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Joy For Beginners

by Erica Bauermeister (Goodreads Author)

3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 · rating details · 3,095 ratings · 803 reviews

"Moving, touching, wonderfully written, inspiring to read." -Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

At an intimate, festive dinner party in Seattle, six women gather to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer. Wineglass in hand, Kate strikes a bargain with them. To celebrate her new lease on life, she'll do the one thing that's always terrified he...more

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published June 9th 2011 by Putnam Adult

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101st out of 299 books — 521 voters

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May 26, 2011 Jill rated it 2 of 5 stars

A few years ago, a new phrase burst into our vernacular: the bucket list, based on a movie in which two men confront their limitations and prepare a list of things they must do. The list is predictably exotic: skydiving, flying over the North Pole, eating dinner at Chevre d’Or in France.

In Joy for Beginners, it’s the women’s turn to enact that list. On an uncharacteristically sunny day in Seattle, six women assemble to celebrate their friend Kate’s clean bill of health from breast cancer. Unbekn...more A few years ago, a new phrase burst into our vernacular: the bucket list, based on a movie in which two men confront their limitations and prepare a list of things they must do. The list is predictably exotic: skydiving, flying over the North Pole, eating dinner at Chevre d’Or in France.

In Joy for Beginners, it’s the women’s turn to enact that list. On an uncharacteristically sunny day in Seattle, six women assemble to celebrate their friend Kate’s clean bill of health from breast cancer. Unbeknownst to them, right before arrival, Kate’s daughter had suggested an exhilarating white water rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Her friends urge her on and she agrees to go on one condition: that she gets to choose a challenge for each of her friends to overcome.

Unlike an adventurous male version, the challenges are far more targeted and subtle. For example, the recently divorced book store owner, Caroline, is asked to sort through her ex-husband’s library and dispose of all the books he left behind, clearing the decks (or the shelves!) for a new life. Daria, a gifted but restless potter, is directed to mold loaves of bread as a way of getting past emotional damage done by a hypercritical mother. Another friend, Ava, who was most reluctant to visit Kate at the hospital, as a result of flashbacks to her own mother’s battle with cancer, is asked to do the sixty mile breast cancer fundraising walk. And so on.

If this sounds a little formulaic, it’s because it is. Each woman, in turn, must confront her deepest fears and ask herself: what is holding me back? What am I most afraid of? What obstacle must I overcome to grow and thrive? What does it truly mean to be alive? As each discovers, hidden terrors need not be physically demanding ones, such as whitewater rafting. Often the little things that seem simple on the surface (making bread, tackling an overgrown garden, getting a tattoo) are indicative of more daunting issues.

Each chapter comes with its own back story; we get to meet each friend, one by one, learn the task that she has been assigned by Kate, and see how she is capable of accomplishing that task – whether it’s connecting with the right man, gaining a degree of added independence, or delving into herself to face her fears. Unlike real life, there is resolution for each and every woman. By the time Kate takes her own journey down the river – a metaphor, of course, for life – she is able to recognize her own cathartic role in the lives of her friends. “She had been a river, Kate thought, the thing that took them close to death made them suddenly, courageously, honest.”

Joy for Beginners is a book for a select audience, primarily women who enjoy inspirational tales about how the power of sisterhood can help transform lives. Its message is a powerful one: by taking risks and opening up to joy, one can surmount any personal obstacle including dealing with divorce, accepting a mother’s failings, embracing independence, acknowledging hidden talents, and choosing to live with confidence. At the end, it’s likely that each woman will question, “What is the one thing in life that I need to deal with to live more fully?” And that, of course, is the point.
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May 26, 2013 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-selection, brain-candy, usa-contemporary, read-2013

Joy for Beginners was selected as the inaugural read of a recently formed book club. Being the new girl in town, I didn’t participate in the selection of this book, but I was tickled to be invited to join this group of women ‘round about my age – and we are few in this town of 10,000 which boasts the oldest median population in Washington state. Ironically, at 43, I am the book club’s Grande Dame…

Our local library has a well-organized book club operation. Clubs can select from a list of several...more Joy for Beginners was selected as the inaugural read of a recently formed book club. Being the new girl in town, I didn’t participate in the selection of this book, but I was tickled to be invited to join this group of women ‘round about my age – and we are few in this town of 10,000 which boasts the oldest median population in Washington state. Ironically, at 43, I am the book club’s Grande Dame…

Our local library has a well-organized book club operation. Clubs can select from a list of several dozen, oft-changing titles, which are assembled into “kits” – large plastic carrying bins with several copies of the book and a folder of helpful talking points. I was pretty gobsmacked by this. My previous book club experiences have been haphazard affairs where titles are submitted and argued over. One member of our group brought two kits to choose between for our next meeting. I had read both titles up for consideration, but despite my protestations that I didn’t mind rereading either title (or at least skimming and revisiting my Goodreads reviews), our group insisted we read something no other member had read. So we scanned through the on-line list of titles and came up with Karen Russell’s “Swamplandia” for June.

