a new review: bread & wine

Folks, you all know my love for the writing of Shauna Niequist. Her books and words and sentences are one of the things that most refreshes my soul. And, having had the opportunity to spend time with Shauna herself, these words and sentences that she writes could not be any more authentic to the person that she actually is, so naturally this makes her written words all the more powerful.

I have been given the great privilege to read and review her latest book, 'Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes.'

Three words: I loved it.

But seriously, was there a chance I wouldn't? Shauna does what she does best by interweaving her own experiences and honest insights while drawing broader conclusions about life, all the while in this go-round including recipes that tie into these experiences. As the title would suggest, many of the stories Shauna chooses to share are centered around the table, a place she calls "the place where the doing stops, the trying stops, the masks are removed, and we allow ourselves to be nourished, like children."Shauna recounts all the people, places, and ways she has fed people through the years and how each of these encounters felt significant in its own way.

One of the ideas that Shauna promotes in 'B&W' is to start where you are, the idea that you don't have to be the perfect hostess or an accomplished chef to have the people you love over and to feed them. The key is creating a space where people feel welcomed, at home, and safe to be themselves. She describes this, saying, "I wanted cars parked all the way down the street, and people who came in without knocking, so familiar with our home that they mixed their own drinks and knew where to put the dishes after drying them." This is the thing about life around the table, it's familiar. And those faces are family.

Another theme that was very prominent throughout 'B&W' was the pervasiveness and power of shame. This theme continued to pop up over and over again and it was one of the most helpful and freeing things about this book because of Shauna's trademark honesty. These are the kinds of things she says about shame: "It whispers to us that everyone is as obsessed with our failings as we are." "Shames tells us that we're wrong for having the audacity to be happy when we're so clearly terrible. Shame wants us to be deeply apologetic for just daring to exist." To know that someone else has felt this way, that I am not the only one, was a profound thing to read and it is there because Shauna dared to be honest.

The importance of being present with people, both around the table and just in general, was another idea that was touched upon over and over again, almost methodically. It would seem, in fact, that this very idea of being present with people, is the whole point of this book and in many ways the point in Shauna's other books as well. I think that may be what I love most about her writing. She values people and relationships and the experiences in life, like sharing a meal, that make us slow down and really focus on what really matters: each other. She talks about her friends from her former house church, seemingly her dearest friends, and says this of them, "They were our people, our stand-in family, our truth tellers, our problem solvers, our middle of the night phone calls and unannounced stopovers." I LOVE this. It made me stop and think, "Who are these people in my life?" And I knew immediately. And I even called one of them and thanked them right then for being this kind of person in my life. These kinds of relationships ought to be celebrated, cultivated, and sought out. And Shauna's book encourages all these things.

Another fun bonus of this book is that at the end of each vignette, a recipe is included that corresponds with that story. I have made the Farmers Market Potato Salad: delicious.  The way Shauna talks about food will make you hungry, so I suggest reading with a snack.

I loved this book and I think you will too. It will be released in April and you can pre-order on Amazon now.

Here you go: http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Wine-Finding-Community-Around/dp/0310328179/

You should do that. I promise, you will thank me when you're finished. And while you're at it, you should read her other two books as well. They are 'Cold Tangerines' and 'Bittersweet'. Also, you can read more from Shauna on her blog here: www.shaunaniequist.com.