September | 2018 | Linda McLaughlin/Lyndi Lamont

My regular monthly Book Review Club is dark this month, but I’m still posting a review of Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray.

Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray
Women’s Fiction

The topic for my readers group this month is Luck of the Draw. I literally drew this title out of a bag, not knowing anything about it. I downloaded the e-book from my local public library.

This is a light read that I’d call Women’s Fiction. Ruth is a happily married wife whose life falls apart when two big things happen. Her husband, Sam, loses his job as a hospital administrator, and her absent father, Guy, breaks both wrists and needs somewhere to stay. Having Guy wouldn’t be so bad, but Ruth’s mother Hollis also lives with them, and the two ex-spouses can’t stand each other. Or can they?

Ruth has been an avid baker all her life, and when she took a meditation class, she found her safe spot by picturing herself inside a big Bundt cake. Whenever she’s stressed, she bakes cakes. When it looks they will run out of money before Sam finds another job–esp. since he seems more interesting in buying and restoring wooden boats–Guy suggests that Ruth go into the cake baking business, which forces her out of her comfort zone. Pretty soon the whole family is involved in her fledgling “Eat Cake” business.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all memorable, flawed but sympathetic, like real people. Guy is a real character, an aging charmer who plays the piano in fancy hotels and restaurants. Hollis, her sharp-tongued mother, discovers that she still has a soft spot in her heart for her wayward spouse, and Camille, the sulky teen, comes through in a big way. Very enjoyable.

Mozart Cake at Cafe Mozart, Old Town Prague

The descriptions of Ruth’s cakes are mouth-watering, and the author includes recipes at the end. I’m very proud of myself for reading the entire book without running to the store to buy pieces of cake.

Barrie Summy’s Book Review Club will return in October.

Linda

Labor Day is a holiday that doesn’t seem to have much purpose any more beyond BBQ and a long weekend, but there is a reason for the holiday. Begun in 1894, Labor Day was intended to celebrate the labor union movement, which started in the 19th century and reached its height in the US at mid-20th century.

International Worker’s Day is celebrated worldwide on May 1st, but the date coincided too closely to the May 4, 1886 date of the infamous Haymarket affair in Chicago. Anarchists threw a bomb into the crowd as the police attempted to disperse a peaceful rally in support of labor rights. Seven policemen and at least four civilians were killed in the blast and subsequent gunfire, and dozens of other people were wounded. The Communist embrace of May 1st further discredited it in the minds of the American people.

I grew up in a union household. Before her marriage, my mom worked in a factory and joined the union. When she turned 65, she started getting laughably small pension checks from the union. My dad was a lifetime member of the Brotherhood of Teamsters, and his union pension was a godsend in their later years. My nephew has worked construction since finishing high school and the only pension he will get will be from his union.

Sadly, union membership in the private sector has dropped below 7%, and surprise, surprise! wages are stagnant. Cause and effect, people. Large corporations have worked very hard to destroy labor unions, in part by supporting Right to Work (for Less) laws in states all over the country. I’d love to see a resurgence in union membership in this country. There’s a reason why workers in the old days wanted to organize, and some things never change.

I’ll get off my soapbox now and leave you with a laugh.

Back to the barbie. Happy Labor Day!

Linda

Linda McLaughlin/Lyndi Lamont

Romance author

Monthly Archives: September 2018

Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray Women’s Fiction #review

Take the Day Off: Happy Labor Day!