What the heck does this have to with Joy for Beginners ? Well, everything, kind of.

The book’s premise is this: Kate, a breast cancer survivor, gathers her five best friends (who are more or less best friends with each other) and presents them each with a challenge that she feels addresses some aspect of their lives or their characters they have been avoiding. One woman must get a tattoo; another must learn to bake bread; another shall clear her home of her philandering husband’s book collection; another is charged with weeding her garden. Kate’s very BFF, the one who could not handle visiting her in the hospital (and the one whom everyone else is secretly pissed at), is punished for her abandonment and assigned to a 3-Day Cancer Walk. Kate’s own challenge, as if surviving breast cancer was not enough, is to go on a week-long rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. As each woman completes her life assignment, she undergoes an emotional transformation.

I enjoy a cozy, comfort food read as much as anyone (Maeve Binchy, may her sweet soul rest in peace), but despite Bauermeister’s lovely, lyrical writing I can’t recommend this as a good read. I found the premise formulaic and the characters one-dimensional. Perhaps there were simply too many women to develop a full and believable story line about any. I questioned the likelihood of a closely-knit group of six women who are intimately involved and über-supportive of each other’s lives. This is foreign country stuff for me. Two or three at a time, okay – but what is this multiplicity of bosom buddies of which you speak? I struggled to relate to or appreciate these women’s lives or their white, upper middle class dilemmas. Even the cancer felt emotionally manipulative. Maybe I should get a tattoo.

Here’s the thing. My book club, a collection of women in their 30's and 40's, some of whom know one another and consider themselves friends, others who are acquainted only by circumstance, and me, the outsider by virtue of being new, generally agreed this was a enjoyable quick read, but we dispensed with an assessment of the book’s quality before anyone had finished their first glass of wine.

What this book DID do was generate a wonderful and lively discussion about the personal challenge we think others would assign to us. Out of respect for the privacy of everyone involved, I won’t say what those challenges are, but we spent three hours together doing what women do – talking about our relationships, our kids, our dreams and our fears. So, two-star read; five-star book club.
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Aug 11, 2011 Merand rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love Bauermeister's writing! I don't know how she manages to do it. Every word is perfect, every description tangible, every moment striking. There are many books I have given 5 stars too - usually because the story is fun or enjoyable, not necessarily because the writing itself is so incredible. I loved Bauermeister's first book and am equally enthralled with her second.

Now that's not to say that this book is easy. Far from it, for me anyway. The author explores all manner of loss and betraya...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Normally I would never rate a book in the "chick lit" genre more than 4 stars. But, this book made me do something I've never before done; I re read it the same week I finished it. I felt like the characters were calling me back to get to know them better. And, when I read about the six women again, I realized that they all had something to tell me. Each chapter is about one of six friends who are in a pact to complete a personal challenge. Caroline is recovering from a husband who traded her in...more Normally I would never rate a book in the "chick lit" genre more than 4 stars. But, this book made me do something I've never before done; I re read it the same week I finished it. I felt like the characters were calling me back to get to know them better. And, when I read about the six women again, I realized that they all had something to tell me. Each chapter is about one of six friends who are in a pact to complete a personal challenge. Caroline is recovering from a husband who traded her in for someone who is, "...all round curves and glossy surfaces." Daria has been carrying around a mother's disapproval for her entire life. Sara has been drowning in the joyful, but consuming, role of motherhood and has lost her identity. Hadley is a widow who has let her life strangle her. Marion is an empty nester and going through menopause. Ava lost her mother to cancer when she was 10 and still needs closure. And, Kate is the cancer survivor who is afraid to go rafting down the Grand Canyon.
As each of theses women faces the challenge that their friend,Kate, dreamed up for them, I realized that what they each really needed was some purging and creating. Purge old garbage and create new space. For instance, Carolyn had always "...loved the idea of filling the shelves of her life with the roles of daughter, friend, girlfriend, wife, mother..." her friend, Marion, says to her, "I'm just thinking ... that it might be nice to figure out how you want to live." Then, as Carolyn gets rid of her ex's things she, "...realized with a sense of small quiet surprise that roles in her well stocked bookshelf of life were leaving, had left, one by one as they had come."
This book just happens to speak to me right where I am at as a 48 year old woman with college aged kids. I also particularly liked Carolyn's character and her discussion about the word "marriage" and the idea that it can be a noun - something that can be shed like a coat or put on a shelf, or, it can be used as a verb - as in an action word; the act of being entwined.
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Feb 03, 2013 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Synopsis (from BN.com):

What would you do with a second chance at life?

