Cold Tangerines (by Shauna Niequist)

(Amazon UK link)

I have very much liked the other books I read by Shauna Niequist; the only one I was missing was ‘Cold Tangerines’. I managed to find it second-hand in August, and have just finished reading it. It’s written in short chapters, each one no more than five or six pages, so over the past couple of weeks I’ve read one or two sections each morning, as a kind of devotional.

From the chronological point of view, I’ve read the author’s books in the wrong order. This is her first book, and charts parts of her life when she hoped to be pregnant and when she finally gave birth to her son Henry. I knew everything would be all right because I’ve read later books in which Henry’s a little boy. But it didn’t particularly matter, as each book - and each chapter of each book - is complete in itself and can be read as a stand-alone.

As with the other books, there were times when I was forcibly reminded how different the author’s lifestyle and culture is from mine. She ponders what to have for breakfast, but then instead of opening the fridge or cutting up some fruit, she goes to a restaurant. Other than on rare occasions when travelling, I have only eaten breakfast out once - when we had an unexpected power cut and I didn’t want to open the fridge.

Shauna Niequist also lives in a culture where appearances seem to matter; there’s a chapter about shame, about friends seeing messy basements or grungy under-sink cupboards. She uses make-up, she has more clothes than she knows what to do with, she even has a therapist whom she mentions almost in passing. These are reminders that this is a foreign book, and that I have much to be thankful for in having grown up in a much more relaxed, accepting culture.

And yet… there’s so much more in this book, which charts incidents in the author’s life in an honest, open and surprisingly endearing way. She tells her stories in ways that make them come alive, acknowledging her weaknesses and failings, but picking herself up and learning from the experiences. She is eager to make the world a better place, to celebrate family and friends and new acquaintances, and while her open, extraverted personality is far removed from mine, I could relate to many of the things she said.

There are morals - or at least points - to all the stories, spiritual messages, or reminders to be thankful, or insights into how God moves and works. And they could have been cringeworthy, along the lines of someone standing up to ‘explain’ a drama or a painting. But they’re not. The points are made in a way that’s not preachy or condescending, as part of the stories, conclusions to the anecdotes, and they’re all expressed in a personal way so that a reader can take them to heart, or pass them by or ignore them if they’re not relevant.

Towards the end of the book there’s a chapter about the crucial importance of creativity, of making music, or art, or writing, or whatever each person has a passion for. In a world climate where the arts are being overlooked, seen as inferior to engineering or technology, it’s a welcome reminder. God is a creator, and we are made in his image.

Despite the odd irritations, I found this book engaging, thought-provoking, and ultimately very encouraging and inspiring. I don’t envy the author her busy lifestyle but I love the way she writes, as if having a conversation, and yet in a highly readable style. What she says is not profound; it's not even new. But the way she says it sparks all kinds of chords, and I'm so pleased I've finally read this book.

Definitely recommended; the ethos and underlying themes are Christian, but this could be of interest to anyone who wants to explore what it means to be more honest, more open, and more in tune with the world around us. Even in the midst of a pandemic which could not have been foreseen thirteen years ago when this book was published.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Bittersweet (by Shauna Niequist)

(Amazon UK link)

I very much liked the first book I read by Shauna Niequist, so I put a couple of her other books on my wishlist. I was given ‘Bittersweet’ for Christmas, and just finished reading it. I read a couple of chapters each day over the course of two weeks or so, as there was a lot to think about in each one.

As with the other books I’ve read by this author, the style is something like that of a relaxed autobiography crossed with a personal journal. And the theme of this particular one is that of grieving, yet finding God through difficult circumstances. But it’s by no means trite or preachy. It was particularly apropos to read during the Covid-19 pandemic; so many people are suffering, or bereaved, or in other ways finding life extremely difficult.

Shauna Niequist is almost brutally honest in this volume of her life story. She writes about being pregnant, and losing her baby. She writes about moving, about the immense stress of trying to sell their old house, and about close friends moving away from each other. Many of her friends also suffer in other ways: a sick child, a disabled child, serious illness.

