Gardenias for Breakfast by Robin Jones Gunn

A Women of Faith Novel
"Everybody has a story. You listen to that story, Honeygirl, and your story will come find you."

Her Grand Lady spoke these words when Abby was just a girl, spending the summer in rural Louisiana, surrounded by an extended, loving family. She's been listening carefully ever since.

Now Abby is raising her own family thousands of miles away. And even though Hawaii might seem like paradise to some, it's a long way away from those idyllic days she remembers, sitting with her grandmother, learning about the beauty and mystery of life. So Abby has just one wish: that her daughter Hannah might be touched by the beauty of her 92-year-old Grand Lady's stories, before it's too late.

But when Hannah finally does spend time with Grand Lady, the old woman crushes her tender spirit. And a mother-daughter journey home becomes an adventure of discovery-about the importance of family and the healing found in forgiveness. Mothers and daughters may recognize a branch or two from their own family trees and find themselves wishing not only for Grand Lady's guidance but also for Hannah's ability to smell the clouds.

My Review:
What a gem! I thoroughly enjoyed this book about mother/daughter relationships. The author knows how to write; no wonder it's a Women of Faith Fiction Book. I plan to share it with the women in my family.

The plot centers around Abby and her daughter Hannah who travel thousands of miles together from their home in Hawaii to reach the Louisiana, home of the Grand Lady, Abby's much-loved grandmother. They fly to Washington and begin their road trip. As they drive through Washington, Oregon, California, Texas and into Louisiana, they experience a deeper bond and learn about the healing of forgiveness. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places they visited along the way.

I learned a some things about Hawaii reading this novel. Hawaiian "da' kine" means the same as "whatchmacallit" and leis mean more than just "welcome." The "da' kine" that mothers and daughters experience will be enhanced by the reading of this wonderful novel. I admit that I shed some tears at the end. Discussion questions are included.

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