Having survived a life-threatening illness, Kate celebrates by gathering with six close friends. At an intimate outdoor dinner on a warm September evening, the women challenge Kate to start her new lease on life by going white-water rafting down the Grand Canyon with her daughter. But Kate is reluctant to take the risk.

That is, until her friend Marion proposes a pact: if Kate will face the rapids, each woman will do one thing...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading Erica Bauermeister's work is like eating a bowl of homemade soup in your pajamas on a rainy day - warm and comforting. I loved The School of Essential Ingredients, and Joy For Beginners as well.

It's a very chick-lit premise: Kate survives breast cancer and at her victory party, assigns each of her six best friends a personal challenge. One has to get a tattoo, another has to walk the 3-day Avon walk. She herself must go rafting through the Grand Canyon with her daughter. The stories are...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Roberta rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kate e le sue amiche si riuniscono per festeggiare la sua vittoria sul cancro: durante la cena Kate assegna a ciascuna delle amiche una "sfida" da superare, qualcosa che da sempre dicono di voler fare ma che poi rimandano trovando mille scuse... 7 vite, 7 donne, 7 sfide con il proprio io!

Una trama che arriva dritta al cuore, che colpisce in profondità e che entra nell'animo di chi legge lasciando un segno indelebile.
7 amiche, 7 vite intrecciate tra di loro, 7 sfide da affrontare e un nuovo inizi...more Kate e le sue amiche si riuniscono per festeggiare la sua vittoria sul cancro: durante la cena Kate assegna a ciascuna delle amiche una "sfida" da superare, qualcosa che da sempre dicono di voler fare ma che poi rimandano trovando mille scuse... 7 vite, 7 donne, 7 sfide con il proprio io!

Una trama che arriva dritta al cuore, che colpisce in profondità e che entra nell'animo di chi legge lasciando un segno indelebile.
7 amiche, 7 vite intrecciate tra di loro, 7 sfide da affrontare e un nuovo inizio da abbracciare: questo in breve ciò che troverete tra queste pagine, ma è solo un assaggio in realtà di ciò che la Bauermeister è stata capace di metter nero su bianco, con incredibile maestria ha infatti dato vita a una storia commovente, che risalta la forza delle donne e la loro capacità di lottare sempre senza mai perdersi d'animo.
I capitoli che costituiscono il libro sono i racconti di ognuna delle sette protagoniste: il lettore viene introdotto nella vita di ciascuna di loro, pagina dopo pagina conosce ogni singola protagonista, la cui vita viene narrata con minuzia dall'autrice, che scava a fondo e intimamente nel passato e nel presente di ognuno di loro. Chi legge diviene parte della vita di Kate, Daria, Caroline, Sara, Hadley, Marion e Ava, ne scopre i punti deboli, affronta con ciascuna le proprie paure, ritrovando la strada verso la felicità, verso quell'io messo da parte e spesso ferito.
Ognuna delle sette protagoniste è ben caratterizzata, la Bauermeister ha la capacità di rendere reali i personaggi nati dalla sua penna, dona loro un'anima e coinvolge il lettore in maniera completa, raccontandogli spaccati di vita vissuta, mostrandoglieli e facendoli divenire veri.
Pagina dopo pagina ci si sente sempre più coinvolti dal racconto, si soffre e si gioisce con ciascuna delle sette donne, si ha come l'impressione di averle davanti agli occhi, poterle sfiorare e si sente forte il desiderio di abbracciarle, accarezzarle e alla fine gioire con loro e alla fine dirgli "Grande, ora puoi ricominciare a inseguire i tuoi sogni!"
Un libro da leggere con calma, da assaporare e in cui abbandonarsi... Una storia che vi farà riflettere, che saprà farmi provare un florilegio di emozioni tutte diverse e che arrivati alla fine vi lascerà la sensazione di aver salutato delle vecchie amiche di cui già sentite forte la mancanza.
Lo stile e il linguaggio della Bauermeister sono impeccabili, semplici e mai pesanti e rendono la lettura leggera: l'attenzione del lettore è mantenuta costantemente alta, così come la passione per la storia che si sta leggendo.
Erica Bauermeister aveva già dimostrato la sua bravura nel raccontare le storie delle persone con il libro La scuola degli ingredienti segreti e con questo libro conferma il suo genio e la sua capacità di coinvolgere il lettore legandolo alle vite dei protagonisti dei suoi libri!
Regalatevi un sogno e leggete questo libro, regalatelo a chi amate ed ha bisogno di ritrovare la propria strada verso la felicità...
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Sep 23, 2012 Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: literature-fiction

Story Description:

Berkley Trade|June 5, 2012|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-425-24742-6

A Library Journal Best Book of the Year

What would you do with a second chance at life?

