Gardenias for Breakfast

by Robin Jones Gunn

"Everybody has a story. You listen to that story, Honeygirl, and your story will come find you."

Her Grand Lady spoke these words when Abby was just a girl, spending the summer in rural Louisiana, surrounded by an extended, loving family. She's been listening carefully ever since.

Now Abby is raising her own family thousands of miles away. And even though Hawaii might seem like paradise to some, it's a long way away from those idyllic days she remembers, sitting with her grandmother, learning about the beauty and mystery of life. So Abby has just one wish: that her daughter Hannah might be touched by the beauty of her 92-year-old Grand Lady's stories, before it's too late.

But when Hannah finally does spend time with Grand Lady, the old woman crushes her tender spirit.
And a mother-daughter journey home becomes an adventure of discovery-about the importance of family and the healing found in forgiveness.

In Gardenias for Breakfast, mothers and daughters may recognize a branch or two from their own family trees and find themselves wishing not only for Grand Lady's guidance but also for Hannah's ability to smell the clouds.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Chick Lit, Inspirational, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

299 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2005

About the author

ROBIN JONES GUNN has written more than 100 books with over 6.5 million copies sold worldwide. Her Father Christmas books have been made into three Hallmark Christmas movies. The timeless Christy Miller series now continues in Christy & Todd: The College Years, Married Years, Baby Years, and the Haven Maker series. Robin's novels and non-fiction works include Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, Victim of Grace, Praying for Your Future Husband, and Before You Meet Your Future Husband co-authored with Tricia Goyer. Her books have received multiple awards and are a favorite with book clubs and study groups. Many of Robin's books are in eBook, audiobook, large print, and foreign editions. Robin does a weekly Podcast called "Women Worth Knowing" with Cheryl Brodersen. Robin and her husband have a grown son and daughter and live in California.

Reviews

[Lena Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another beautiful story by Robin Jones Gunn. I loved reading it. The majority of this book was relational, especially between mothers and daughters. It was not a romance book, as many of her stories are.

Robin writes so well. Admittedly, her style is not for everyone. She doesn't write fast-paced adventurous stories. Instead, she writes leisurely stories that focus on and celebrate the seemingly "simple" aspects of life. That's something I really admire about her. She makes everything seem enchanting. If people are looking for a book that has a really intriguing plot, lots of action, and hugely dramatic moments, I wouldn't recommend Robin. However, if people desire a simple story that's told in a gentle and charming way, I would recommend her.

This book is exactly that. It's a story of a woman and her daughter as they travel across the United States. They learn and grow together, and then they learn about their family. Abby, the woman, finally forgives people who have hurt her, and decides to break the chains that held her family captive for a long while. I liked Grand Lady, although I probably would have also found her intimidating.

This was a charming story, and I recommend it to any "leisure" readers out there.

[JoAnn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was asked to read this book by some women at church. I hold Christian fiction to a higher standard.
Unlike some people I was not pulled in by the first sentence, but by the mention at the end of the prologue that Grand Lady had said something to crush Hannah's spirit and that that was the day the storyteller, Abby, had found her story.
The misunderstanding that crushed Hannah's spirit was such a ridiculous issue that I can only ascribe it to the fact that Hannah is in the throes of puberty. And that she has a very bad vocabulary for a 12 year old.
The book makes a big deal about things that just don't seem that important to me. Abby is squeamish about blood and wants her children to wear shoes. Apparently, such bizarre attitudes can only be the result of childhood trauma.
Then there is the writing: 'For a flicker of a second, I saw what Hannah saw. The late afternoon sun was pressing daylight out of the woods like a juicer pressing all the sweet juice from an orange and letting chunks of pulp glide through the filter. In the same way that the pulp makes the juice thick, the languid bits of woodland "pulp" that came floating through the light made the air thick and golden.'
There's a metaphor that has been beaten to death and will never bother anyone again.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

If only I had the option to give zero stars. Trite, sentimental, predictable plot.

