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146th out of 190 books
—
72 voters
Making Piece: a Memoir of Love, Loss and Pie
by
Beth M. Howard (Goodreads Author)
"You will find my story is a lot like pie, a strawberry-rhubarb pie. It's bitter. It's messy. It's got some sweetness, too. Sometimes the ingredients get added in the wrong order, but it has substance, it will warm your insides, and even though it isn't perfect, it still turns out okay in the end."When journalist Beth M. Howard's young husband dies suddenly, she packs up t...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
March 20th 2012
by Harlequin
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"Making Piece A memoir of love, loss and pie"
Author/journalist/piebaker Beth Howard shares a touching story of love lost, surviving grief after her husband's death, and the risks she took to continue living a life she was at first not certain she wanted to live. By taking a fork in the road, taking risks, and putting her faith in community, friendship and pie she survived and shares her journey in this book. Now living in the American Gothic House in Eldon,Iowa and running the Pitchfork Pie St...more
Author/journalist/piebaker Beth Howard shares a touching story of love lost, surviving grief after her husband's death, and the risks she took to continue living a life she was at first not certain she wanted to live. By taking a fork in the road, taking risks, and putting her faith in community, friendship and pie she survived and shares her journey in this book. Now living in the American Gothic House in Eldon,Iowa and running the Pitchfork Pie St...more
This writer is a very articulate, over-analytical, self-indulgent widow examining the sudden loss of her husband, from whom she was soon to be divorced. Her use of figurative language is amazing, and, at times, very artistic, but page after page of her detailed weeping and wailing grew tiresome. I mean, all right, already, I got it in the first 100 or so pages that her eyes suffered from swelling due to the abundant tears, and she would collapse on the floor or onto a sofa in the fetal position,...more
When our library’s Debbie Henderson recommends a book, I read it! We were both intrigued, as history buffs and bakers, to learn that Ms. Howard lives in a historic house in Iowa, portrayed in that famous painting called American Gothic by Grant Wood.
It is in this house, a tourist attraction, that she bakes pies for her Pitchfork Pie stand, writes her blog: http://theworldneedsmorepie.com and has come to terms with the devastating, sudden loss of her husband.
While I wanted a ‘fun’ read this summ...more
It is in this house, a tourist attraction, that she bakes pies for her Pitchfork Pie stand, writes her blog: http://theworldneedsmorepie.com and has come to terms with the devastating, sudden loss of her husband.
While I wanted a ‘fun’ read this summ...more
Beth Howard is consumed by grief after the death of her husband, Marcus, who incidentally, she was in the process of divorcing. She finds her way out of grief through her friends and by making pies. At times, her grief was overwhelming. The portions of the book about the pies, the baking and starting her own pie stand were my favorites.
Interestingly, she was a judge at the National Pie Championships which are held in Orlando, FL every April. Somehow Walker heard about this contest and wants to e...more
Interestingly, she was a judge at the National Pie Championships which are held in Orlando, FL every April. Somehow Walker heard about this contest and wants to e...more
Well written, reflective, cheeky, fascinating. Almost a 5 star book (I'd rate it a 4.8) I heard the authors interview on NPR about her upcoming novel- about a stressed corporate gal turned laid-back, middle-of-nowhere Midwestern pie maker, and was enchanted.
I love stories where people ditch their prudent plans in exchange for a more satisfying, but irresponsibly uncertain, route. People that are simultaneously intelligent and reckless sometimes make the world go round.
I also enjoy the idea that...more
I love stories where people ditch their prudent plans in exchange for a more satisfying, but irresponsibly uncertain, route. People that are simultaneously intelligent and reckless sometimes make the world go round.
I also enjoy the idea that...more
Beth Howard’s memorable book blends the deliciousness of a well-made pie with her messy and heartbreaking journey through grief. Her story is complicated, romantic, sad, scary, amusing, and sweet, literally and figuratively.
Pie--the making of and love for--is heavily featured throughout the years that are the focus of her memoir, and I believe it was an excellent tool for making some of the tougher moments more tolerable and lightened the mood for her reader.
I can’t think of any culture that d...more
Pie--the making of and love for--is heavily featured throughout the years that are the focus of her memoir, and I believe it was an excellent tool for making some of the tougher moments more tolerable and lightened the mood for her reader.
