Review: When Lemons Give You Life

When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quote from the Author>>>>"This novel is about rediscovering joy when life has lost its flavour-about kindness, connection, and the courage to start again."

I can't argue with that description or do any better describing it myself.

I found this book to be:

Humerous

Sad

Silly  

Life-sucking (for the characters)

An eye-opener

Hopeful

Filled with lies and tragedy, but eventually finding the truth, redemption and happiness.

This book would make an excellent book club read and also an awesome movie.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "From the author of the beloved feel-good debut The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife comes another humorous, heart-stirring novel about family, second chances, and the lengths we go for those we love, following a woman fighting to hold onto life and her older brother who's rediscovering reasons to embrace it.

Retired Michelin-star chef Griff Barlow has lost his appetite. He’s done with grief, guilt and the beige slop they dare call food at Sunny Glen Aged Care Facility, where he now resides.

Six decades of life have given him all the lemons he can handle, so he breaks into the nursing home kitchen to bake himself one last tart. It’s supposed to be his final meal but the act of cooking stirs a dormant joy. Soon, he’s regularly sneaking in after dark, serving up flavor and comfort to fellow residents, who, in turn, begin to come alive with each bite of Griff's delicious concoctions. Yet behind the apron is a lie so big it could destroy the one thing Griff has left to protect.

Lisa, Griff’s younger sister and sole visitor, is navigating a midlife ADHD diagnosis, the spark of a new romance, and unexpected news that may change life as she knows it. Despite their fractured sibling relationship, she continues to show up, though hope of a reconciliation between the two is long gone, buried in the silence between them.

But the truth has a way of boiling over, and when secrets, soufflés, and second chances collide, Griff and Lisa may discover a recipe for forgiveness.

Heartfelt and inspiring, When Lemons Give You Life is an uplifting, feel-good novel about love, forgiveness, redemption, and the joy of rediscovering what truly matters in life."