But it’s not at all a depressing book. The author also writes about meals she has cooked or eaten out - she claims to recall incidents or occasions by the food that was eaten. She writes about good times with her husband as well as some very hard times where they continually argued. And she writes about trying to get a balance between her work life and spending time with her son.

I started reading this wondering whether there would be a happy resolution towards the end of the book. I kept reading, reminding myself that she was writing a true story, not a novel. Life does not always come with tidy endings. Sometimes I wondered how she managed to keep going. Other times I felt exhausted reading about her energy, her huge enthusiasm for life.

As a quiet extravert myself, I found the author’s lifestyle and preferences far removed from mine. As an American, she has different expectations, too, and a culture where going out for breakfast or a quick meal is the norm, rather than an expensive luxury. I would hate flying around the country giving talks, and while I like entertaining, I don’t ask my guests to help, and I don’t cheerfully throw together food while chatting to them. On the other hand I do bake a lot of cakes and other desserts.

And yet, there were so many ways in which I felt a tug of kinship. After almost every chapter I had to pause a moment and reflect. The casual writing hides a depth of feeling and commitment that challenged me. The author’s faith, her reliance on God being with her even in the worst of circumstances was very encouraging. She doesn’t deny strong emotions, she doesn’t tell people what to do or what to think. She simply shares her story and some of what she learned along the way.

A short review can’t begin to do this wonderful book justice. Still, it was the perfect time for me to read it. I would recommend it very highly to anyone, but with the proviso others might not like the style, or might not be in the best stage of life to read it.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Bread and Wine (by Shauna Niequist)

(Amazon UK link)

About a year ago I read Shauna Niequist’s book ‘Present over Perfect’, and on the whole liked it. The style is gentle, biographical and thoughtful. If a tad repetitive, it makes some good points in a thought-provoking way. So I put a couple more of her books on my wishlist, and was given two, including ‘Bread and Wine’, for Christmas.

The book, which has a Christian focus but can be read by anyone, is divided into four main sections. Each section has several short chapters, with a similar style to the book I read before. They’re basically autobiographical thoughts and ideas, based primarily on the importance of entertaining, and finding ways to be a good host to friends and acquaintances. There are recipes - examples of what the author talks about - at the end of some of the chapters.

I quite like the gentle, informal style of writing, and was interested to read about the author’s life. She recounts some of the stages she went through in learning to be hospitable, and she also talks about the heartbreak and eventual joy of trying to have a second child. She’s evidently an outgoing, friendly person with perfectionist tendencies, very different from me. But I still found a lot of what she said to be relevant and encouraging.

The author is clearly and overtly a Christian believer, and this underlies her writing, but in a mostly low-key way.  Bread and wine are sacramental; she sees this not just in a eucharist or communion service, but in the sharing of food with family and friends, with opening up her house to visitors. I liked this approach very much. Those of a different faith (or none) could skim those parts and still take on board the principles.

However, I found the recipes a bit disappointing. I don’t mind the fact that they’re American in style, with measurements only in cups (no metric equivalents given). I don’t even mind the fact that she seems to use a lot of sea-food and processed meat, neither of which I ever use. But what I found most frustrating was the lack of alternative options, or explanations as to what unusual ingredients are.

I figured out after several chapters that ‘Dijon’ means ‘dijon mustard’ (though I’m not sure which brand - there are many). I knew already that ‘cilantro’ is the American name for fresh coriander leaves. but never did discover which kind of goat’s cheese the author uses. And I was mildly amused that she gives a recipe for vinaigrette, as if it were unusual to make: apparently in the US it's possible to buy it ready-made.  I had no idea.

I understand that the author likes to make reasonably easy meals, and that in the US there are many canned and packaged products which can be combined to form something else. But she encourages getting one’s hands dirty, chopping onions and other vegetables, and so on - so it’s odd (to me) that she recommends using ready-canned beans rather than the much healthier and far less expensive method of cooking dried ones. 

