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Bread Alone (Bread Alone #1)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 2,215 ratings · 329 reviews

Thirty-one-year-old Wynter Morrison is lost when her husband leaves her for another woman. Desperate for a change, she moves to Seattle, where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of the time she aprenticed at a French boulangerie, when her passion for bread-making ne...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published May 28th 2002 by William Morrow Paperbacks

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Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

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Food-Related Fiction

36th out of 240 books — 290 voters

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Jan 26, 2010 Elisabetta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: easy-english, intense, lovely, not-too-complicated, reding-recommended, recipes

Wyn loves her husband, but find out that he no more loves her and actually, he leaves for another girl. So 31 years old Wyn find herself alone, without a work, and without a real passion. But then there's bread, and making bread is the first step to move from an old, boring life to start a brand new one.

What I loved of this book is the fact that it express how simple things can change our life. Making bread is, to me, one of the most relaxing thing in life, so I could perfectly understand some o...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Valerie Derbyshire rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, so much so I've read it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Initially, the main character seems to not have a great deal going for her - I certainly didn't expect to identify or have any empathy with her. She's the archetypal spoilt kept woman who's spent the majority of her adult life as a "homemaker" and "committee member", wearing designer clothes, having her hair and nails done and basically fulfilling her rich husband's every whim. Despite this, there is...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, cooking-tasting

Once upon a time I was housebound with a couple boxes of Harlequin Romance novels from the 60's. We had intended to use them as kindling (though yes, burning books is very Fahrenheit..whatever).It was the dead of winter in an uninsulated cabin, what can I say (except that, trust me, books don't give much heat when you burn them).
Anyway, I read the books, all of them, before they went to their dreadful end. And I discovered that there were about 6 plots in all 300 books.

So, I think maybe there ar...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 bookczuk added it

Read June 2008, and at the time wrote:

Nice weekend read. I decided to drop the book at Muddy Waters today rather than try the recipes-- I have my favorites for all the ones listed already, just lack the time/inclination to make them. Maybe I'll be inspired now.

Don't know why Wyn was so surprised at the whole David vs Mac vs Gary thing...anyone with half a brain could pick the man most comfortable in his own skin, and with her leading a full and rewarding life.

The best part about looking up this...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Lance Charnes rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of romances or downmarket chick-lit

Shelves: fiction-other

I read this while writing a story with a female main character. Bread Alone was presented to me as a good example of developing a central female POV character, as done by a female author. It showed me what I shouldn't do with my heroine.

Wynter is a 32-year-old Hancock Park trophy wife who gets dumped by the cheating rich spouse, weathers a series of mostly self-inflicted misfortunes, then finds fulfillment making bread in Seattle and bedding a tall-dark-and-handsome bartender. Other than the rec...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Brandon Witt rated it 5 of 5 stars

I finished Bread Alone and thought: "Wow, I loved this book. Why did I love this book?" It is one of those things I really should not have enjoyed as I did. There were no huge dramas, conspiracies, or epic adventures. In fact, most of it was simple conversations or private thoughts of the heroine, just everyday life. There are many bread recipes for crying out loud. And I loved every second of it. My friend Mel gave it to me to read after I got my heart thoroughly broken. Shattered, actually. Sh...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: food

I mostly enjoyed this book. Hendricks does a great job of weaving the plot together and throwing in some delicious sounding recipes while at it.

Wynter is a career housewife that feels something is lacking, yet still feels she loves her husband. Early on in the book we find he doesn't feel the same way. After telling her that he needs some space and things aren't going how he wanted them to, she goes to visit a friend in Seattle for awhile.

When she returns, she finds that she has been locked out...more I mostly enjoyed this book. Hendricks does a great job of weaving the plot together and throwing in some delicious sounding recipes while at it.

Wynter is a career housewife that feels something is lacking, yet still feels she loves her husband. Early on in the book we find he doesn't feel the same way. After telling her that he needs some space and things aren't going how he wanted them to, she goes to visit a friend in Seattle for awhile.

