Joy For Beginners by Erica Bauermeister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I normally read books that are by my favorite authors or books that have been recommended to my by other people. Joy For Beginners is a book that I saw on the new releases shelf in the library and checked it out based on the liner notes and the cover alone.
This book centers around a woman named Kate, who just went into remission from a bout with breast cancer. In celebration, she is inviting her 6 closest friends over for a victory dinner. Kate's daughter, Robin, has challenged her to do something that she wouldn't have ever done as a way to celebrate her new lease on life. The catch is that she doesn't get to pick it out herself. Robin has challenged her to go whitewater rafting down the Grand Canyon, which definitely scares the life out of her. She comes up with the idea to challenge each of her friends to get out of her comfort zone and do something challenging within a calendar year of that night. Because she didn't get to choose her challenge, Kate picks out all the challenges for her friends.
This book is separated into 7 different stories that weave in and out of each other so much that feel as if you know all the women personally at the end of the book. It details the growth that the women have had to go through raising children, watching them leave home, fighting illness, going through divorces and losing loves in the period of life when you would normally think you should coast until the end. It really teaches to never get complacent in life and to always have joy.
I really loved this book and hope to discover more from Erica Bauermeister. I love her writing style!
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