The Quaker Café

Quaker Café #1

by Brenda Bevan Remmes

When Liz Hoole, a free-spirited liberal from the Midwest, marries into a conservative Quaker family, she knows that raising children in compliance with Quaker values will be challenging. Twenty-five years later, she still feels like she’s falling short of expectations. Fortunately, her faith and her friends in the small, rural North Carolina town of Cedar Branch keep her strong.

After her best friend’s politically powerful father dies, Liz stumbles upon secrets from the past that threaten to unravel the current harmony in Cedar Branch, a town with a history of racial tension. As she researches more and eavesdrops on gossip at the Quaker Café, where everyone meets each morning, Liz soon discovers the truth about an injustice that she cannot reveal to anyone—not even her husband.

Surrounded by a cast of richly drawn Southern characters, Liz learns that even good people can make bad choices. Now, she must decide whether she has the strength to bring a past wrong to light, despite the consequences.

Revised This edition of The Quaker Café includes editorial revisions.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Book Club, Mystery, Southern, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2015

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

To those who've written about the author's ability to capture a sense of the South, I say: read Flannery O'Connor, Katherine Anne Porter, or Horton Foote. This book lacked the gravitas, the angst, the humid wrestling with morality that epitomizes the South. While entertaining enough for a bathtub read, the story was not engrossing. Perhaps that was due to the author's tendency -- shared by far too many modern authors -- to tell, rather than show her story. If there is one thing that Southern fiction has (besides a mule dying in every story) it is a languid approach to storytelling that this book entirely lacked. It was capable, but not captivating.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first line, you're drawn into this wonderfully touching story of a small town filled with quiet kindnesses and long-harbored grievances. As characters note, religion and race may not be mentioned but they're the filter through which all life is viewed, making some issues quite touchy.

The author manages to inject humor into social customs, primarily through using an outsider to point out the idiosyncrasies, but still displays a sense of reverence and affection for those same customs. You'll laugh, shake your head, maybe shed a few tears. (If you like Steel Magnolias you may find some common ground there too.) There were some terrible wounds that had never healed, yet eventually buried secrets may emerge, finally allowing injustices to be remedied, sins to be confessed and, possibly, a deeper sense of community to reveal itself as the whole town unites once more.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE QUAKER CAFE is a very quick and enjoyable read. I learned a lot of interesting things about the South and The Quakers. I loved the plot, characters, and setting, and once I started reading, it was very hard to stop. I want to find my own Cedar Branch, North Carolina and find a cafe there where everyone knows everyone else. As you are reading, you will find yourself laughing and shaking your head, and feeling a tug at your heart all the while, trying not to cry.


Note: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Bridget Peck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull

This book barely held my interest. It took seemingly forever to get to anything resembling a plot and by then I just wanted to get through it. There were a handful of witty lines and clever turns of phrase that made me think perhaps the author's next effort might be better.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. I learnt a lot about the South and Quakers. I love books set in small US towns!
Liz married into a Quaker family and sometimes feels she isn’t really the ‘perfect quaker’ mum. She discovers some secrets throughout the course of the book which make you wonder what other things remain uncovered.
The neighbours all meet at the Quaker café- and gossip uncovers more details that trouble Liz.

Humour runs throughout the book- amusing scenes.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this one.

[Swan Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by this story; went into it expecting read about the trials of merging with a conservative Quaker family but found much more. I enjoyed the characters we meet and their relationships; the tests they are put through and how well they stand against them. I am looking forward to our discussion.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

A forgettable read

I've given this a 2 as I did manage to plough to the end rather than giving up. So this story centres on a Quaker wife, her in-laws and cancer suffering BFF and an epic bout of shagging around 50 years before that's left a few hidden children hanging around and an unfortunate racially driven injustice.

The problem for me was not so much the plot but the characters. I simply didn't care about them. The main character, Liz, came across as an anally retentive boring 'soccer mom' type who spends a lot if time stressing over trivialities. Her husband and sons were shallowly painted as mundane Dudley do-rights and the in-laws were straight out of a 300yr old Dutch grandmaster of a dour Puritan couple who probably count turnips as a hobby. The first problem for me was that it was inconceivable that the character Luz would turn her back on her perfectly normal family and life to marry such a guy and join such a community. I couldn't relate to her, didn't like her and frankly spent most of the book hoping for a twist that would see her killed off.

The cafe of the title is a bit character. Barely sketched out, it and it's owner Miss Ellie, seemed to be a bit of a parody. Miss Ellie cropping up now and then to serve plates of fried chicken with the odd culinary amble into the heady world of chicken soup.

Books about the secrets and tensions in small communities can be blisteringly good when done well. The issue for me was that this small community just wasn't believable, the characters were either not likeable or 2-dimensional so I didn't invest in them and finally some of the smaller plot details I found ludicrous to the point that I exclaimed out loud in fairly colourful language a few times.

