Hello dear readers,
Bauermeister’s first novel wasn’t published until she was nearly fifty, a fact that surprises me to no end, simply because her work is so transformative. At present, she’s written five novels and a memoir, through which she’s been a Reece’s Book Club pick, as well as a finalist for the Washington State Book Award Finalist, and Indie Next Picks. Prior to her success, she received a BA and a PhD in literature, and co-authored 500 Great Books by Women: A Reader’s Guide and Let’s Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14.
I have long been a thrift store lover, and so most weeks, I find myself winding through the aisles, looking for some treasure or another. Sometimes I’m looking for teacups, other times fabric, other times still a pair of boots for trudging through the farm’s meadows. But I always navigate to the books to see what gems are waiting there. This time last year, that was Erica Bauermeister’s The School of Essential Ingredients.
When I picked it up off the shelf, I didn’t know what a life-changing impact the book would have. I set it on my shelf for a few weeks, and finally, when I’d finished my library books, I opened it up—and then barely closed it again until it was done. I then went on a journey through Bauermeister’s other works, reading everything the library had to offer¹.
I just finished re-reading The School of Essential Ingredients a few days ago, and I’m glad to say the book still holds the same impact for me. What I find I love the most about her writing style is that it’s so based in the senses, finding ways to make what might be considered mundane—chocolate shavings melting in a pot of warmed milk, the scent of lavender as you brush by—into something special. In this way, Bauermeister’s words linger long after they’ve been read.
Before I order a book online (whether from Thriftbooks or a new copy), I like to sit with the book a while to make sure I’ll want to read it again. The thing is, I haven’t stopped thinking of Bauermeister’s writing—in all the books I read—since last year. And so I received another of her novels, Joy For Beginners, as a Christmas gift this year, and have since ordered the rest of her books online; I’m impatiently waiting for their arrival in my mailbox.
It’s hard to choose just one quote, as every line holds its own weight and meaning. But I’ll leave you with this:
“If you live in your senses, slowly, with attention, if you use your eyes and your fingertips and your tastebuds, then romance is something you’ll never need a greeting card to make you remember.”
Happy reading!
—Catherine
FOOTNOTES
¹ The only book the library didn’t have was The Lost Art of Mixing, the follow up to The School of Essential Ingredients—or its predecessor, apparently, since Bauermeister has stated they can be read in any order. I’m happy to say this is one of the ones I ordered online—I’m so excited to read it.
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