Having survived a life-threatening illness, Kate celebrates by gathering with six close friends. At an intimate outdoor dinner on a warm September evening, the women challenge Kate to start her new lease on life by going white-water rafting down the Grand Canyon with her daughter. But Kate is reluctant to take the risk.

That is,...more Story Description:

Berkley Trade|June 5, 2012|Trade Paperback|ISBN: 978-0-425-24742-6

A Library Journal Best Book of the Year

What would you do with a second chance at life?

Having survived a life-threatening illness, Kate celebrates by gathering with six close friends. At an intimate outdoor dinner on a warm September evening, the women challenge Kate to start her new lease on life by going white-water rafting down the Grand Canyon with her daughter. But Kate is reluctant to take the risk.

That is, until her friend Marion proposes a pact: if Kate will face the rapids, each woman will do one thing in the next year that scares her. Kate agrees, with one provision – she didn’t get to choose her challenge, so she gets to choose theirs. Whether it’s learning to let go of the past or getting a tattoo, each woman’s story interweaves with the others, forming a seamless portrait of the power of female friendships. From the author of The School of Essential Ingredients comes a beautifully crafted novel about daring to experience true joy, starting with one small step at a time.

My Review:

Kate is home again after just surviving breast cancer. To celebrate she invites six of her closest friends to come and share in an intimate dinner. Kate was hit very hard when she discovered she had breast cancer.

The evening of the dinner arrived and each friend: Daria, Ava, Sara, Marion, Caroline, and Hadley each arrived at Kate’s door with some part of the meal. While in the kitchen, one of her friends sees a pamphlet on the fridge about white-water rafting in the Grand Canyon. She brings it to the table with her and asks Kate to explain. Kate tells the group that her adult daughter is going on the trip. The women all agree that it’s a fabulous opportunity and think that Kate should go with her to celebrate her second chance at life. It takes a little bit of convincing but Kate finally relents and agrees to go with her only after Marion declares that if Kate is going to be brave enough to white-water raft, then each of the six of them will do one thing in the next year that scares her. Of course, Kate thinks this is a marvelous idea and adds that since she didn’t get to choose her challenge, she herself will pick everyone else’s challenge.

I found I could relate better to some characters better than others. My favourite challenge was Sara’s trip to Italy as I’ve learned a lot about that country, love Italian food, have a long-standing pen pal there, and would love to visit someday myself.

Joy for Beginners is a great representation of being able to find joy and learning to feel and embrace that joy. It’s a story of love, friendship, heartbreak, hope, and remembering that life is for living especially if given a second chance.

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Jul 31, 2012 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, supposed-to-be-deep-i-think

I must preface my remarks by saying that I read this book AFTER having just finished Les Miserables, Jesus Land and Love and Other Demons. So, it can't really hold a candle to ANY of those really wonderful works of literature. This does get FIVE stars for being the chickiest chick lit I have ever laid eyes on. It's about seven women living very conventional woman-y lives--all in or just out of relationships, or suffering from woman diseases (breast cancer), or doing woman-y things. Not that ther...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Chrissy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: great-story

Live...get out of your comfort zone and do something you want--or need--to do to feel alive!

I loved this book. There is something powerful about the closeness women can share, especially through their own personal trials. The main character, Kate, has just overcome cancer. During her victory dinner, her friends become aware that Kate's daughter wants her to go on a rafting trip. A dangerous thought for Kate. Her friends make a pact with her agreeing to do something outside their comfort zone ove...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

My first book by this author and she had me hooked by the first chapter. I enjoyed reading about the women's lives and struggles and their friendships with each other. The fact that it was based in Seattle added to my enjoyment. The quote on the opening pages of the book was enough to intrigue me and ask myself the same question...a question that has not just one answer, but many depending on your stage of life. At one point my answer was to break free from my little home town and explore life.....more

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Mar 20, 2012 Judy Goodnight rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

The author, Erica Bauermeister, speaks to my heart. First with The School of Essential Ingredients, now with Joy for Beginners.