[Julia Ibbotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially attracted by the lovely cosy cover (!), I "sort of" enjoyed the novel, in a way, although it was a little slow in places. However, the reflective pace was in keeping with the Quaker background and I found it a peaceful and graceful read for the first part. A little mystery, a little intrigue and set within the conflicts of the South at a time of racial unease. However, secrets, lies and deceptions bubble beneath the surface for the characters who meet at the Quaker café. I like a book with issues to think further about and here I found ethical issues of truth weighed against potential hurt, hypocrisy and godliness within a religious community. Having been brought up as a Quaker myself (although long since departed from that particular faith), I found these conflicts realistic. In particular I found the character of Liz's puritanical and disapproving Quaker mother-in-law all too recognisable. And the moral cowardice shown in the revelations of her Quaker father-in-law's past (which had led to a racial lynching and the destruction of someone else's good name)an appalling and shameful act of hypocrisy and selfishness. Even in the revelation of his lack of moral fibre, it was Liz, the non-Quaker,(not even the Quaker son) who had to take responsibility and find a way to right HIS wrongs in the community. It was Liz and the black Baptist rev who were the admirable characters. As with The Last Runaway (Tracy Chevalier), I find myself uncomfortable at the shaky moral stance taken by the Quakers of this Southern community. The author professes her sympathy towards the Quaker faith yet this novel is disturbing on the level of Christian faith and practice.

[Tamica · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I have ever read in my entire life

I don't even know where to start. This book got so many five-star reviews. I feel completely misled. I felt like the main character was an entitled person with her head in the clouds that I most certainly cannot relate to. I was really excited too learned about Quaker culture but this ended up being nothing but a white people against black people fantasy land piece of poo. No one was realistic. I feel like I just lost hours of my life that I will never get back and this book almost caused me to cancel my Kindle unlimited membership is so bad. Anyone who likes this book needs to re-examine their understanding of race relations in the United States. White people reading this : you don't get to buy your way out of bad things. That is essentially what this book tells you you can do. This book is a recipe for disaster. Horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible. I really dislike this author. This book was boring and she talked about the mundane minutia of life for pages and pages and couldn't get to a point to save her soul. When she did finally get to a point it was a horrible one. I am so annoyed that I read this book. Spoiler alert : there is no shocking twist. What you think is going to happen absolutely happens. If you don't think that was going to happen I don't know what to tell you. Read more books because this was so predictable and so so so horrible.

[Bernie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Quaker Cafe is the story of three friends who live in Cedar Branch, a small Southern town full of all the craziness we have come to expect from small Southern towns. In the opening chapters, the reader is caught between laughter and tears when, at the funeral of a prominent citizen, the conservative white minister finds himself in an unexpected duet with the black gospel choir, especially the drummer. Remmes gets the timing of this scene so perfect, one wonders if she sat and listened to a call and response sermon as she wrote it. In another chapter, the reader can't stop smiling when the bubble machine in the Easter Parade goes awry and envelops the statue of Jesus in bubbles. The zaniness of the first few chapters soon gives way to some serious issues when one of the friends is taken ill, and, in trying to find a bone marrow transplant donor for her, some very troubling secrets are discovered. As it becomes essential that the long buried secrets be revealed, the shaky harmony of the town is disturbed and old hostilities are again aroused. Read this wonderful story to see how this all plays out, and how Remmes skillfully brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

[Marleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unexpected heart-wrenching and enjoyable read the Quaker Café turned out to be! I especially liked the fact that the main character, Liz Hoole had a solid marriage (How I liked Chase Hoole!), and that the major plot of the story revolved around an injustice that happened 56 years ago.
The backdrop is a North-Carolina small town called Cedar Branch, where religious affiliation seemed to define who you are. Although let it be said that the various churches and various communities get along and work together, except for maybe the African-American community and that because of what happened over 5 decades ago.
For me this story, these characters had depth and credibility. Indeed, they were so normal it warmed my heart. I applaud this author for not bringing us the usual cliches. I hate cookie-cutter stories, where you have a feeling of deja-vu, too often. Here Liz and her friends are women I could relate to; they had maturity – they had gravitas.
One thing I missed was an epilogue maybe. Yes I would have enjoyed that.
I will certainly read more stories by this author. Keep up the good work!

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the dullest books I've read in a long time, which is only saved from zero or one stars by an interesting racial tension sub-plot. Took an incredibly long time for any kind of plot to get going, filled with characters that I struggled to care about in the slightest, and just very very dull. I had to force myself to stick with it and I'm horrified at the thought that this is only the first in the series. What WILL she find to bang on about in later volumes? Maybe the church roof needs fixing, somebody's budgerigar has a sore throat and the drugstore runs out of nail polish - who knows. I won't be tempted in the least to find out.