When she returns, she finds that she has been locked out of the house and all her things in boxes outside. She flees to her mother's where she spends some time moping and figuring out what she's going to do. When she learns that her husband David has probably left her for another woman, she decides to take a job at a bakery in Seattle that had intrigued her when she had visited.

She loves her job but unfortunately there's still something missing. When her mother decides to get married that feeling becomes even moreso a problem. She varies between her new step-brother Gary who would like nothing more than to share her life and her friend Mac, a bartender in a place near where she lives.

She has to make a choice on what she wants in life. Does she still want David, her husband of seven years? Gary, who has been nothing but kind to her. Or Mac, who doesn't seem to show romantic interest to her but is a wonderful friend.

This book focused a lot on the different relationships Wynter has. She is often portrayed as confused and weak. However, making bread seems to calm her. I think, after describing how her character originally was, that she could have been portrayed as a lot stronger of a woman. She eventually is in the end, but it is a very slow progression.

Hendrick's writing is in the first person, through Wynter's eyes. She includes plenty of description but doesn't make it wordy enough that its no longer enjoyable.

My only complaint about the novel is, after describing how Wynter doesn't really care about appearances, seems to judge people by just that. There are a couple of times in the novel where overweight people are poked at and when she first meets Mac, Wynter judges him as a scary handyman. This is a complete change from when she meets him as a bartender and he has changed his appearance. While I'm not denying people judge this way, it just seems hypocritical to me, which I guess makes her character quite real.

There are several recipes in the book including Pain Levain, Patty's Cake, and many others. Most of them look very good and if I didn't have to retype them out for my own copy, I would probably try to use them. However, trying to use them straight out of this book would be near impossible as the pages don't stay open to where you want them to.

Bread Alone
Copyright 2001
356 pages (less)

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Oct 02, 2009 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

Chic-lit. Pure and simple. This book does not ever pretend to be anything other than the kind of book you leave face down on the beach while on holiday. The narrative follows Wynter through the end of her marriage, negotiating the finding of herself and finally to the arms of a broodingly good looking man.

Muddled up in the mix is her relationship with her mother, her adult understanding of the relationship of her parents and her friendships, with both men and women.

It is these bits that lift thi...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

At 31, Wynter Morrison's life has already been turned upside down. Her husband has announced that he feels trapped, suffocated, needs a complete change, needs to take risks. To do this, he must be completely independent, of her. Wynter already knows she hated being a school teacher and selling real estate was not her specialty. She was the always charming hostess, the source of contacts. She gave parties, went to dinners, benefits, concerts, plays, gallery openings, political fundraisers, auctio...more At 31, Wynter Morrison's life has already been turned upside down. Her husband has announced that he feels trapped, suffocated, needs a complete change, needs to take risks. To do this, he must be completely independent, of her. Wynter already knows she hated being a school teacher and selling real estate was not her specialty. She was the always charming hostess, the source of contacts. She gave parties, went to dinners, benefits, concerts, plays, gallery openings, political fundraisers, auctions. She served on several committees in the community, exercised religiously, played tennis at "the club." During her 7-year marriage, she was transformed into the perfect wife of an advertising executive. Their only friends are those who can improve their economic status.
Wynter goes to Seattle to visit her very best friend, CM (Christine Mayle). While CM is at work, Wynter spends her mornings at the Queen Street Bakery, enjoying coffee, the newspaper, and the company of the shop's workers and owners who now consider her "a regular." Wynter returns home to LA only to find all of her personal belongings boxed-up and on the front porch of her house, her house with the new locks! Wynter often reminisces about the summer she was at UCLA and did a work study program at a bakery in France. She decides to return to Seattle and take the job offered to her at the bakery, to bake bread, something she loves and is great at. You'll have to read this book to learn more about the interesting relationships surrounding Wynter's adventure and see how things turn out for her.