We meet the characters of the novel at a victory party for Kate, who has just been declared free of breast cancer. Her 6 friends - Caroline, Daria, Sara, Marion, Hadley & Ava are there. Kate's daughter wants Kate to go with her on a rafting trip on the Colorado River and Kate is inclined to say no. At her friends' urging, Kate agrees to do it with one condition: that...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-contemporary-authors

Bauermeister’s first novel left me hungry to read more of this talented author, and this novel is as thoughtfully, skillfully, and lovingly written.
A network of women who have supported a friend through her cancer treatment is given a task to complete by her, a task that will force each out of her comfort zone, to confront old demons, to allow life to come back…”life is persistent, slipping into your consciousness sideways…there is nothing so seductive as reality.”
These are women at many differe...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joy for Beginners isn't a book that will change your life, but it might change your attitude. It tells the tale of seven friends who have shared life, child rearing, love, divorce, near death and recovery together. Kate is one of the seven friends and has recently fought a battle with breast cancer. Her friends encourage her to go on a white water rafting trip with her daughter and she agrees - but only if they each agree to do one thing that scares them. They agree and Kate tells them she'll ch...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Betty-Anne added it

I received Erica Bauermeister’s second novel “Joy for Beginners” as an ARC from the publisher, and was delighted to find that it is, as the title itself offers, a sheer joy to read. Having read and loved her previous book, The School of Essential Ingredients, I had high hopes for this book and am delighted that it delivered.

In the prologue, Kate hosts a victory party for her six closest friends to celebrate her cancer survival, and tells them of a challenge by her daughter to do the one thing th...more I received Erica Bauermeister’s second novel “Joy for Beginners” as an ARC from the publisher, and was delighted to find that it is, as the title itself offers, a sheer joy to read. Having read and loved her previous book, The School of Essential Ingredients, I had high hopes for this book and am delighted that it delivered.

In the prologue, Kate hosts a victory party for her six closest friends to celebrate her cancer survival, and tells them of a challenge by her daughter to do the one thing that she fears most – white water rafting. Her friends make a pact with her to each do one thing that scares them if Kate does hers. Kate agrees, but only if she can choose each woman’s challenge.

From this point, the book separates into vignettes, each one focused on one of the women as they navigate their way through their individual challenge. In the process, you’re able to learn each woman’s story and immerse yourself in the character of the moment. Bauermeister allows each character her own space, but uses the thread of the friendship to keep the story connected and tie the entire book together in a satisfying way.

The writing is lush and vibrant, with the author seeming to dive headlong into writing each of the varying tasks/challenges with equal passion and intensity. It makes for an enticing read, so that you want to have it go on and on. I wasn’t surprised to find out that she herself had actually done some of the things she writes about the women doing for their challenges. She is also careful to leave each woman’s story at a point where it has reached a conclusion of sorts, but where you can still feel that there is so much more waiting for them in their lives.

Joy for Beginners is a satisfying read that says as much about the power of friendships as it does about living a full life and the satisfaction of taking a risk. Each of the characters learns much about themselves in the course of fulfilling their challenge. Additionally, I loved how much Kate really knew about her friends and how she discovered it all. This is also a great book for book clubs, as there are so many varied discussion points that arise from the story.(less)

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Jul 11, 2011 Debbie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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...more 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.

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Jul 04, 2011 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kate, a recent breast cancer survivor, will accept her daughter's gift of a whitewater rafting trip only if each of her friends agrees to a task. For one, it's as simple as learning to bake bread, but each of the six friends must overcome at least one obstacle - grief, guilt, fear, etc. - to pursue the goal set for her by Kate. Each woman's story is distinct and some are more compelling and meaningful than others but, taken as a whole, they illustrate the varied ways in which women can become bl...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that reminds you why women are so special. We are insightful and brutally honest with our closest friends, however when it comes to doing that with ourselves, we fall short. We need our friends, I mean our real friends, to sometimes step in with suggestions or tough love to put us back on our path. To make ourselves better and happy. The people we were meant to be.

The main thread of this story is Kate who has survived cancer. Through her journey Kate has learned that l...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Nancy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kate survived the monster. Through treatment, good friends an chemicals, she beat breast cancer. Now her twenty-three year old daughter wants her to run the Grand Canyon's Colorado River - an avoidable risk. At her best friends' urgings, she concedes with a caveat - they will each take on a challenge dreamed up by Kate.