[Victoria Springer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the equivalent of watching a sub-par Hallmark movie. It’s capable of distracting you for a few hours, but it is unremarkable, uninspiring, empty, and bland. It doesn’t help that the main character is unlikeable and annoying. I felt as though most of the spiritual/religious references Gunn used were thrown in as a way of checking a box on a checklist, and many of them made no contextual sense. More time should have been spent on the actual reunification and healing of relationships rather than the main character spending the entire book questioning whether or not she should attempt to heal said relationships. Lacking in quality and execution, this was a quick, easy read, but I’m sure I will quickly forget it.

[Della Tingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The grandmother in this book is called Grand Lady. I LOVE that! However, the mother, the main character Abby, I found to be annoying and unrelatable. Everything is a whine and moan and groan. I mean, we all like to whine and moan and groan sometimes, but I don't want to read about it!

When Abby is asked if she had invested in her brother's company she says, "'No.' I wanted to say 'Invest with what?' but Stan didn't understand our financial limitations" (82). She whines and complains throughout the book. She also MUST be in control. Abby and her daughter, Hannah, are driving cross country, and she wants Hannah to look at the scenery opposed to listening to music or watching movies. Hannah asks, "'Could I sit in the backseat now and watch one of the DVDs? We've been looking at the same thing outside for a really long time.' 'No,' I said, still trying to hold on to my position as the decision-maker" (99). I used to drive my children for 14 hours to go see my sister in the summer. I cannot imagine telling them to sit and look out the window. You better believe we had that DVD player up and running!

When discussing an art project that Hannah wanted to do that Abby didn't want her to do: "'All right,' I said with a hint of irritation. Then, just to sound as if I still had some position of authority in this relationship, I added, 'Make sure you clean up after yourself, Hannah'" (239).

While Abby annoyed me and caused me to roll my eyes more than once, I saved a few memorable quotes from the book.

"Forgiveness is the only way for the heart to be truly free" (250).

"I'd heard it said before that 'hurt people hurt people.' I wondered if 'healed people heal people'" (292).

[Heather Milburn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grew up reading Robin Jones Gunn's Christy Miller series. I always LOVED those books and remember waiting with baited breath for each one to be released.
When she converted to writing adult novels, I was very excited and enjoyed several of the books she wrote. This one, however, was so slow and uninteresting. I forced myself to stick it out, which I generally don't do if I feel it's not worth the time. It also had a ton of grammatical errors that the editor failed to catch, which distracted me from the story even more.
If you are interested in reading any of Robin Jones Gunn's books......don't start with this one.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good, clean, not fun. Nothing great ever happens. Just a story of a mom and daughter taking a road trip to go see "Grand Lady." Lame.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate to this one due to my relationship with my grandmother so that is why I rated this one as I did. I liked seeing how Abby slowly realizes that the memories we've built up in our minds about people and places often turn out to be very much glorified. I think that is a very natural response when we're trying to hold onto good memories and block out bad ones, and this book portrayed that well. I loved the fiery, independent attitude of the grandmother one minute with the apologetic, ladylike manner the next. To me, this is very much how grandmothers often are (they can get away with it), and we love and respect them for both sides. Some reviews are not that favorable of this book, and I think if you don't have an Abby/Grand Lady relationship with an older woman in your life, this book might be a disappointment. But, for me, it did remind me of the precious relationship I had so I really enjoyed it. I also appreciated the fact that the spiritual lessons being taught were there but not in your face the whole time. I am a very spiritual person, but I stay away from most Christian fiction because I find that genre often cheesy and not very deep. This one had a good mix of story with a spiritual insight about love and forgiveness so that you really didn't think about the fact that you were reading Christian fiction at all.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little did I know, just 4 days after picking this up, one of my very best friends would die. Yes, she was 96 and had been waiting for a long time...but I didn't know how close the end was. And so this book offered me appreciation, comfort, and time to reflect. Even as I didn't get to be there at the end and won't get to go to the funeral today because of restrictions.

This book is early work for Gunn and it shows. But it met me right when I needed iy to and helped me hear Alice's wisdom anew even as I begin the work of getting over losing her yet again, this time to death for now, without her. She has been there when I had other things to get over. I watched her do the work herself with countless disappointments of old age. And now it's my turn to follow the wisdom she stored up, clung to, shared, and didn't shy way from.

I am thankful for it all.