I can’t think of any culture that d...more
I bought this book as a gift for my mother-in-law who was holed up in a rehab center following surgery because she is arguably the Queen of Apple Pie in Athens County, Ohio. Then I read the first sentence: “I killed my husband. I asked for a divorce, and seven hours before he was to sign the divorce papers, he died.” Oh my. My mother-in-law is a widow. This might not be a cheerful little book about pie. Then, there was the line in the intro alluding to the legacy of pie appreciation she inherite...more
Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archive... (4/6/12)
When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. Food. Memoir. Yes, please! And I was not disappointed.
Beth's story is like pie. Specifically, strawberry-rhubarb.
It's bitter. It's messy. It's got some sweetness, too. Sometimes the ingredients get added in the wrong order, but it has substance, it will warm your insides and, even though it isn't perfect, it still turns out okay in the end.
I was crying within the first t...more
When I first saw this book on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. Food. Memoir. Yes, please! And I was not disappointed.
Beth's story is like pie. Specifically, strawberry-rhubarb.
It's bitter. It's messy. It's got some sweetness, too. Sometimes the ingredients get added in the wrong order, but it has substance, it will warm your insides and, even though it isn't perfect, it still turns out okay in the end.
I was crying within the first t...more
When a story touches this reader in a sentimental way I look for the words to describe the story. I came upon the Author’s words; and included them in this review for they sum it all up. This heart wrenching story of a woman’s personal journey through life’s rain storms and finally finding sunshine at the end tugged at this reader’s heart.
“Within the first six blocks of the two-thousand-mile trip, any trepidation Id had was replaced with excitement, a sense of possibility, a sudden surge of free...more
“Within the first six blocks of the two-thousand-mile trip, any trepidation Id had was replaced with excitement, a sense of possibility, a sudden surge of free...more
Making Piece A memoir of love, loss and pie by Beth M. Howard
9780373892570
The power of pie!
This is a story of a woman who loses her husband that was just about to sign the divorce papers.
They've traveled and lived all over the world and he could never find enough time for her.
Love to learn new things: pie safe, had no idea that's what they were called.
Love scenery of Washington along Olympic Mountains western area where we first learn of how she made her first pie ever, the instructions are pric...more
9780373892570
The power of pie!
This is a story of a woman who loses her husband that was just about to sign the divorce papers.
They've traveled and lived all over the world and he could never find enough time for her.
Love to learn new things: pie safe, had no idea that's what they were called.
Love scenery of Washington along Olympic Mountains western area where we first learn of how she made her first pie ever, the instructions are pric...more
Having read about Beth Howard's Making Piece last year in Midwest Living, I knew this was a memoir I wanted to read, one involving the trials and ultimate triumph of a forty-something widow, mother to Team Terrier, and pie baker. At the time I read the article, the book hadn't been released yet, so the title ended up being lost in the pile of paperwork on my desk. Strolling through the nonfiction aisles of the local library this past Sunday, this book cover jutting out from the shelf rang a bell...more
A little over halfway through, I just want to SHAKE Beth Howard. I was hoping this wouldn't turn out to be another memoir by a spoiled middle-aged lady, but that's exactly what it is. Usually food memoirs are written by people who are a little more grounded and humble, because people who work with food don't typically make a lot of money--they work with their hands, and their building blocks are very basic. For Howard, though, baking is more of a cheap form of therapy. And for the first 2/3 of t...more
4 likes · like · see review
Poignant + pie + Portland setting in part - the book hit the trifecta for me. I quite enjoyed it, even though I don't usually read memoirs and I don't really bake. I do however love pie and appreciate good writing. The author's German husband dies unexpectedly & relatively young while they are in the process of a divorce - but they still love each other, and it rocks her world. The book is basically a memoir about how she gets over her grief with the help of good friends and a journey in an...more
MAKING PIECE: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, LOSS, AND PIE
by Beth M. Howard
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HarlequinNonfiction
Pub Date: March 27, 2012
ISBN: 9780373892570
When Beth Howard's estranged husband Marcus died suddenly, her world was turned upside down. The undeserved guilt that she felt was overwhelming. So, she did what she knew how to do. She baked pies. She packed up the RV that Marcus had bought hoping to make road trips and hit the road trying to assuage her grief while teaching pie baking.
