“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… 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.
more
The story was unusual and I knew nothing about Breweries. I loved that it was the women that were the real heroes!
Loved the characters! Flawed and strong in their own ways, they each had a core of honesty and depth that drew me in.
Fun book to read, especially if you are interested in beer and/or brewing craft beer. It had a message about forgiveness, love, family, friends and fulfilling dreams.
An excellent read. I love the writing style and the very realistic characters.
Actually I didn’t finish. I just couldn’t get interested in the main characters who seemed so one-dimensional. One was obsessed with beer and one made delicious pies.
This story of an extended family of beer-makers had me turning pages as if it were a thriller. Totally absorbing and charming.
A heartwarming story with characters you’ll fall in love with especially Grandma Edith. The subtle feminist message mixing with the journey of brewing beer, from its earliest lagers to today’s crafts, carries the reader through generations in this charming, nostalgic story. Grab a beer, put your feet up and enjoy this wonderful novel.
This is a great summer read. Living in MN, I can relate to the characters and events in the book. The telling of two stories and then tying them together at the end is always enjoyable reading. The reader knows there will be something connecting the two, but it is always interesting to see if the reader’s version agrees with the author’s.
You don’t have to like beer to be moved by this story of sisters, family, and reinvention.
I read this in one sitting – wonderful, complex characters, and a world I didn’t want to leave. Now I want to drink beer and bake pie all day!
Utterly charming. . . Stradal loves and knows his territory, and his affection for the Midwest—with all its stubbornness, stoicism, long memories, readiness to provide aid and quiet pride in excellence–gleams on every page.
Warm, whimsical, incredibly well-written and infused with Stradal’s signature sympathy for his characters–those everyday heroes we all know and love. . . a thorough delight, from beginning to end.
A book to make you laugh and cry and believe the best days of your life are still in front of you.