Keeping in one or two cans for convenience makes sense; I often use canned rather than dried chickpeas when I make hummus, for instance, as I tend to think of it at the last minute. But in a book about dinner party menus, with recommendations for planning, and lengthy preparation, the ready-made/canned ‘ingredients’ felt out of place.

Worst of all: I was looking forward to reading the recipe for the author’s friend’s enchiladas, after a chapter describing them and their awesomeness. I make a form of enchiladas already, albeit with flour rather than corn tortillas, but thought perhaps there would be a better kind of spice mixture described. Instead, the recipe in the book simply says ‘28 ounce can green enchilada sauce’, with a specific brand recommendation. That’s no use at all outside the US; I have never seen ‘enchilada sauce’.

So I looked up the ingredients of the recommended brand online, only to discover that it contains MSG, maltodextrin and soybean oil - all migraine triggers for me; worrying things to serve, particularly to children. And the ingredients list gives no indication of what spices are used - just a general ‘spice extractive’. The recipe also uses Monterey Jack cheese, which as far as I know is only available in the US.

In a sense these are minor quibbles. I enjoyed the contents of each chapter very much. If there had been no recipes I wouldn’t have minded too much, although with such a focus on food (and the author talks about a lot of meals) I was initially pleased to see them. But in a book that’s going to be read around the world, written by an author who seems very open and accepting of all cultures, it seems sad to be so US-centric in the recipes.

Still, with that proviso, I would recommend 'Bread and Wine' to anyone wanting a friendly, honest and personal book about hospitality and how to make it work in different circumstances. It's a good reminder in an increasingly insular world.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's Book Reviews

Present over Perfect (by Shauna Niequist)

(Amazon UK link)

I can’t remember how I first heard of this book. I wasn’t familiar with Shauna Niequist; perhaps I saw a recommendation on a blog, or even Facebook. In any case, I liked the sound of ‘Present over Perfect’, and put it on my wishlist. Relatives gave it to me for Christmas, and I have just finished reading it.

The subtitle to the book is, ‘Leaving behind frantic for a simpler, more soulful way of living’. I don’t live my life at anything approaching a frantic pace, but I liked the idea of a simpler, more soulful way of life. However this isn’t a book of instructions, or even recommendations. Instead, it’s a revealing look into the author’s own lifestyle changes over the past few years.

Shauna Niequist is a self-acknowledged extravert who lives her life in a way that made me tired just reading about it. She lives in Chicago with a husband and two young boys, but used to spend every moment of her day being active for other people. She travelled a fair amount, too, leaving her family behind. And it began to take its toll on her health, and on the whole family.

So she made some important decisions, and lifestyle changes. She started saying ‘no’ to invitations, and making an effort to be present with her family and other loved ones, rather than trying to please strangers. She acknowledges that this was very difficult at times; she liked a busy, travelling lifestyle. But, some years on, she is finding her life far more satisfying, and her relationships stronger, as she lives at a simpler pace.

Even though most of the content wasn’t directly relevant to me, the writing style flows well and I found it a very interesting book to read. There are nuggets of wisdom that I took to heart, here and there. And I found it encouraging, too. Sometimes people look at me and think I’m rather boring, doing almost nothing. But it’s the right place for me currently, and that’s what matters.

There’s an emphasis on hospitality which I appreciated, although I was a bit daunted reading about the large crowds whom the author feeds, and her effortless production of food. But the principles are good. The author also touches on simplicity in getting rid of extraneous stuff: probably we all have too many possessions, although having moved internationally a few times we’ve reduced ours several times.

The book is divided into short sections - each chapter no more than about four or five pages. So it was easy to read in odd moments, and most chapters gave me something to think about or appreciate. The author is a Christian; there are sections about praying, and following Jesus, which wouldn’t appeal to everyone. But there’s a great deal in this book that could be of value to anyone wanting to slow down an over-busy life.

Towards the end of the book I found it a tad repetitive in places, but overall I liked it very much.

Review by Sue F copyright 2019 Sue's Book Reviews