This b...more
by Beth M. Howard
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HarlequinNonfiction
Pub Date: March 27, 2012
ISBN: 9780373892570
When Beth Howard's estranged husband Marcus died suddenly, her world was turned upside down. The undeserved guilt that she felt was overwhelming. So, she did what she knew how to do. She baked pies. She packed up the RV that Marcus had bought hoping to make road trips and hit the road trying to assuage her grief while teaching pie baking.
This b...more
This is a memoir. The author's husband suddenly dies, and she is thrown into the depth of grief and at a complete loss as to what to do with her life. She was always a pie baker, and she finds baking pies to be healing and comforting. She likes to share pies; she organizes several pie give-aways. She makes pies in multiples that I would never consider (50-100 at a time)! Then serves free pieces to a fire station and to random people on the street.
Pie is almost a spiritual enterprise for her, and...more
Pie is almost a spiritual enterprise for her, and...more
I'm fortunate that I didn't relate very much to the story in this book. While I've experienced both love and pie, intense loss has yet to come. The cover caught my eye, and the title intrigued me, so I picked it up from the library.
Beth's voice as she shares her story is witty and engaging, and I was captivated enough to read the whole book in a couple of weeks. (This is a Big Deal considering that my ability to finish books has all but vanished). The odd thing was that despite the tragic natur...more
Beth's voice as she shares her story is witty and engaging, and I was captivated enough to read the whole book in a couple of weeks. (This is a Big Deal considering that my ability to finish books has all but vanished). The odd thing was that despite the tragic natur...more
http://charlotteswebofbooks.blogspot....
Some people will pick up this book and gain strength from Beth's survival after the loss of her husband. Other's will pick up this book and identify with the healing power of food. I picked up this book, that I didn't even know was set partially in Iowa, and got a piece of "home" when I needed it the most. I haven't been "home" since Thanksgiving and my homesickness has reached an all new level. To paraphrase, the author talks about crossing the Missouri r...more
Some people will pick up this book and gain strength from Beth's survival after the loss of her husband. Other's will pick up this book and identify with the healing power of food. I picked up this book, that I didn't even know was set partially in Iowa, and got a piece of "home" when I needed it the most. I haven't been "home" since Thanksgiving and my homesickness has reached an all new level. To paraphrase, the author talks about crossing the Missouri r...more
1 like · like · see review
Can devotion to making and sharing pie help someone deal with grief and loss? In Beth Howard's case, the answer is "yes." Her story is intriguing. Her husband dies suddenly at the age of 43, and Ms Howard is left searching for a way through her loss. She turns to making pie, something she has done for many years. But now, she finds that making and sharing pie isn't just a distraction from life. It is part of her healing process. She travels around the west coast and judges pies at the Iowa State...more
Making Piece was written by Beth M. Howard. She is a well known baker who is the author of the blog The World Needs More Pie. She lives in the house in Iowa featured in Grant Wood's painting American Gothic and sells pie there, which has also brought her a bit of fame.
In the summer of 2009, the husband she still loved but was divorcing died suddenly at the age of 43. Making Piece is the grief-filled memoir Howard wrote as she struggled to deal with guilt and grief after his death.
Howard used pi...more
In the summer of 2009, the husband she still loved but was divorcing died suddenly at the age of 43. Making Piece is the grief-filled memoir Howard wrote as she struggled to deal with guilt and grief after his death.