Each chapter is a stand-alone short story that introduces each character in depth, including past and present struggles. Similarly, each friend, save Ava, has spent countless hour...more

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Apr 07, 2011 Vicky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Six friends gather together for dinner and to celebrate their friend Kate's recovery from cancer. While chatting about challenges, Kate's daughter challenges her to do something that has always terrified her - to go on a whitewater rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Kate's friends all agree it's something she needs to do, but she then challenges them to do something equally as terrifying, and she gets to choose. They reluctantly agree. The task is different for each, but no less daunting.

This i...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Joy for Beginners is a story about Kate, a cancer survivor, and her close knit of friends who have been her support through everything. During a celebratory dinner, Kate makes a promise to her friends to try something completely terrifying… white water rafting. In exchange, each of her friends needs to agree to a challenge picked by Kate.

Instead of adventures that require bravery to overcome their fears, Kate chooses life lessons for her dear friends. This story follows each of them through thei...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was surprised by this book for a couple of reasons. The book begins with Kate, a cancer survivor, hosting a victory party for the friends that saw her through her illness and treatment. Toward the end of the evening, her friends learn that Kate's daughter has planned a mother-daughter trip through the Grand Canyon. Kate is somewhat hesitant to go, but her friends convince her that this would be an experience she shouldn't miss. Kate agrees to go, but, in return, she wants to pick experiences...more

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Aug 04, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, to-buy

If you liked Erica Bauermeister’s previous novel, The School of Essential Ingredients, you’ll be sure to gobble this book up as well.

A group of friends gets together for a victory dinner, to celebrate Kate’s recovery after cancer. Kate reveals that to celebrate, she’s going white-water rafting with her daughter in the Grand Canyon, and she’s terrified. In a symbol of true friendship, the other ladies agree to each do one thing that year that scares them – and Kate gets to choose what that will b...more If you liked Erica Bauermeister’s previous novel, The School of Essential Ingredients, you’ll be sure to gobble this book up as well.

A group of friends gets together for a victory dinner, to celebrate Kate’s recovery after cancer. Kate reveals that to celebrate, she’s going white-water rafting with her daughter in the Grand Canyon, and she’s terrified. In a symbol of true friendship, the other ladies agree to each do one thing that year that scares them – and Kate gets to choose what that will be for each person.

The book is separated into one prologue (the dinner) and seven chapters, one centering on each of the characters. We learn about their lives, the task they were given by Kate, how they go about completing it, etc… It’s all about finding joy in life. One thing that I have to note is that most of these women didn’t have a lot of joy in their lives to start with, therefore making the “task” that Kate gives them all the more important. With the exception of maybe one character, they all had a sad story or inner turmoil that they needed to get past in order to let joy into their lives again. It started to get a little depressing – it kind of gave the illusion that you only need to hunt for joy if you’re unhappy. I think that even the content, happy people could stand to get up and do something that scares them in search for that extra little jolt of joy.

I love Bauermeister’s writing. It’s just beautiful, and there are these sentences that jump out and grab you – that for me, had me reaching for a pen and a post-it note to jot some pretty line down. I also love that this book is about this close group of friends… these kinds of books always make me wish a little bit that I had more girl friends. There’s also a lot of mouth-watering descriptions of food, smells, and places.

I also wanted to point out that the style of the book is very similar to the author’s other book, The School of Essential Ingredients. By letting each character get their own chapter, we get to know each character; their history, their secrets, their pains. However, I feel a little cheated because I end up knowing just a little about each character, rather than knowing a lot about a couple of the characters and less about the others. I’d love to see Erica expand her writing skills into a more…. complete, concrete story focused on a specific character or smaller group. Each chapter about these characters ends very openly, and there’s that little part of me that once in a while wants to see what actually happens to the characters. I grow to care about them, and want to see how their particular story ends… or at least a good idea of the direction it’s headed in.

Now, don’t get me wrong – this was a great book. I’ll probably buy it when it comes out in paperback – it’s beautifully written and it does make me feel inspired to go out and do something fun and new. It definitely captures that wonderful sense of adventure and accomplishment that you feel after doing something unknown. I can’t wait to see what Erica Bauermeister’s next book will be like.

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Jun 25, 2011 Judy Iliff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Joy for Beginers is, without a doubt, my number one pick for book of the year so far! I loved Bauermeister's School of Essential Ingredients, and I was afraid I'd be disappointed with her second book. I was not.

Seven women gather at a dinner party to celebrate Kate's recovery from cancer. Five helped Kate through the roughest time of her life; the 6th couldn't be there because of her work. Before she left for college, Kate's daughter Robyn put a brochure on the bulletin board for white-water tri...more

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May 03, 2013 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

For many this would be classified as chick-lit because it involves a story focused primarily on the friendship between a group of women that make a promise to one of the other characters to meet certain tasks that she places before them, due to deciding to go white water rafting after she beats cancer. For me this wasn't chick-lit, but human-lit. It weaved stories of hopes, dreams, loves, and loss all within its mere 260-some pages.

