Bread and Dreams

I have not read Ms. Ceely's first novel " Mina " and read this one as I bought the hardback for less then $4.00 and thought " oh well, something til a good book comes along " . But, I enjoyed the author's prose and how she artistically interwined fiction with what was happening in the mid to late 1800's in the life of an Irish immigrant girl . Not many people relaize the Irish were very much discriminated against when coming to America. Very common to see signs for work that read at the top " NO IRISH NEED APPLY " . My great grandmother went thru that very thing . So people of color do not own the market on being mistreated and viewed as less then human . But, you rarely an Irish person speak of such times that happened to their ancestors who were fleeing the famin and the boots of the British . I think that says a lot . Yes, the book is well over 415 pages long, but, rarely was it so slow I was bored that I wanted to skip pages. Anyone who has read my reviews would know I don't give out 4 or 5 stars easily . Well done Ms. Ceely , perhaps I shall find your first book "Mina" at my bookstore as well to read how her journey began .

I wanted a follow up to Mina and I thoroughly enjoyed Bread and Dreams. I was completely caught up in Mina and Mr. Serle. Note: I can't usually be bothered to review a book.

Ceely's Bread and Dreams is a wonderful novel in itself though it is also immensely satisfying for those who finished MINA eager to know what happens in the new world. Other reviewers have written about the characters and plot. I'd like, therefore, to note that the writing is subtly elegant. You're sailing so smoothly that you don't even notice the sentence structure and language developing as Mina does, nor the echoes of nineteenth century cadence and richness. I'd also like to note that the depth of historical research makes this novel have much more texture, vividness, and authenticity than most historical novels. From the tasty recipes and culinary skills needed in a wealthy family's kitchen, to the hardship endured by a Civil War veteran and his wife, Ceely makes you enter into and believe in the world she's created; but she never falls into the trap of having undigested lumps of information. It's all folded in as smoothly as one of Mina's smooth desserts.

If you enjoyed Mina, then don't hesitate to pick up this book! It doesn't disappoint. The only thing I could say against it is that there are a few too many happy coincidences to be entirely realistic. However this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story. I read a lot of books and I would have to say that both Mina and Bread & Dreams are up there with my favourites.

In October 1848, Irish orphan Mina Pigot and her Jewish protector Mr. Benjamin Serle sail from Liverpool on the Victoria for New York where they plan to start life anew. Mina and Benjamin find her brother Daniel working as a waiter at Broadway's Columbia House Hotel. Mr. Serle immediately obtains work as a master chef while Mina struggles to adjust to being a salesgirl before obtaining work in the kitchen of the wealthy Westervelt family. However, even as Mina's skills in the kitchen make her highly regarded by her employer, she notices the trysts and affairs that if revealed would destroy the family. She also begins to dream about her protector Mr. Serle though their religions and his age leave little hope for anything beyond a fatherly interest in her. Still Mina has come through a lot and will not give up on becoming Mrs. Benjamin Serle because she knows she totally loves him beyond the gratitude that he saved her life. She wonders how to make him see that she is no longer a girl without a home, but a woman in love and willing to go anywhere with her man. The sequel to the wonderful MINA is a fabulous historical fiction that provides readers with insight into mid nineteenth century mostly in New York, but also somewhat San Francisco and other locales. The story line brings to life America so that the audience can taste and smell the foods whether preparation occurs in a hotel, a mansion, or a bakery. The romantic subplot is deftly handled as Mr. Serle and readers will realize how much Mina has grown up. Still the romance enhances the readers' deep sensorial view of a bygone era.