The Divine Proverb of Streusel

by Sara Brunsvold

Dakota County Library paperback 309 pages plus author's note and acknowledgements

Published: 2024

Genre: Christian realistic fiction

I love this author! We read her book The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip and I loved that one, too. 

 

From Amazon:

Shaken by her parents' divorce and discouraged by the growing chasm between herself and her serious boyfriend, Nikki Werner seeks solace at her uncle's farm in a small Missouri hamlet. She'll spend the summer there, picking up the pieces of her shattered present so she can plan a better future. But what awaits her at the ancestral farm is a past she barely knows.

Among her late grandmother's belongings, Nikki finds an old notebook filled with handwritten German recipes and wise sayings pulled from the book of Proverbs. With each recipe she makes, she invites locals to the family table to hear their stories about the town's history, her ancestors--and her estranged father.

What started as a cathartic way to connect to her heritage soon becomes the means through which she learns how the women before her endured--with the help of their cooking prowess. Nikki realizes how delicious streusel with a healthy dollop of faith can serve as a guide to heal wounds of the past.

 

It's surprising to me that a book filled with recipes didn't tempt me even once to think about cooking any of them. Weird, because I love food and many of the dishes sounded yummy. 

Page 10: "Tracy sank into the chair next to Nikki's desk - the same spot she claimed every Thursday morning before students arrived - for a "Gab and Grace session," as she called it. The life-giving thirty minutes of prayer and mentoring . . . "

This made me think of our weekly prayer time at PRMS - Megan, Cina, Bonnie, and me. What sustenance our prayer time gave us for working with middle schoolers! What a blessing to have prayer buddies.

Page 21: "No answer came, as if God trusted him to discern the way. He had faith sharpened by war, by witnessing the brightest good bloom among the sharpest thorns of depravation. But God should have known by then how dense Wes really was."

 

I love her language choices. Discernment is hard . . . I'm with Wes on thinking God knows I'm dense but willing.

Page 42: Rhubarb pie! This made me think of my husband with a smile. He loves rhubarb pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On page 50, Wes is talking to his Aunt Emma about Nikki showing up on his doorstep. I kind of want to include their whole conversation here because I love it so much! But the part that I flagged was when he says "You have far too much confidence in me." Aunt Emma replies, "And for that I will never apologize."

Throughout the book, I was drawn to Aunt Emma so much! What a fun woman of God! She is a lot like Mrs. Kip. Both characters make a point of building others up. I love that quality! Part of me wants to own both of these Brunsvold books . . . I enjoyed them so much.

Page 73: "All the pieces of her life broke off bit by bit. Slipped through her fingers even as she had her palms to heaven in a plea for mercy. How had it all fallen apart so quickly? How had it gotten so completely out of her control? How would she ever get through it?

Her mom's reply to that very question floated back. It comprised the words from Grandma Ann herself. 'Do the next thing.'

'It's the only thing I can do,' her mom had said."

The phrase "Do the next thing" was repeated frequently throughout this book, but it felt powerful in its repetition, not redundant. Getting "stuck" in life happens, but having a way to move forward is much better than staying stuck! Do the next thing.

Page 82: "Don't tell our pastor. Of course, he'll probably find out anyway. We posted a few of those selfie photos on the social media. Too bad you're not on it. Old women with beers and insufficient knowledge of technology make for interesting results."

Again, Aunt Emma talking with Wes makes the best parts of the book! I love her spunk and the "old women" sentiment at the end. It truly made me laugh out loud.

Page 135: "Shame, that whole situation. But Chris has made his bed. He'll need to sleep in it a while yet. Hard as it is, we need to let him. The good news is God's not afraid of an attitude. That divine whack will come in due course - to all the skulls that need it."

Aunt Emma again. Nikki's dad Chris has left his family and married his affair partner. His choices have torn apart his ex-wife's life as well as impacting his daughters and brother. So very sad. But Aunt Emma knows no one can change his mind or his behavior. So true!

Page 147 - When Nikki and her sister Hannah are taking a last look at their childhood home, Nikki says, "Where are we going to go for Christmas? Or birthdays? Or any holiday?"