When reading an author for the first time, how long should it take you to decide if you like their writing style? Judith Ryan Hendricks reeled me in instantly. Are you sure this is your debut novel? You're a natural. Please tell me you're working on another book! The writing is so true-to-life, especially the dialog. It's not too formal or too "slang-like." I know the characters and love or hate them. Wynter's friend CM really made me laugh. She reminded me of my best friend. Never hesitates to smack some sense into me, so to speak. Just the best friend ever. Can make me laugh when I just feel like crying. Excellent debut novel.(less)

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May 28, 2011 Manda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Okay, the ending is predictable. Every novel I have read about how a woman copes when her marriage ends has ended in the same way, so no surprises there. But other than that this is a very good book, very readable, and almost pornographic in it's descriptions of bread. Oh how I wanted to eat some of the bread that she was creating!

I particularly like the turns of phrase in the book. I'd quote an example, but I have left the book upstairs. The experience of the woman in this book is fairly true t...more

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Apr 08, 2011 Krista rated it 5 of 5 stars

Now, if I went over a synopsis of the book, you might get bored. Nothing earth shattering or original happens in the book. It's simply a book about life. The main character, Wyn, is basically thrown out of her husband's home and life. She moves in with a best friend in Seattle to try to re-coup. She takes a job baking bread and starts to grow.

What I loved about this book (besides the baking and the recipes!) was that it was about family, friends, and growth. Wyn is a sensible, loving woman who m...more

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Apr 28, 2013 Oriyah Nitkin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, food-and-cooking

This is another one of those books where I was torn between 2 entirely different ratings and had to choose a compromise between the two, but which ends up reflecting neither of my sentiments.

I enjoyed the writing style and the recipes in this book (though have yet to make any.)

However, the story line, which may be considered to be realistic or even familiar to some, I find to be incredibly damaging. The disrespect between certain characters, as well as some poor choices that were made, really im...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

This is not a mere romance novel. It has greater literary ambitions, as evidenced by its careful use of language and sensitive portrayal of a woman’s psyche and growth.

Wynter is imperfect. She can be selfish, whiny and rude. She can be short-sighted and helpless. She’s human. These qualities can be downright irritating. I found myself wavering between sympathizing with her and disliking her. Right away, I realized that I had to be patient with this character because it was evident that she’d hav...more This is not a mere romance novel. It has greater literary ambitions, as evidenced by its careful use of language and sensitive portrayal of a woman’s psyche and growth.

Wynter is imperfect. She can be selfish, whiny and rude. She can be short-sighted and helpless. She’s human. These qualities can be downright irritating. I found myself wavering between sympathizing with her and disliking her. Right away, I realized that I had to be patient with this character because it was evident that she’d have to change. I wanted to see how she turned out.

She is thrust out onto the road of self-discovery by her husband of seven years, who, in a very wishy-washy manner, suggests he no longer wishes to be married to her. His explanations about his feelings and desires are baffling, which adds a sense of reality to the narrative. Most of us aren’t particularly eloquent when our emotions run high and when we are forced into a confrontation we’ve been avoiding. It takes Wynter a long time to see through her delusions about the relationship and to accept that moving on might be the right thing to do.

Wynter’s painfully embarrassing attempts at seduction also root this narrative in reality rather than fantasy. No typical romance heroine could be that awkward. Instead, her instinctive sensuality would drive her partners wild. Not Wynter. When she finally engages in a mature, mutually supportive relationship, awkwardness and insecurity remain, which she and her partner acknowledge with laughter rather than blushes and shame.

How did I feel about the other characters? I didn’t care too much for David and Gary, but I wasn’t supposed to. I thought Wynter’s mother was portrayed nicely, and of course I enjoyed Mac. Wynter’s best friend, CM was two-dimensional, but she didn’t need to be fleshed out more, since she functions as a foil for the main character. Linda, the rude baker, was more of a charicature, than a fully realized character, but she was an entertaining addition to the cast.

