The Laws of Harmony

I've read and enjoyed all of this author's books, and this might just be my favorite. I loved the contrast between the New Mexico and Washington state locations, her rich and wonderful prose, and the way that we very gradually learn more about Sunny and why she is the way she is. I kept thinking about the story so much after I'd finished the book, that I read it again, just to revisit the characters and enjoy the plot twists again from the vantage point of knowing how things turn out.

I have read all of Judi's books, and generally like her protagonist; Sunny is flawed, as we all are, but really demonstrates great processing skills, and takes responsibility for the direction of her life. The degree to which Judi has grown as a writer (with this 4th published book) is well documented in the commitment to showing character development. My business partner read our shared copy first, and said that it was a quick read. I'm a slower reader, but this time, I would say that I read every word and savored each one. Get this book now, but a very enjoyable experience! I really like to read about female self-discovery, and this one does it well.

is they always make me laugh out loud, shed a few tears and learn something new (baking, fiber art, riding a Harley, voice over talent). To say nothing of giving me the shivers with her elegant prose or making my mouth water with descriptions of meals that are as luscious as the satisfying story she always serves up. This time she takes us to New Mexico and the Pacific Northwest with Sunny Cooper, a woman traveling back and forth from her present to her past, a protagonist as funny and feisty and flawed as a reader could hope for. Like other novelists I love (Elizabeth Berg, Barbara Kingsolver) Hendricks never disappoints. The pleasure of reading The Laws of Harmony is a sure thing in these uncertain times. Treat yourself.

This book was yet another amazing novel by Judith Ryan Hendricks. It is the story of Sunny Cooper...and her family and her relationships with a best friend and a not so sincere fiance. It is the story of giving up ties that hold you in one spot and totally beginning again in a new location. It was wonderful and magical and totally absorbing. It was unique and different. This book drew me in to the lives of so many different fascinating characters. I loved every minute of it and couldn't even believe that it ended when it did...I wanted more!!! There is something magical about the way Judith Ryan Hendricks tells a story...I have read and loved each of her books...from Bread Alone to this one...and eagerly await the arrival of the next one...

Sunny Cooper is one of those characters so real and flawed, so tough and tender, that I feel as if I could have her as a neighbor, and would like to share coffee with her, or better yet, some of those blackberry brownies! Her life hasn't been easy, and much of that hasn't been up to her, rather her circumstances were dictated by her parents's choices, one of which was to bring their kids up on a commune in northern New Mexico. I'd never really thought of how that must have been for the children of the hippies until reading this book. Sunny has every reason to feel bitter, but she's a fighter, and she goes after happiness the same way a boxer gets up after being knocked down. One of Hendricks's strengths as a writer is the ability to create a fictional world that is so solid and layered, so filled with characters that are flawed and human, that she leaves you hoping for a sequel. This book is exactly like that. The details that make a story come to life are here, from the plants she grows to the jobs she juggles to the island dog everyone knows. If you're looking for a beach read, this isn't your book. This is a story that is so real it makes you cheer. I suggest you buy two copies so that when you lend yours to a friend, and she doesn't give it back, you still have the book to enjoy reading for a second, third or fourth time. Loved it and looking forward to her next book.