Food, family, and secrets combine in Cathy Lamb’s emotional and deeply honest novel as one woman discovers the recipes and life lessons that have shaped her family’s past, and could guide her toward a second chance at happiness.Two years ago, Olivia Martindale left behind her Montana hometown and her husband, Jace, certain it was the best decision for both of them. Back temporarily to … temporarily to protect her almost-adopted daughters from their biological mother, she discovers an old, handwritten cookbook in the attic. Its pages are stained and torn, their edges scorched by flame. Some have been smeared by water . . . or tears. The recipes are written in different hands and in different languages. In between the pages are intriguing mementos, including a feather, a pressed rose, a charm, and unfamiliar photographs.
Hoping the recipes will offer a window into her grandmother’s closely guarded past, Olivia decides to make each dish, along with their favorite family cake recipes, and records her attempts. The result, like much of her life to date, involves a parade of near-disasters and chaotic appearances by her doctor mother, her blunt grandma, her short-tempered sister, and Olivia’s two hilarious daughters. The project is messy, real—and an unintended hit with viewers.
Even more surprising is the family history Olivia is uncovering, and her own reemerging ties to Montana, and to Jace. Generations of women have shared these recipes, offering strength and nourishment to each other and their loved ones. Now it’s Olivia’s turn to find healing—and determine where her home and her heart truly belong.
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A beautiful story of family, love, and life. And the recipe for Olivia’s family and her love, is based on a old family cookbook handed down for generation, where the ingredients include, secrets, tears, blood, sweat, history, faith, sadness and hope. Cathy Lamb also tackles issues such as bullying, drug abuse, mental health issues, Asperger syndrome, and she does it with excellent style. I would highly recommend this book to everyone, it is a enjoyable layered story that tugs at the heart.
The weaving of the grandmother’s history/story with the modern family was very meaningful. The main character was strong, determined, and yet vulnerable.
I loved the close-knit relationship between Olivia, her grandmother, mother, and sister. Lamb did a remarkable job of marrying current events with the tragic World War II experiences of the grandmother. She never fails to create a realistic sense of place. I always feel like I could walk right into her characters’ homes and join them in whatever they’re doing. The romantic thread between Olivia and her husband is unique and beautiful.
Loved the interactions of the characters and the historic reflections. One of my favorites.
Excellent book
great book — wonderful characters
My doctor told me about a book she had picked up at the airport. It sounded interesting so I ordered it. Am so glad I did.
It’s about a woman who is rather uncertain about her life that finds a cook book in her attic that belonged to her grandmother. It was a compilation of recipes and drawings of her ancestors. Through reading and following the recipes she discovers her past and her strengths which affects her future.
This is an excellent, entertaining, and thought provoking book with realistic characters which tie the past and present and help you share their future.
Cathy Lamb has a talent for creating complex, lovable protagonists surrounded by a wacky, gorgeous kaleidoscope of fun and even over-the-top characters you love to have along for the ride. “No Place I’d Rather Be” is, by turns, laugh-out-loud funny, a tearjerker, and enough to raise the hackles of every mama bear who ever walked the earth. Simply lovely.
This idea of this book seemed great to me, but the story lacks focus. One minute I was reading historical fiction, the next a contemporary romance. I stuck it out until about the 60% mark, then I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’m not the reader for this book.
In this warm story about family and love, Cathy Lamb’s NO PLACE I’D RATHER BE captures your heart and tugs on it. It’s a historical fiction novel that touches your soul and alternates between the past where Lamb describes a family of Jewish faith, how they were persecuted and the Martindale Family’s present-day issues. She gently eases past and present to mesh a beautiful story where nothing but love and compassion exist. This novel is about history, loss, heartbreak, romance, humor, cooking and baking with love poured into recipes, and ultimately, happiness.
I enjoyed this novel immensely. I loved the concept of the story. I loved how this family bakes for therapy and the idea of how a cookbook is passed down from generation-to-generation. I, too, am a baker, so I grasped the warmth of how food and recipes bring people together. I have a cookbook, and I share my baking recipes with my family and online as well. My ancestors were from Sicily and came through Ellis Island, then landed in Brooklyn to open a bakery. When I read the front jacket of this book, I knew I had to read it as it resonated with me. I would have loved some recipes in this book, but the rich historical background, the Montana mountains, the characters and the love in this novel will deeply move you.
This has been the only Cathy Lamb I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed. Her characters were sicky sweet and not especially believeable.
I enjoyed this read over the long holiday. Relaxing and fun. Hard to put down.
A story of romantic love, love of families and making families different ways. Really enjoyed it.
No Place I’d Rather Be by Cathy Lamb
Having collected family history, snippets and recipes then put them onto a CD to disperse to family I was eager to read this story. This book does tell the history of a long line of brave women who shared down through the years one book in which they preserved not only recipes but so much more. Tucked away and found decades later then cooked from by those remaining in the current era the recipes brought back missing memories and tastes of the past for the woman who hid it away so many years before. As the recipes were made and talked about so were the people from the past and their histories.
Olivia returns home to Montana with two young once abused foster daughters looking for security that she turned her back on two years before. She still loves her husband but feels that they have a problem too big to deal with – I have to say I felt she was a bit immature in her behavior and couldn’t really understand why perfect Jace waited for her so long. Olivia’s grandmother who tucked the cookbook away with other items was strong, serene and a healer with much pain in her past. Olivia’s mother was a physician that was outspoken and blunt (where did her personality come from?) and Olivia’s sister was almost a caricature with superhuman abilities in her overlarge frame and outspoken voice. Kyle with Asperger’s was a wonderful young man that I wished the best for. The family interactions were interesting, the little girls precious, the romance drawn out then it seems time had to be made up for and I am not sure why but at times I felt the book was a bit preachy or teachy…not much…just sometimes. Anyway, this book had many topics discussed within it: abuse, war, racism, bigotry, bullying, natural healing, mental illness, family, loss, cooking, misogyny, harassment…and more. All in all it is a feel good book with a happy ending for all but.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – this is my honest review.
3-4 Stars