A review of this book wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the bread and recipes. The descriptions are mouth-watering. The recipes look great and I’m eager to try them, particularly the sourdough and the chocolate cake–mmmmm!

I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good story about self-discovery and a love of baking.(less)

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Jan 31, 2010 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 29, 2012 Katherine Coble rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-checkout

This seemed as though it would be a book I would like. I generally enjoy foodie/romance books.

But I generally enjoy them because I like the people as much or more than the food.

That is why this is a two-star book. We had to spend an awful lot of time watching a self-centered, mean-willed woman mourn the death of her largely loveless marriage. (They both really love the house, but that's about it.)

I knew we were in trouble when the book opened with her (oh yeah...her name is Wynter, she goes by...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Miriam Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars

As many of you faithful friends know, I used to work in a bakery...and you also know that it was the best job of my life. I even dream about it sometimes. This book make me ache for the bakery again. The story is about a woman, going though a divorce, who decides to leave town and soon works for a bakery. She had done an apprenticeship in college at a french boulangerie, so she was completely attracted to it. She and I had many similarities, and I laugh when others in the book referred to her as...more

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Apr 22, 2009 Tiffany rated it 2 of 5 stars

Skip the first 100 pages of cliched hetero-break-up drama and pick up when she decides to leave California for good and take control of her life. For obvious reasons I have a soft spot for books about people who abandon their lives to do something that no one else seems to understand. The main character in this book goes to Seattle to pursue her love of bread-baking for $8 an hour. The author does a good job of bringing both to life--Seattle and and the bread-baking. Everything and everyone else...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Louise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This was a very interesting, well written debut novel. Some great bread recipes too!

From back cover:

"The life of thirty-one-year-old trophy wife Wynter Morrison suddenly changes course when her husband announces one evening that their marriage is over. Emotionally devastated and desperate for a change of scenery, Wyn moves to Seattle, where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery, sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly made bread. These visits bring back memories of her long-...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Jane rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Jul 02, 2009 Kelsey Stewart rated it 5 of 5 stars

Now here's a setting I can hang with: the Pacific Northwest. Oh how I longed to be a pained divorcee, who could up and leave everything about her current metropolitan life and start anew in a small, rainy town. Romance novel? Yes, of course it is. It has all the makings. But it's a pretty damn good recipe. Plus, the book is filled with real recipes, from scones to muffins to genuine french bread. I actually keep this novel on my kitchen counter with my cookbooks...hoping to one day pry it open a...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Patrice Sartor rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: food, friendship, light-fluffy-and-or-easy-read, love-sex-romance, realistic-fiction

I didn't read every single word--I got to page 204, realized the triteness was bugging me, and proceeded to skim until the end. Basically, a rich husband wants some time out of his marriage, and his wife (Wynter, the main character) struggles with getting over him and finding her own way. One of the activities that helps her is baking bread, and she pursues that far away from her husband.

I didn't like Wynter, and couldn't really blame her husband for wanting out of the relationship. She was whin...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Maurynne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Parts I liked: Wyn's new life: the house, the bakery, the neighborhood bar. Only three stars, because the main character is really clueless about herself. And I do not like first person, present tense books much. I also find it hard to relate to someone who doesn't stretch and grow until she is in her thirties. But she does stretch and grow, so that's good. I found myself skipping over the recipes, which are cookies, cakes, muffins, scones, and three breads. My five star novels with recipes are...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Charlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hendricks writes a simple tale.

Wynter Morrison is the main character. She is dissatisfied with life (unhappy career -- needs to make a living) and wanders into a marriage to a man (that seems convenient and solves her financial worries). The marriage leads to divorce (as he finds he loves another -- though in many ways -- his new love seems to be a better fit for his lifestyle and interests).