I know adults who have mourned the loss of their childhood home and this scene made me think of their sadness. I guess I was so happy to have my own home (plus my childhood home is still in the family) that I haven't dealt with this personally. It's interesting to contemplate the passage of time and the different seasons of life.

Page 172: "Maybe that would help break the ice. Plus, I'm champing at the bit to let my stories out. I'm old. I have to share while I'm lucid enough to remember them."

 

Aunt Emma again! This is part of the reason why I did StoryWorth to tell some of my own stories while I can. I cannot ever again hear my parents talk about their childhoods and younger years. I can't ask them questions to find out their thoughts. Stories can be powerful and meaningful and we all have them.

 

Page 190: "Wes closed his bedroom door and sank onto the edge of his bed. Nikki had no idea how like her father she was. The German language may have faded between their family's generations, but the stubbornness held strong, as woven into the DNA as the brown eyes."

 

I tagged this because my husband and I both have German ancestry. Whenever we argue about stubbornness, I try to convince him that he's MORE stubborn because he's more German than I am. We laugh about it, but this paragraph made me think of it.

 

Page 219: "No doubt she does. Stories are the universal heart language. They bring together what is scattered."

 

Wisdom from Aunt Emma as she talks with Wes. He told her that Nikki appreciates her memories. This is her lovely response.

 

Page  223: "'The empty nest amplifies the gaps in a relationship,' her mom said. 'The gaps had become so much bigger than we realized. We had neglected too many things for too long. I tried to work on them, but it takes two.'"

I'm so very thankful that Louie and I get along well and have not struggled to adapt to our "empty nest." We're friends and partners. I'm so blessed!

Page 243: "The good news is father hurt can be covered by the Father's love, if you accept it. I'm being more direct with you than I have been. I love you too much to not speak the truth. Please hear it for what it is."

As much as I love Aunt Emma, Wes had so many characteristics that I share. He truly wanted to glorify God and make a difference in people's lives for God's kingdom, but he often felt awkward. In the letter he wrote to his brother, he wrote the truth in love. I loved this letter and how he tried so hard to be honest and encouraging. His subject line (must have been an email) was "I should have said it sooner."

Page 265: "'The other thing that needs to be said,' she added, 'is how wildly proud I am of you. You invest so much care and love in those around you, and it shows in how real your grief is for this boy. Never, ever stop doing good. Especially when it gets hard. Teach our niece to do the same. She's watching you more closely than ever. You understand?'"

Yes, Aunt Emma. The "boy" who died was Trennen, a young man who farmed Wes' land. 

Page 277: "I myself am a maligner, an abuser, an insulter, a neglecter, a shunner. Yet I am pure, covered in the love of a scourged and rejected Savior. I love because I am loved. I forgive because I am forgiven. I am a saint because he became my sin. I cannot charge a penny debt to someone else when I have had millions erased.

Okay, that's all the waxing I can do in a single email. I need a cold beverage now.

In all seriousness, darling niece, please consider what Ann taught me. It is my belief she came to this wisdom too late for certain relationships in her life. She wouldn't want that for you."

Aunt Emma's letter to Nikki also brought out my post-it notes. I love this character! I love her faith in the Lord and her exuberance for life.

Page 289-290: I just decided to show the letter from Nikki to her dad (Chris). Good stuff!

 

Page 292: "I'm happier than a dog with two tails!"

Aunt Emma's response to Wes telling her that he and Joyce are getting married. 

Page 296: "The makeshift bookmark turned out to be only the business card of the bookstore, but on the page it denoted, a light touch of a pencil underlined one passage: 'I shall be infinitely prouder of a lovable daughter with a talent for making life beautiful to herself and others.'"

The reconciliation between Nikki and her dad was perhaps the sweetest "love story" in this book. The fact that he chose to find a valuable edition of Little Women, read it, underline this line, and send it to her speaks volumes of love. 

This book was wonderful! I apologize if I've given away too much or spoiled it. It has taken me a long time to write all this!