Review of Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

 
Joy For Beginners

Erica Bauermeister

Putnam

269 pages

ISBN13: 9780399157127

A group of friends amassed over the years by circumstance with as much diversity as similarities jump over one more hurdle in life. The conquering of Breast Cancer is no small feat and the journey not solitary, so on the night of her victory dinner Kate gives each of the friends that brought her to this destination the gift of a challenge. Each challenge is designed especially for it’s recipient, and like many gifts not always appreciated at the time of it’s giving. At the onset these women view completing their challenge only to appease their friend, but in the act of doing, each of them will learn something about themselves that otherwise might have stayed hidden. So while Caroline, Marion, Daria, Hadley, Sara and last but not least Ava begin their personal adventure Kate will go on one of her own.

Erica Bauermeister might be a new author to me but by the end of the first chapter she was a new acquaintance and by the end of her tale a life long friend. I absolutely loved her storyline and being a woman it became very personal to me and as I read it my view of life and friendship changed and deepened. Her use of beautiful descriptive prose in her narrative made me smile and also increased my enjoyment of the read and I found myself looking intently for the next adventure in the novel and how the author’s creative words would describe it, I was never disappointed. Her characters are made even more special by the mere fact of their everydayness, their next door neighborness and their best friendness and I found myself jealous of their camaraderie and even their anger over their particular challenge at it’s giver. I also found each of the characters portrayed so well that by the end of the novel I was tempted to go out and greet them myself in my own hometown.

My challenge to you is to not only read this novel but to revel in the friendship, share in the joy and lend a shoulder in their sorrows, to not be afraid to try something new and maybe just a little frightening, but most of all to be the best friend you can possibly be.

If you cherish beautifully written women’s fiction this is a novel that has to be on your must read list.
Thank you Ms. Bauermeister for an incredible trip and I plan to take another one with you very soon.
Buy the book here visit the author’s website here