The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue

Don't you just hate it when the cover artist obviously didn't read the book? I picked this up thinking "Sweet Potato Queens" or "Jennifer Cruisie" or one of those sassy chick lit tomes. Instead, I'm finding understanding and strength and comfort - and LOTS of insight and wisdom. The story revolves around 4 neighbor women - from all walks of life and ethnicities - and one ghost. Roberta has just lost her husband of 60+ years; Trudy is on the brink of an empty nest when she discovers her husband's affair and throws him out; Roberta's granddaughter Jade is freshly out of a demoralizing marriage; and Shanelle is an escapee from white trailer trash, with two young sons and a macho husband who doesn't begin to understand her need to write. The women's boxing element nearly turned me from the book, but ended up being an interesting element. And the ghost Lucille was after my own middle aged, adventure seeking heart. The strength of women comes through in each page, not brassy or sassy, but faithful and steadfast and caring. One particularly inspiring quote picked up the place in life where I live: "But the evening looms. The house thunders with emptiness. How could my old life be over so suddenly that after years and years of never having a minute to draw my breath now I have so much time that I feel myself sinking into it like quicksand, drowning in it? A mother finished. A wife dismissed."

Barbara Samuel captured me with her first and second books, and with THE GODDESSES OF KITCHEN AVENUE I am hooked on anything she writes. I love the flow of her writing and the way she casts her characters who are obviously born right out of her heart and sent straight into the readers'. Anyone who has been hurt by infidelity will find this to be close to the real feelings you go through although Trudy's errant husband, Rick, might be a bit different from the usual adulterer. Still, you have hope for them. I think that's probably what I like the most about Samuel's novels - the hope, the desire, the passion, the strength, and the realism of relationships that are doomed and relationships that are meant to be. Call me a romantic, but keep those stories coming!

Barbara Samuel's The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue is the most moving book I've read this year. Her prose is rich and lyrical, her characters become as real as your own friends. And they are grown ups, with realistic heart breaks and triumphs. I wanted to savor this book and take my time over each gorgeous page, but I'm too weak. I gobbled it up in one sitting.

A woman whose marriage is in crisis, a young struggling writer, a woman boxer and a grieving grandmother--these are some of the women of Kitchen Avenue. Their unique stories intertwine to bring readers a wonderful comfort read as each of them finds her bliss. Light some candles, pour some wine, and sink down into this lush, sensual book by Barbara Samuels

I just finished THE GODDESSES OF KITCHEN AVENUE by Barbara Samuel and knew the first thing I had to do is tell others how wonderful this book is! To say it is brilliant is an understatement. I've always liked her writing but this one is the best she has ever done. I loved all these woman and was sucked into each and every one of their stories. I have one small complaint though and that is the cover. The cover shows several Caucasian woman in what looks like their 30s sitting around a table. In reality, the book features a black woman in her 80s, a mixed-race woman in her early 30s (IIRC), a white woman in her 20s, and a white woman in her 40s. There are only a few times in the book when they're even in the same room together. But that doesn't really take away from this wonderful story, there's romance, yes. But there is even more. I think the main theme of this book would be the empowerment of women. All these women find out something about themselves and that they can be individuals with or without a man in their lives. It is a true keeper and a book that is sure to get Barbara Samuel notice in more than just the romance community. I would say this book is at least on par with Gaffney's THE SAVING GRACES.