[Deborah Andreasen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I read this transforming tale of a mother and daughter's growing and changing relationship, I wanted to reach out and freeze my time with my own daughter. Abby is such a great mother, and Hannah is so wise. There was so much to live in this book. Highly recommended! Read it and take a journey across the country while you sit in your jammies.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gardenias for Breakfast has been sitting on my bookshelf since 2014. It was lost in my hundreds of books I own. So when I picked it out, and noticed it had a 3.91 goodreads rating, I had high hopes for it. Ugh. This book was Not For Me! I soon discovered it was Christian based. I have read a few over the years, usually by the same mistake I did here. I feel they aren't written very well, and have weak stories. Sorry.

Thank goodness for the double spacing and the big print (of words). It took me 2 days to get through this 299 page novel. It's a fast read and I was glad for that.

The story is about mothers and daughters and the difficulties they face with each other. More like how they headbutt each other.

Abby, her husband and two children have been living in Hawaii for, say 15 years. They own a business renting scuba diving, canoes, etc to tourists. They are by no means wealthy, actually they just get by. She is originally from Louisiana. She has never gotten along with her mother, but she has always adored her grandmother who she calls Grand Lady. Grand Lady calls her Honeygirl.

Abby has such wonderful memories of spending summers with Grand Lady at the Big House in Louisiana. "Grand Lady always had the best stories". Abby has always wanted Hannah, who is 12, to meet Grand Lady. So, when her wealthy brother, Jon, who lives in Seattle offers Abby and her family an all expense trip to the US to drive their SUV across the country while he and his family vacation in (he has a business meeting in Brussels) Paris and Rome, it's the perfect opportunity. The road trip is organized and planned by her husband, who isn't going (the son isn't interested either). He made up the itinerary of where they will be visiting and stopping at for each night. You'd think that if you are the one doing this trip, you'll be the one organizing it! Sigh.

This European trip was for a week. What?! It doesn't make sense to me. If Jon and family are flying all the way to Europe, stop in Brussels for at least one day for work, then onto to Paris and Rome, um....a week isn't enough time. It's two days traveling, so that leaves 5 days for 3 places. Sigh.

So Abby and Hannah fly into Seattle, drive across the US, don't see any sights, spend a day with Jon's brother and wife, back in the SUV, drive to visit her mother for a day, back in the SUV, and then spend a few days in Louisiana visiting Grand Lady, her aunt and uncle who now live in the Big House while Grand Lady lives in the cottage behind the house. All that way from Hawaii to drive a SUV across the US, so her brother can have it when they fly into Atlanta, so they can continue their vacation by driving up the East Coast before driving back to Seattle: It doesn't make sense to me. I mean by the time you've paid for flights from Hawaii and the gas, hotels, food, you are paying for two vacations at the same time. Wouldn't renting a vehicle from the airport you flew into be cheaper?! Then for the conversation or lack of conversation when Jon and his family met them at the airport was unbelievable to me. When I read that part, I had to read it twice to see if I missed something. What was that?!

So okay, now that I got that out of the way, there were other issues: Abby was always headbutting with her daughter. Anything Hannah asked to do, her mother automatically said no, even when there was no need or any reason. It was a power issue in my opinion, I'm the mother and I say no. She was also overprotected when there was no need to be. I can clearly see Hannah rebelling when she gets a bit older. I mean seriously, Hannah didn't even have an email address their family members could keep in contact with and her mother said, they can write letters to one another, the old fashion way. Come on seriously?! Other times I swear Hannah sounded more mature than her own mother. Then there were times the way Hannah talked and made references to things to do with their lives, was no way how a 12 year old talks.

Abby idolized her grandmother. Quite frankly, I didn't like Grand Lady. She was a crusty and mean 92 year old woman. She was terribly rude to Hannah. If you can't see without your glasses, for heaven's sake, haha, get that? LOL, for heaven's sake, and someone is knocking at your door put your glasses on so you can see who it is. Because you can't see, it's no excuse to be yelling at some child who you think is selling you something when it turns out it's your own great grandchild and she is giving you a gift. She ended up apologizing to Hannah, but wouldn't had if it was child selling something.

