Shaken by her parents’ divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle’s farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She’ll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is a past she barely knows.
Among her late grandmother’s belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town’s history, her ancestors–and her estranged father.
What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured–with the help of their cooking prowess. Nikki realizes how delicious streusel with a healthy dollop of faith can serve as a guide to heal wounds of the past.
My Review:
Argh! This is one of those books that’s impossible to do justice to in a review because there are so many talking points only that would mean spoilers so…let’s see if I can get as creative as the title (which makes sense once you’ve read the book!)
Sara Brunsvold’s second novel is just as captivating as her first. I love the way she puts words and phrases together in a way that transforms the characters into living people that I grow attached to. And the significant faith threads are both down-to-earth as well as weighted with words that leave characters (and readers) pondering personal ‘aha’ moments.
“The good news is God’s not afraid of an attitude. That divine whack will come in due course — to all the skulls that need it.”
That quote is courtesy of Aunt Emma who we only meet through emails and phone calls, but she sure knows how to make an impression! And though this is largely Nikki’s story, there’s a subplot involving her Uncle Wes who is a man after my own heart. A humble man who doesn’t realize that he’s actually a spiritual giant.
If I had to assign a theme to this novel…well, hard to pinpoint just one. I’d say finding joy in endurance, for sure. And definitely the complexities of forgiveness. The importance of family and how each generation makes way for the next whether positive or negative…often a mashup of both.
But for all that there’s drama, ‘The Divine Proverb of Streusel’ is a quiet, nurturing story too. The kind a reader wants to sink into and savour. The kind that has the power to make a difference — in fictional lives and real ones.
Simply stunning!
Oh — and a side note: this book includes decadent German recipes involving lots and lots of butter. 🙂
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:
This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.
US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice
Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice
International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.
If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Divine Proverb of Streusel , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 24 2024.
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