The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold
After a strong debut, Sara Brunsvold’s sophomore novel shares more of the deep emotional exploration that she excels at. In The Divine Proverb of Streusel, one woman’s personal journey toward healing is helped by a small-town community and the recipes and proverbs she finds among her late grandmother’s belongings. What results is a touching story of faith, family, and forgiveness that readers will truly savor.
Nikki Werner’s ideals about love have been shaken after her parents’ divorce and her own strained relationship with her boyfriend. She seeks solace from her troubles on her uncle’s small Missouri farm. A summer tucked away will do her heart good, and she can hopefully recover enough to get her future back on track. But can she plan her future when key parts of her past remain unresolved?
While sorting through her late grandmother’s belongings, Nikki stumbles across a notebook full of handwritten German recipes and quotes from the book of Proverbs. As part of her self-discovery journey, Nikki sets out to make the recipes and uses them to connect with others and the heritage she hardly knows. She invites those from her uncle’s community to dine with her and to share their stories about the town that her extended family has been part of for generations. What they have to say brings her heritage to life—and clicks into place pieces of her family history she didn’t know she needed. While Nikki had planned to simply soothe herself through cooking, her project takes on greater meaning. She finds that, with a strength inspired by her ancestors, she can heal the wounds of the past—including those related to her estranged father.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sara Brunsvold is the author of The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. She creates stories that speak hope, truth, and life. Influenced by humble women of God who find his fingerprints in the everyday, she does the same in her life and her storytelling. Sara’s recognitions include the 2020 ACFW Genesis Award for Contemporary Fiction. She lives with her family in the Kansas City area, where she can often be spotted writing at a park or library. Learn more at www.SaraBrunsvold.com.