I'm a Brit but I have friends in 'small town America' and their lives are nothing like this boring.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me awhile to figure out who all the characters were, but I loved the story once I got into it. One of those tear-jerkers! You've been warned ;-)

[maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

No one would be interested to read how I spend my days. Today it rained and I was glad on behalf of my plants. This book is packed with nicely described ho-humness. Some interesting Quaker bits.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just wasn't feeling this one. At first I thought this was Maggie's story since everything seems to be happening to her, but it is really the story of her best friend, Liz, and how she reacts to everything going on in Maggie's life. At the beginning, Maggie's father dies. He was a well respected judge in a small racially-charged community. In her time of grief, Maggie tries to bring together the white and black communities within the town. Unfortunately, just because everyone seems to be playing nice, doesn't mean old wounds have healed. It is when Maggie is diagnosed with AML and begins to undergo treatment, that stuff starts happening. Liz figures out early in her treatment that the Judge was NOT Maggie's father. When Maggie is desperate to try to find a bone marrow transplant, Maggie finally discovers that her father had another child with another woman (the owner of the Quaker Cafe). Unfortunately, it is too late for Maggie. On her deathbed, Liz figures out who Maggie's true father is and it is a shocker! His confession to the entire community has the power to start to heal those old wounds within the community.

I'm not sure what it was about this book, but I was bored stiff. It took so long for anything interesting to start to happen. The only thing that kept me reading it was the occasional humorous tidbit - like the hamster that was raptured, or having a father-in-law see an unintended strip tease. It was still a slog to get through it.

[Elisabeth Bibbings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't expect this book to be about a cafe! Although it is a meeting place for the community, it doesn't feature hugely.
This is a brave book about race relations in the 20th century, about different faith communities, and about the part faith has to play in building bridges and enabling us to confront injustices from the past. I thought the denouement was well handled, and wish I knew a Reverend Broadnax! I learned a lot about traditional Quakerism in the modern world and also about American weddings - we thought British people spend too much on weddings! At least, we don't have rehearsal dinners in this country. If you are interested in stories about forgiveness, atonement and healing of relationships, you will enjoy this book.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not fast paced but enjoyable. I did have several laugh out loud moments - one in middle of night as I was reading. My husband thought I was crazy. The relationships are really good.

[Noco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be pregnant with meaning. It touches on many aspects and themes, and what weighed most on me was the weight and consequence of truth, and which—truth or the teachings of religion—should take precedence. By throwing in a bit of a tetchy subject such as race, this book turned out to be more deceptive than I had initially bargained for, judging from the comforting, pretty cover. Nonetheless, I am glad I picked up this book.

I liked how the truth, which had been deeply hidden for so many years, started to unravel and generate tensions bubbling up to the surface. The unexpected turns of events and their consequences, the value of silence and truth... Despite my losing focus here and there, this book had some very gripping moments and kept me entertained till the end.

The ending came across as a bit too abrupt; I think it could have been developed a bit more. However, I closed the book feeling content. I enjoyed this book.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the title “The Quaker Café” and wondered what it might be about. This is a first novel by a Brenda Bevan Remmes who is an experienced magazine writer.

The story is about three friends who live in a small southern town. There is Billie and husband Gill who had moved to town ten years ago from New York City. The second friend is Maggie Kendall whose father is the Judge. The Judge dies in the story and is the catalyst for the main plot in the story. And the third friend is Liz Hoole a liberal who married into a conservative Quaker family. The café is the local stopping places and everyone knows everyone else. Maggie invites the black community to her father’s funeral. The blacks and whites never mix together so the fun begins. Then Maggie is diagnosed with leukemia and her friends and the town begin the search for a bone marrow transplant donor. This leads deeper into old town secrets.

The first part of the book was a bit on the light side but as I read on the story became more engaging. Remmes provides a good old fashion plots twists and here are some scenes that are clever and hilarious. There is great character development and many of the names are ingenious. The author works into the story racism, faith, honesty, family, dying and secrecy to create an interesting story.

The book is 314 pages long. I read this book on my iPad using the Kindle app.

[Rebecca Jaramillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book when I had a lot of driving. A tad simplistic, it moved between genres. The plot and "message" couldn't make up it's mind what to be. There was a whole chapter on shopping for a dress, a wife getting frisky in a bathtub while her sports crazy husband was watching a game and then other scenes that made it seem like a moral tale about racial tensions in a small southern town or an emotional tale about friendship. There were rollicking scenes of female empowerment and female friendships and also chapters on the problem with insular small town life. Again, swinging wildly back to religious themes and metaphysical medical and spiritual conversations between characters...

