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Summary
Summary
A National Bestseller
" The perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day. "
--Washington Post
" A] charmer of a tale. . . Warm, witty and--like any good craft beer--complex, the saga delivers a subtly feminist and wholly life-affirming message."
--People Magazine
A novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest
Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.
With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.
Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?
Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
Author Notes
J. Ryan Stradal is the author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest which made the New York Times Best Seller List 2015.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Stradal follows up Kitchens of the Great Midwest with a refreshing story about women who know how to take charge in a family that becomes involved in the brewing industry. Edith and her sister, Helen, are young Minnesotans in the 1950s, and though the unassuming Edith gains temporary fame for her scrumptious pies, Helen becomes obsessed with making beer after her very first sip. Both women marry, and while Edith and Stanley Magnusson struggle to make ends meet, Helen manipulates her ailing, beer-loving father by selling him on her capacity to make a beer of her own. After he dies, she takes Edith's inheritance along with her own. Helen's husband, Orval Blotz, is heir to his family's failing brewing empire, and while Helen uses her inheritance and persistence to bring Blotz Beer back to popularity, Edith has difficulty forgiving Helen for her betrayal. The sisters lose track of one another for decades, but Edith's teenage granddaughter, Diana, is drawn, seemingly by fate, into the brewing business. This is not a story of drinkers and drinking, but is rather a testament to the setbacks and achievements that come with following one's passion. This story about how a family business succeeds with generations of strong and determined women at the helm makes for a sometimes sad, sometimes funny, but always winning novel. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A family inheritance tears two Minnesota sisters apartbut years later, they might get a chance to reunite.Edith Magnusson never expected to be famous for anything, let alone her pies. But the pies she makes at her humble nursing-home job put the place on the map, and soon people are traveling from all over to try a slice. At 64 years old, it seems she's starting a new life...but Edith doesn't know what's in store for her future. Although she remains a talented baker, the years to come leave her widowed, underemployed, and taking care of her teenage granddaughter, Diana. The two of them manage to barely scrape by, but Edith often wonders how her life would have been different if she'd received her portion of the inheritance from her family's farm after her father died. Instead, Edith's younger sister, Helen, convinced their father to give her the entire inheritance so she could build a successful brewery with her husband. Helen made good on her promise, turning Blotz beer into one of the country's most prominent brands, but it comes at a cost. Edith stops speaking to Helen, and Helen doesn't reach out to fix the rift. Many years later, by coincidence, Diana ends up working in a brewery. She shows both an interest and skill in making beer, and soon she's a rising star in the world of brewing. As Diana's career takes off, she needs all the help from her family she can getwhich just might mean a chance for Edith and Helen to reconnect. Stradal's (Kitchens of the Great Midwest, 2015) writing is sharp and funny while still managing to treat each character with warmth and respect. His women are complicated and interesting people who find fulfillment in hard workand, perhaps most refreshingly, he never mocks the career hopes of older women. Although the characters' lives are full of lossEdith of her husband, Diana of her parents, all of them of various unfulfilled dreamsthe story doesn't wallow in grief or indulge in despair. Instead, this is an ultimately hopeful and heartwarming story that never feels sentimental or trite. Readers will love watching these truly original characters overcome their challenges and take care of each other.An absolutely delightful read, perfect for a summer day with a good beer and a piece of pie. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Edith Magnusson never thought she'd be figuring out how to translate the flavors of her award-winning pies into beer, but she's had plenty of practice being adaptable. Ever since her father left the family farm to her sister, Helen, Edith has learned to make do on her own. She and her husband raised their children comfortably, but not extravagantly, and no job was ever too small for Edith. When her granddaughter, Diana, turns a severance package into ownership of a fledgling craft brewery, she's surprised to find that brewing is in the family bloodline. A chance to mend decades-old resentment resurfaces, and Edith, Helen, and Diana have to decide how to best navigate the tricky waters of reconciliation. A love story to Minnesota, craft beer, and the power of second chances, Stradal's (Kitchens of the Great Midwest, 2015) second novel goes down easy. Perspective shifts among Helen, Edith, and Diana, letting each woman speak for herself and allowing their narratives to build off one another, despite the non-linear timeline. Imbued with Midwestern references and the importance of a can-do attitude, this warm, witty novel will appeal to fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Meg Wolitzer.--Stephanie Turza Copyright 2019 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Edith and Helen Calder are Minnesota sisters reared in the middle of the 20th cenutry. Helen, the younger, filched her sister's in heritance to follow her dream of becoming a brewmaster. The novel shifts in time and point of view. Edith works in a nursing home for 37 years, becoming "famous" for her luscious pies. They become important after her husband is diagnosed with Alzheimers. She also cares for her 12-year-old granddaughter, Diana. Wealthy and successful Helen married Orval Blotz of the "Drink lots. It's Blotz" beer dynasty. Diana steals to help her struggling grandmother. After a theft, she encounters compassionate Frank Schabert who decides to hire her to work in his brewery instead of pressing charges, and Diana becomes a skilled beer maker. In addition to hearing everyday people's conversations about their lives, dreams, and problems, there are delightful flashes of nostalgia. Even nondrinkers will enjoy the details of beer making. Judith Ivey's flawless narration enhances each character, making them realistic and relatable with Edith being the standout. Her Minnesota accent is perfect. VERDICT Listeners will laugh and cry with this gem.--Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL