Book 69 of my 2019 Reading Challenge
read from October 7 - 15
The Lager Queen of Minnesota
by J. Ryan Stradal
Summary (via Goodreads)
published 2019
Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can't help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.
With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.
Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?
Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: "Drink lots. It's Blotz." Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen's is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it's not too late.
Meanwhile, Edith's granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up--will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?
Here we meet a cast of lovable, funny, quintessentially American characters eager to make their mark in a world that's often stacked against them. In this deeply affecting family saga, resolution can take generations, but when it finally comes, we're surprised, moved, and delighted.
My Opinion
4 stars
First off, I have to again share the story of meeting this author. My friends and I were on our annual girls' trip to the Iowa City Book Festival a few years ago and immediately after listening to him give a reading of his first book (Kitchens of the Great Midwest) we saw him eating alone at the restaurant next door. I'm a complete introvert but to my friends' great surprise I actually approached him and invited him to eat with us. He accepted, leading to a meal with wonderful conversation (and zero pictures, giving away the ages of everyone involved in this story).
As a born and bred Midwesterner (Iowa), I appreciate this author so much for his ability to capture the particular dialogue and lifestyle without completely descending into cliches. Most people are "homey" and nice and yes, a little naive at times, but not stupid. Not being worldly is not the same thing as not being smart which is an unfortunate trap authors fall into sometimes when writing about our area.
I know Edith on a cellular level. I do not like Helen at all - there is no excuse for the way things continued. This is not the author's fault, this is my opinion on characters as though they were real life people, haha.
This is just a lovely read that wraps up nicely but not sappily.
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