But it was a sweet novel, filled with characters of good will, innate decency and the idea that even though the path to redemption is incredibly hard, it is possible if you have a good heart (it doesn't hurt to also have money). The women friends support each other with compassion and friendship though there is little tension to give the plot more of a driving force (beer kegs going to the wrong address just don't cut it).

It was interesting to read about modern Quakers, though I found them less heroic about Civil Rights than I would have thought. I good, "atmosphere" southern book for when you don't want something as deep as a Grisham novel. Or in-between them.

[Susan Nations · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the twists and turns in this book as the reader is taken on a journey through small town North Carolina. The town and story addresses the Quaker tradition along with racial tension, how the past can impact the present, skeletons in the closet, small town living and what happens when they all collide. I found myself laughing out loud at times and then quickly absorbed in the drama of the character's lives.

One reviewer wrote, "Probably one the most interesting attributes of the book is how the author reflects life challenges and themes: racism, faith and religion, honesty and dishonesty, family, love, dying, lust, secrecy, and human frailty." I agree. This kept me thinking just how much we as human beings have in common regardless of our backgrounds or upbringings.

Riveted to the end and wondering what happens next? I was glad to know that the author is working on a sequel to this story!

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book as a FirstRead.

Liz Poole moved from St. Paul, Minnesota to the small town of Cedar Branch, North Carolina shortly after marrying her husband 25 years ago. Along the way, she has become good friends with Meg and Billie, who share a lot of her views. At the beginning of the book, Meg's father, a prominent judge in Cedar Branch, dies while eating dinner at the Quaker Cafe. Bit by bit through the story, Liz starts to learn a secret from 56 years ago involving the dead judge, and she wrestles with whether she can bring the truth to light.

The story had some good parts that I enjoyed, but it also had parts that I could have done without. There were several tangents that I didn't think added to the quality of the story, nor did they further any of the plot lines.

[Bubble Bath Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sissy: Author Brenda Bevan Remmes served up some good old Southern plot twists a la John Grisham and bam-- it had me good from there. Not that this book is in the same genre as a John Grisham--more like if a John Grisham and Fannie Flagg had a baby and it was this book.
Bubby: I have two big issues with Quaker Cafe. First is that there are so many plot twists that I’m having a hard time writing a review without giving away any spoilers! I keep wanting to talk about a particular event and then realizing that I can’t. Secondly, the last scene of the book is so inspiring and energizing and I wanted more! Read full review at www.bubblebath-books.com

[Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hope your real life is more eventful than this fiction... on several occasions I felt that putting down the book would be much more interesting than another page. It is the kind of book I believe anyone could write with time and effort. The writer probably quite enjoyed the process and maybe she has a following amongst little old ladies in care homes. the characters were luke warm and the plot chuntered along predictably and innocuously. I found myself checking the % percentage remaining (kindle) and wishing it would end. The highlights were the little curious insights into quaker culture, but these were more sparse than the title would suggest.

[Nenette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interspersed with light humor, The Quaker Cafe is actually a serious story about the conflict between telling the truth or causing tremendous hurt. It is a hard decision for anybody, and most especially for a Quaker.

The theme of small town secrets may be what's in the base of the novel. However, family love and the sense of community are the more resounding in all of the messages that the story tells.

This is Ms. Remmes debut novel, and she did well. It is good to know that a sequel is in the works.

[Cheryal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. I chose it because I assumed it was about Quakers, so I thought I would shake it up a bit. It was about a town founded on Quakers, there were some descendants, but it was also about predjudices in a small town. Normally that is a turn off for me but this was done really well with a "who done it" to it.

The women were sassy and the men were gentlemen. I laughed outloud several times and highlighted a lot.

The ending is spiritual but not at all preachy. I was learning as I read. I am hoping our book club can read this.

[Genie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book about a small town and the relationships there among white and black communities and the religious communities- including a Quaker meeting (Conservative). Mostly about these relationships, the book moves slowly then more quickly at the end. But that doesn't mean boring. Of course, I particularly enjoyed the picture of contemporary, small town Quaker life. I had a hard time putting this book down, it was really engrossing and I enjoyed it.

[Kevin Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring story relevant to today

When today's news speaks over and over about what separates us from each other, author Remmes reminds us of what it means to seek to understand, forgive and what is necessary to overcome that separation, regardless of the personal pain and cost.

[Roya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, but the characters did not take hold of me as much as I wanted them to. The depth was not consistently there. Nevertheless, it is a good and thought-provoking story, especially towards the end. I have to admit, that it still lingered with after I read the last page. That's a good thing.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging read. The characters and situations were interesting, and the author did a nice job adding in some light humor to an essentially serious story. It was not quite as angst filled as some other books I have read with similar plot lines, but it was still an enjoyable and thoughtful book.