Howard used pi...more
This memoir was written by a native Iowan who lived on the west coast and in Euorpe before finding her way back to her home state, in need of solace after her husband's death. She settles in the American Gothic House made famous by Grant Wood's painting, just up the hill from my grandmother's house. She's still renting the house as we speak... I've been going to Eldon (population 892) my entire life, and I got a kick out of the way Beth portrayed the town, but the book overall is too much about...more
I'm 113 pages in and don't think I'll be able to finish this one. Too bad, it had such promise. But besides the author telling you about how much she loved her husband (even though they were on the verge of divorce and then he died), she's all about telling you how she used to work on a hit TV show. How she didn't go to her prom -- because she'd already lost her virginity and wanted to go on a camping trip instead. How she used to bake pies for celebrities in Malibu. All the bragging is very ann...more
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There are so many memoirs written about someone facing a loss or overcoming adversity. What sets this one apart is quite frankly the pies. The descriptions of the pies are mouthwatering. I loved the old man at the apple orchard who brought her into his kitchen to teach her to make a pie. Admired her perseverance and persistence in trying to get a job making pies, for continuing the quest to support herself doing what she loved. That she also comes to live in the house that was immortalized in th...more
I went back and forth while reading this one, between sympathy and occasionally admiration for Beth Howard, and a desire to shake her and tell her to get a grip. It IS a huge challenge to recover from the sudden death of someone very close, and grief is a thing you can't always control, but Howard does at times come off as unusually self-absorbed. Still, I loved the idea of baking-as-therapy, and it DID seem to help her to turn outward and make pies for people, and the connections with my curren...more
I wish I could give this book 3 and 1/2 stars. I had high hopes for this book and it delivered on some aspects. The most overwhelming thing I left with after reading this book = I need to eat more pie! This book made me hungry and inspired me to get baking.
I've experienced my share of loss, but not the intense grief the author experiences after the unexpected death of her husband. So much of the book is focused on the sadness and pain that there were several times when I wondered if there truly...more
I've experienced my share of loss, but not the intense grief the author experiences after the unexpected death of her husband. So much of the book is focused on the sadness and pain that there were several times when I wondered if there truly...more
I love pie. LOVE pie. I can also relate to baking through life's challenges.
That being said, I could not get into this book. I could not relate to the author at all. Opening the book with her complaints about her marriage did not appeal her to me. I was sad that her husband died, but her ways of dealing with the problems of her marriage (asking for a divorce even though it was the last thing she wanted, just to get his attention) were immature. I just couldn't connect with this woman. Call me ol...more
That being said, I could not get into this book. I could not relate to the author at all. Opening the book with her complaints about her marriage did not appeal her to me. I was sad that her husband died, but her ways of dealing with the problems of her marriage (asking for a divorce even though it was the last thing she wanted, just to get his attention) were immature. I just couldn't connect with this woman. Call me ol...more
I just gobbled this book up, almost literally. This memoir was moving, raw, and real. I appreciated the author's honesty. She didn't paint a pretty picture when there was none. And the pie! As someone who loves a good pie, this book had me salivating and wanting to get my hands into some dough and apples quick! I've said it before and I'll say it again. At this turn in my life, I'm finding the real stories to be even better than the fiction. This book is bursting with heart and warmth and delive...more
First of all I loved having this book sitting on my "to read" pile because the cover was so appealing. I was most moved by the early portions with regard to finding out there's a complicated grief particular to an unexpected loss that happens when a relationship is unresolved. I was reading this book in the days following my mother-in-law's death and found I wanted to apply parts to my husband's situation. But as someone who was widowed at 33 there were other parts that didn't interest me as muc...more
Beth Howard is a pie baker who lives in the American Gothic house in Eldon, Iowa. She was born and raised in Iowa, but after high school left the state and life took her on a unique journey including adventure-travel-blogger, pie-baker-to-the-stars in Malibu, and a marriage to a successful German businessman. While that marriage was on the brink of divorce, her husband suddenly passed away from a ruptured aorta. Making Piece tells of Beth's journey from this shocking news to her new life baking...more
I have been waiting for this book to come out for a long time ... I first heard about the author and her book when I read an article about her in a magazine last summer and have following her on Facebook ever since. I absolutely loved this book! Why? I love to make and eat pie, I live in Iowa and used to teach in Cardinal High School, which includes Eldon, Iowa. I'm very familiar with that part of the state. Beth Howard captured my attention with her first sentence and her style of writing broug...more
I enjoyed this autobiography of how the author dealt with "forks" (pun intended) in the road of her life and ended up living in the American Gothic (Grant Woods) house baking pies for a pie stand. Although the premise of the book is how pie baking helped to alleviate/work her way through the grief after her husband passed, there are many other stories going on here too. I particularly liked the back stories of how the author grew up and tested out very unique jobs -- but never really stayed with...more
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