Bauermeister alternates the chapters by being the complete stor...more For many this would be classified as chick-lit because it involves a story focused primarily on the friendship between a group of women that make a promise to one of the other characters to meet certain tasks that she places before them, due to deciding to go white water rafting after she beats cancer. For me this wasn't chick-lit, but human-lit. It weaved stories of hopes, dreams, loves, and loss all within its mere 260-some pages.

Bauermeister alternates the chapters by being the complete story of one of the women in the group of friends. We are told somewhere within the chapter their task that was presented to them and we discover throughout why this task was such a burden to accomplish for them to that particular date and why Kate, the cancer survivor, has chosen it for them. In some cases it seems rather mundane the tasks given, but when you understand that in life the simple things are sometimes the hardest for us to accomplish it rings so much truer than if they were being told to do bigger tasks. Sometimes with the stories bigger tasks are revealed to the character and it changes their lives. That is why I call this human-lit because it is about how we must take these small moments/small steps sometimes to see what our full potential is. If you never take that first step you never know what you are capable of and sometimes you will falter, but most of the time it results in learning that would never have occurred otherwise.

Bauermeister isn't the next Hemingway by any means, but who needs every single story they read to be a classic, sometimes a lighter story is more desirable. Sometimes a simpler read can touch you in more ways than a classic can ever do. "Joy for Beginners" is that, a simpler read, that will teach you a lesson about life, if you allow it to and do not get caught up on other things, like macho pride for you male readers out there. So nothing technically blows up in this story and there is little to no violence within its pages, but this book is about humanity and the lives that are touched by one singular event. How friendships grow organically and how people can do big things if they just try. Oh we may not be the best all the time, but we humans can do such beautiful and wonderful things! This book reminded me of that!(less)

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Jan 11, 2012 Sally G. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

I am a fan of Erica Bauermeister. In August 2010, I had the great good fortune of reading The School of Essential Ingredients ~ and I loved it.

I loved how we were taken deep into the lives of the key characters in the story, I loved the intimate role food and cooking played throughout, I loved the intuitive wonder of the main character and the magical way those who need her, find her. This book changed the way I experienced food going forward. I went to the author's website and actually made on...more I am a fan of Erica Bauermeister. In August 2010, I had the great good fortune of reading The School of Essential Ingredients ~ and I loved it.

I loved how we were taken deep into the lives of the key characters in the story, I loved the intimate role food and cooking played throughout, I loved the intuitive wonder of the main character and the magical way those who need her, find her. This book changed the way I experienced food going forward. I went to the author's website and actually made one of the recipes. I also spent time going through the list of HER favourite reads - and found that I enjoyed many of them too.

I was thrilled when I discovered that a new book had been published (in 2011, but I just found out recently), Joy for Beginners ~ and I couldn't wait to immerse myself into it.

This is a book that speaks to ways the power of the Past can influence the Present and the Future. It shows how doing something new, something scary that we tend to resist, can create space for Joy to emerge and motivation to step more fully into who we are. In these pages we are reminded about the importance of living life Awake and allowing our Hearts to Open. And through it all, there is the underlying theme of the significance Loving Support and Friendship makes in our lives.

This is a story of 7 friends who gather in celebration of Kate, the central character who has just been diagnosed as Cancer Free. Kate has, with some feelings of reluctance and trepidation, accepted her daughter's invitation (challenge) to go on a White Water Rafting Trip together. Her friends applaud this - and Kate agrees to go as long as each of the women at the table also accept a personal challenge, a challenge that Kate gets to assign.

Each challenge is deeply personal and forces the person to do something that scares them - and in the doing, they'll step more fully into who they really are, seeing who they've actually become and where they've come from with a clarity that eluded them before.

This is a story of women, friends, mothers, daughters, wives and all the boundaries that exist, or don't exist, in-between. It's about getting past pain, hurt, old or outdated beliefs and be willing to experience life in new ways. It was a very enjoyable read.

I rated this book 8 out of 10.(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this author's first book, The School of Essential Ingredients, so I looked forward to reading this one as well. I was very pleased with this book.

This is the story of Kate and her closest friends as they come together to celebrate her victory over breast cancer. Kate assigns tasks to her friends that may be unpleasant for them or challenging to face. The chapters follow each woman as they face their task.

