Bitter and Sweet A Novel by Rhonda McKnight

 Book Excerpt:

"From the beloved author of The Thing About Home comes a dual timeline tale of family, grief, secrets, and the sweet redemption within the bonds of sisterhood.

-The Present-

When summoned to Georgetown, South Carolina, sisters Mariah Clark and Sabrina Holland assume their ailing grandfather's health has gotten worse. Neither expects their grandmother's undeniable request to save the family restaurant.

Mariah is at a crossroads in her life. After being dumped by her husband and forced to walk away from the diner that she helped rescue from bankruptcy, bitter feelings consume her. Even though the restaurant has been in the family for eighty-six years, she doesn't want to give her all to another struggling business.

Living out of her van and striving for a fresh start, Sabrina yearns for stability for herself and her daughter and a chance to turn her baking hustle into a bona fide business. The family restaurant may be just the blessing she needs, but as old tensions and angry disagreements resurface, Sabrina wonders if her sister will let her have a say.

-The Past-

After falling victim to a love she thought would last a lifetime, Tabitha Cooper finds herself away from home and struggling to survive in Charleston in the early twentieth century. She is determined to turn corn into cornbread and take care of her children the best way she knows—by serving food that's good for the soul—and along the way, she forges a path that leaves a legacy of success for generations to come.

Through letters that reveal Tabitha's complicated past, the sisters discover truths that might be the right recipe to mend their hearts--if they can find a way to savor today's blessing and leave the bitter aftertaste of old memories behind them."

Title: Bitter and Sweet
Author: Rhonda McKnight
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"Bitter and Sweet" by Rhonda McKnight

My Perception:

'Bitter and Sweet' was an interesting, powerful story about grief. The main characters gave the reader much to think about long after reading. We are given a story of 'several generations of a family that had their secrets, struggles with marriage, life, disappoints, self-discovery, forgiveness and healing, grief, sorrow, redemption, and struggles.' The story was about how this grandmother tried to restore peace and love in this family. Will it happen? I enjoyed reading about Mariah, Sabrina, and Tabitha's stories. These Gullah people were very interested in reading about their recipes and community way of life in the trials and tribulations that families endure. I loved how the power of forgiveness turned out to be such a wonderful thing for this family.

You must pick up this good read to learn why these two sisters came home in the first place.

Thank you, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book.