In any case, after the separation, Wyn "escapes" to Seattle to spend time with her best friend, CM, and...more

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May 29, 2012 Debra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A romantic story with bread making as its core on which it spins. The story had an amazing undercurrent of anger which put me in a crappy mood, but the bread part is amazing. (Right now I am working on dough for some sandwich buns which I have said I would experment on all winter and never did. Did I mention it is 90 degrees out and my house is not air conditioned?)

The characters are very likable and varied. I wonder how Wyn gets to buy those plane tickets on the tight budget she has. I am not s...more

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Jan 06, 2010 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love that the author focuses on food/drink - the first book that I read of hers was "House of Daughters" about champagne. Her other book is about cheese, "Blessed are the Cheesemakers". This book about a woman and her traumatic life events, is told through the metaphor of bread making. The scenery described is beautiful - the English Seaside and a small village in France. The architecture of the main characters house - a huge eyesore of a tower - is intriguing. And the traumatic events keep yo...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wyn's story is one of heart-wrenching loss and being able to possess the strength to over come it. Hendricks had created an immensely relatable character within Wynter, she is an everyday, normal woman and I like that. Even if you haven't been in her situation, you can relate.
The end, to me was unsatisfying, yes all the ends got tied up neatly and in a way that made Wyn's heart ache worth while, but in tying those ends it created a blunt finality which seems silly considering there is a sequel.....more

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Dec 22, 2008 daysgoby rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've read a couple of this genre in the past year - (woman has fabulous marriage, woman discovers husband who cheats, woman re-discovers herself) and for the most part they're sweet and not terribly angst-y.

This book, though, differs in that the character is smart. Oh, she never knew that her husband was sleeping around, and she does have moments of will-he-come-back-PLEASE-make-him-come-back, but in her journey from trophy wife to having a trophy life of her own, you really started rooting for...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Erin Stuhlsatz rated it 2 of 5 stars

I sort of loved hating this book. It was very much a poor-little-rich-girl story of Wynter, whose husband wants a 'separation' after seven years of marriage. And their marriage is the kind that none of us are ever going to have--he is a wealthy capitalist of some sort, and she is his stay-at-home wife, who works out religiously and 'lunches' with the wives of his potential clients. Gag.

While recovering from this whole divorce thing, Wyn moves to Seattle and starts working at a bakery. It's love...more

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Aug 28, 2012 KathyJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really wanted to give this book four stars, because there is so much I enjoyed about the it. If the main character, jilted 31-year old "executive's wife" Wynter hadn't been so unrealistically attached to her vain, aloof, judgmental and philandering husband in the first half of the book, I would have rated it higher. That said, I liked the characters (other than the aforementioned ex), and truly loved the descriptions of Wynter's breadmaking apprenticeship in France. Overall, a good read. Looki...more

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May 25, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Amy

Surprisingly good. My mom said it was a book about "A woman who finds out what she has to do and does it." Not the most intriguing line and I almost passed it up, so very glad I didn't. The book captured my imagination as it followed Wynter through the separation with her husband, re-found love of baking bread (complete with recipies and descriptions that left my mouth watering), and reconciliation with her mother. It sounds like a lot, and it is, but it's well paced without too much detail. A g...more

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About Judi Hendricks

Judi sees life as a never-ending journey of creative expression and so is accustomed to starting off in one direction and ending up somewhere completely unexpected - or going in five directions at once. In her daily life, she's a contract designer whose projects range from developing data collection tools for the pharmaceutical research industry to designing print ads. In her evening and weekend l...more

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Books by Judi Hendricks

The Baker's Apprentice (Bread Alone, #2)

Of Love & Life: Precious Time / Something Wild / Bread Alone

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Quotes from Bread Alone

“I just don't know what's going on here, and when I'm uncomfortable, I get a bit...edgy.” — 2 people liked it

“My Oma, my grandmother told me that the best friendships often start with a quarrel. She said there's a closeness that comes from a good healthy fight that you can't get any other way, and I think it must be true. Look at CM and me. Our friendship started with a fistfight and twenty-two years later it's still going strong. The friendship, I mean.” — 2 people liked it

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