I enjoyed meeting each woman that Kate calls a friend. They were all different pe...more

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Apr 01, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 4 of 5 stars

After Kate recovers from cancer, her daughter surprises her with a whitewater rafting trip. The only problem is that Kate is terrified of that. But she makes a deal with her friends: she'll go on the trip if they all agree to do something that they're scared of or said they'd never do. And since she didn't get to choose to go whitewater rafting, Kate's going to choose challenges for her friends.

Each chapter is centered on a different friend and how she reacts to the challenge.

Erica Bauermeister...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Penny McGill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourites, book-club-favourites

I sometimes wonder if the time of your week/month/year will impact how you feel about a particular book. This book was on our New Books shelf for a while and I talked to patrons about it a bit. Some had great things to say and others felt more so-so about it. I avoided reading it because I really felt like the author's idea of several friends celebrating at the end of a cancer treatment was too trite for me. It felt way too much like a contrived idea for 6 women to talk about growth and change w...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-books, strong-women

The only thing about this book that was disappointing was that there was less food in it than in The School of Essential Ingredients. Ms. Bauermeister made up for that by including some excellent descriptions of the art and process of bread-baking.

This novel has another rather simple premise, and is again largely about a set of fully realized, relatable characters. A group of female friends come together at the beginning of the book to celebrate one’s triumph over cancer. This survivor, Kate, ha...more The only thing about this book that was disappointing was that there was less food in it than in The School of Essential Ingredients. Ms. Bauermeister made up for that by including some excellent descriptions of the art and process of bread-baking.

This novel has another rather simple premise, and is again largely about a set of fully realized, relatable characters. A group of female friends come together at the beginning of the book to celebrate one’s triumph over cancer. This survivor, Kate, has a daughter who wants to bring her on a rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. Kate’s friends urge her to go, to use this as an affirmation of the life that she almost lost. She agrees to take on the challenge if, in return, each of them performs an act requiring similar courage, something they’ve never done or need to do, before she leaves for the trip. The catch is that she gets to choose for each friend, just as they have chosen for her.

As she did before, in The School of Essential Ingredients, the author has given every character her own chapter, in which the details of that woman’s past and her present situation are revealed and explained. For me, each woman felt like a friend by the end of her chapter. They all have some sort of dissatisfaction in their lives, whether large or small. Some of them have to learn to cope with tragedy, some need to deal with the aftermath of their own mistakes. By the ends of their respective chapters, all of the women come to some sort of resolution through the completion of their challenges, with a little room left over for the reader’s interpretation.

This book is emotional, but not in a forced or exploitive way. It is easy and natural to become involved with the characters’ stories, to smile and cry with them along the way. The women experience personal breakthroughs, relief, and release – from hang-ups they had, or things they had been suppressing. The challenges set by Kate (and for Kate) generally end up being just what each woman needed to free herself from self-imposed shackles.

If done wrong, this story structure could have become formulaic or even trite, but in Ms. Bauermeister’s capable hands, it was simply satisfying.

There is some lovely phrasing in the book, the kind that makes you want to buy a copy so that you can do some dog-earing and underlining. The author has a gift for creating sensuality out of mere words, which is rounded out by her firm grasp on reality and the way people’s minds work. She knows a lot about love, possibly even more about good food, and she has a very clever way of entwining the two in her books.

This is absolutely a woman’s novel, not that a man couldn’t enjoy it. It is simply about very feminine issues, however politically incorrect it may be for me to say that. Sometimes it’s nice to be in a female space, even if that space is a book. It still feels safe, familiar, and nurturing.

It is quite an accomplishment to create that sense of comfort in something as intangible as a story, and with Joy for Beginners, Erica Bauermeister has done it for a second time.(less)

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About Erica Bauermeister

Erica Bauermeister is the bestselling author of the novel The School of Essential Ingredients and the upcoming novel Joy For Beginners (June 9, 2011). The School of Essential Ingredients is currently being published in 22 countries and Joy For Beginners was recently selected to be performed as part of the New Short Fiction Series in Los Angeles (June 12, 2011). Erica Bauermeister received a B.A. f...more

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Quotes from Joy For Beginners

“I think love is kind of like those waves out there," she said. "You ride one in to the beach, and it's the most amazing thing you've ever felt. But at some point the water goes back out; it has to. And maybe you're lucky-maybe you're both too busy to do anything drastic. Maybe you're good as friends, so you stay. And then something happens-maybe it's something as big as a baby, or as small as him unloading the dishwasher-and the wave comes back in again. And it does that, over and over. I just think sometimes people forget to wait.” — 22 people liked it

“They said - Adults need to have fun so children will want to grow up.” — 18 people liked it

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