Friendship Cake

OK, I feel like a sap for loving this so much, but I confess I did. And goodness, I have to give props for a book so moving it made me cry--more than once.

I give you fair warning. This is friendship cake indeed. Light and sweet enough to carry a label cautioning you about cavities and diabetic shock. A novel about five women: a young pastor of a Christian church in North Carolina and four of her elderly parishioners in a graying congregation. We get to know each in turn in the five introductory chapters in their own voices, although the rest of the novel is third person. Each chapter begins with a recipe, as each is part of a women's society committee in the church putting together a cookbook.

We first meet Margaret Peele, and her show more strong folksy voice drew me right in. A widow, Margaret is the sensible center of the church fellowship. Childless herself, young people are drawn to her willingness to listen and help. Louise Fisher is the woman who dares speaks out on those things others would ignore. Never married, she's a woman whose heart has long been given to another woman, her best friend of decades who is dying of Alzheimers. Beatrice Newgarden, a widow with three grown children, is a meddlesome busybody--but someone who at the core has a good heart, and initiates the cookbook project because she hopes it can bind them all together--as friends. Jessie Jenkins is the one black member of the otherwise "all-white" church. A mother and grandmother long separated from the husband who abandoned her years ago. Their pastor Reverend Charlotte Stewart is new to the church. She's straight out of seminary and well aware the only reason she was hired is because the church can't afford to pay what a male preacher would demand. She was drawn into a Methodist church as a child because she as the "daughter of an alcoholic... longed for an hour without surprises."

I read this book because it was recommended on "The Ultimate Reading List" in the "Inspirational Fiction" section, which listed Christian Fiction. I'm not a believer, but that doesn't mean I didn't feel I couldn't learn or be moved by those of faith--I love CS Lewis, so I decided to give the list a shot. Five books listed were available in neighborhood book stores, including this one, and those were the ones I tried. I have to tell you, the others didn't put forth a form of Christianity I found the least admirable. Rather those books' worldview came across as cramped, narrow-minded, even bigoted. I have a feeling the other "Christian Fiction" authors would not like this book or Lynne Hinton, herself a Christian pastor. In fact several of them have pastors as characters resembling her Charlotte as their villains. I'm not claiming this as great literature. But I'm happy to be in the company of Maya Angelou, who said she'd welcome Hinton as a friend, and "welcome an invitation to sit down at her table"--because the vision she presents here, particularly in contrast to those other books, comes across as compassionate and wise. show less

I enjoyed this, although it was kind of gloomy. The mention of similarities to Jan Karon made me think it could be a good Christmas present for Mitford lovers, but I think the cast of characters is unconventional enough that it won't be a good choice for those who are uncomfortable with lives that don't mirror their own.

Friendship Cake explores the bonds of friendship, faith, and love among five women who come together, some more reluctantly than others, to create a church cookbook. The five quirky, flawed, annoying, hilarious, strong, and beautiful women include (1) Charlotte, the new pastor who doubts her own faith as she ministers to others; (2) Margaret, the community's font of solid, nonjudgmental advice; (3) Louise, a tough, sarcastic woman who nurses her best friend in the last stages of Alzheimer's, a woman she has secretly loved these last 40 years; (4) Jessie, the only African-American in the church who joined on a dare and found her faith in the process; and (5) Beatrice, suitably described by Louise as "a fairy godmother in a funeral show more director's suit." As these women work together, they slowly realize they are building more than a cookbook. Watching their friendships grow and evolve was heartwarming, especially witnessing Beatrice grow from a busybody pest to a devout friend. It was a quick, gentle read evocative of small town life and the friendships that can unexpectedly blossom there. I recommend it. show less

This is a lightweight, easy read.with a fairly explicit message. Obviously written from a 'christian' perspective and is a story about women whose common connection is a church, and yet it isn't too preaching to be enjoyed by non-church-goers. It's romance, in the sense that all major issues turn out OK in the end, although to Hinton's credit, there are clearly some underlying problems which are unresolved. Lynne Hinton won't be getting any Pulitzer Prizes, but I suspect she'd be quite a good pastor.

I loved this book. It took me two chapters before I realized it was switching narrators every time. Once I had that down, I was intrigued by whichever character was speaking. I always love it when recipes are included and this book has plenty that I want to try! Plenty of drama goes on in this book because it mirrors real life in a small town. Plenty always goes on in a church, also. The characters are often loveable and so real but also so funny. Great read!

I wouldn't call this book heartwarming. Bittersweet, yes. Heartwarming, no. For a variety of reasons I related most to Louise. I've known families torn apart by Alzheimers or Parkensons disease. I enjoyed the book through the first 2/3 and then much like Breath Eyes Memory, the book went on an abrupt tangent mostly for shock value. I don't think either book needed it Finally, the moral of the story doesn't need to be spelled out with the bogus recipe at the end.

Now for a great recipe (unless you have peanut allergies, inwhich case, you'll need to make a different icing)

Chocolate Chip Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting:

4 cups flour
6 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shortening (or corn oil)
2 cup sugar
3 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 cup chocolate show more chips
1 1/3 cup milk

For the frosting
Peanut butter (1 to 2 tbs)
confectioner's sugar (roughly half a box)
milk (1 to 2 tbs)

For the cake:
1) Mix the dry ingredients except for chips and set aside.
2) In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk and vanilla
3) Dump the wet mixture into the dry mixture bowl and mix thoroughly with a large wooden spoon until the mixture is only slightly lumpy. DON'T use an electric mixer or the chips will fall to the bottom.
4) Fold in the chips
5) Pour mixture into two heart shaped greased cake tins
6) Bake at 350 F for roughly 1 hour.

For the icing:
1) While the cake is cooling...
2) Pour roughly half a box of confectioners sugar into a bowl.
3) Depending on how much you like peanut butter, put one or two table spoons into the bowl.
4) Carefully pour one table spoon of milk into the bowl and mix. Add a little milk at a time until the icing is a spreadable consistency

Of course if you can't eat peanuts, leave out step #3. It will be a nummy white icing instead.

Enjoy! This cake recipe is our family's traditional birthday cake going back 3 generations. :) show less

When five women from the Hope Springs Community Church in North Carolina form a committee to create a church cookbook, they embark on a project much more meaningful than they anticipate. As they gather recipes, they share their fears, hopes, and dreams. And they soon discover that food and friendship are the sustenance for the body and the soul. Folded into their poignant stories are delectable Southern recipes like "Fran's Chicken Pie," "Earnestines' Corn Relish,' and of course, a "Real Friendship Cake." This warm, tender tale of togetherness and the resilience of the human spirit provides the recipe from which good food-and good living-is made.

I enjoyed this book very much. It's wonderful to have a support system of friends that, even show more though they may seem like they don't care, or are too different from your "world", can come together to support each other during difficult and happy times. show less