let that happen yet. Being patient is one of the hardest things we can do and I understand that. I love how on page 57, Shauna's friend, Emily, was supportive in her life circumstance; giving her a gift of goggles and saying "When you feel like shattering something, I'll be right there with you. We'll put on our safety goggles. I'll help you break something, and then I'll help you clean it up." What a great friend to have. There were so many other pieces of this book, on Shauna's struggles with conceiving and things she went through, that I was shocked I could relate to. I took a TON of notes that I wanted to use in this post, and explain how touched I was, but I'm finding it really hard to put my heart onto paper (or internet for that matter) this time.

"you just have to take one step, and that when you do, the next one will appear."

  I loved her analogy on children growing up, that she can see the big and little in her five year old. She wrote, "It's like Michelangelo chipping the block of stone to free the sculpture inside: the grown up boy is in there, furled tightly like a bud on a branch, unfolding ever so slowly and then sometimes all at once."  This made me tear up because I know exactly what she means. My son is five and there are days when he seems so grown up and doesn't need me much...but also the days when he seems so tiny and I want to surround him in my wings. Watching our children growing up is such a bittersweet experience, but every minute and every step is all the bit worth it.

    Some of the recipes Shauna has shared in her book, that I would like to try are the: Blueberry Crisp, Breakfast Cookies, Annette's Enchilada's, Magical White Bean Soup, Bacon Wrapped Dates and Gaia cookies. As I make these, I will be sure to share her recipe and how they turned out!

   I could go on and on with how good reading Bread & Wine was, but then I'd end up quoting the entire book! I highly recommend you read it. I don't think you will regret it. It's an amazing book and I am proud to say I read it!

As of April 9, 2013, Bread & Wine is available for purchase in stores and online! 
You can also listen to a Free Audio Chapter or read a Free downloadable/printable sample.


This post is possible by Handlebar Publishing and Zondervan for providing me a book in exchange for my honest review. No compensation for this. All opinions are my own.