Hannah gets her period for the first time. We have like 3 pages of it. I wanted to gag when Abby says to Hannah: "You're becoming a young woman. This is a gift to you from God." Oh! How weird is that?! Plus, if she is "becoming a young woman", please treat her as one instead of always wanting to baby her.

The whole thing of them being at a stop sign and the black driver stopping, even though he didn't have the stop sign, because that's the way it's always been done in Louisiana was shocking and appalling. This book was written in 2005, please tell me it's still not the way it's done in small town USA.

I think I tore apart this story quite a bit, but seriously there were so many issues I had problems with.

[Bobby-Kimberly Beason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious. So much to glean from this book. Reading this felt like having a heart to heart talk with a mentor whom could bestow on you priceless wisdom in regards to relationships with mothers and daughters. Loves this one.

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty usual chick lit, but taking on the sometimes rather complicated relationships between women -- mothers and daughters. Not exceptional, but a nice read anyway.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I am too kind with my rating. Robin Jones Gunn has written much better books than this one. I was actually disappointed because the description on the back is a mismatch for the actual book. I expected much more. The writing was just not well formulated. Maybe the author is getting tired of writing books like these. It just seemed... forced for a lack of a better word. I thought she treated her daughter way too young for a 12-year-old. I do like the story of mothers and daughters and their disconnect as I felt this at times with my own mother. Unfortunately, God isn't in every relationship (in real life). However, I do feel healing does come via forgiveness. It just seemed trite albeit hopeful to have this happening (reconnection) between the women, mothers and daughters, within the story. Maybe, I'm just jealous of four or more fictional characters. Ha!

[Karla Twiggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opportunity for a road trip across the USA presents itself and Abby decides that she and her daughter Hannah will use this chance to have Hannah meet her great grandmother. The trip allows them to make memories, tell stories, see the country, and meet family; however, it also opens Abby’s eyes to see the past in a more realistic light. Her connection to her grandmother was the highlight of her childhood, but she can’t replicate that for her daughter–nor does her daughter want it. I enjoyed every character in this book and wanted them all to come away with what they were seeking. Abby discovers what we all do: you can’t go back into the past and expect it to be the same as you remember. I was glad that a bright, though unplanned, future awaits both of them.

[Missy Kallenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, light read about mother/daughter/grandmother relationships, holding long-term grudges and the forgiveness that can set years of turmoil free. I enjoyed the story of Abby and her daughter Hannah's cross-country trip to visit Grand Lady (what a great gramma name). I do not like to re-write the synopsis is a review so I won't tell you anything more about the plot that you don't already know. Just read and enjoy the not so deep story. :) I did have a couple of moments where I was annoyed with Hanna, but she's a hormonal, early teen. I then remembered I was worse with my mood swings. Lol. Some of the story took me back yo my own magical moments at my grandparents' house in the carefree summertime. I enjoyed the book.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abby is raising her own family thousands of miles away from her "Grand Lady," her precious grandmother. Her daughter, Hannah" has hit the pre-teen stage and everything mom does and say is wrong. So Abby decides a girl trip to the United States from Hawaii to visit relatives, especially Grand Lady, is just what Hannah needs. Will this car trip from Washington all the way to Louisiana help Hannah and Abby's relationship or will the tipping point come from a week with "Grand Lady?"

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read that shows how different environments and people can change the outlook for young adults especially when they portray their faith in Christ.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is one of those mediocre Christian novels that I used to gobble up. The set-up for the story is quite silly (and I found myself rolling my eyes more than once) but kept reading and did enjoy it by the end. The summary is rather misleading, as the "big event" it describes is really a minor blip.

I'd describe it as a woman, feeling a bit stifled in her own life, takes her daughter along for a visit to "the good old days" and finds they're not quite as she remembers... and is challenged to re-evaluate many of her opinions. Yes, it's trite but not a complete waste of time.

[Tammy Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Save me from other book about a woman who is scared to open her mouth to anyone and seems to have a stick up her butt. Grow a backbone and give living in the real world a try. Also, WAY fewer references to the fact that “everyone” wants to live in or visit Hawaii and is jealous of where you live. I’ve been there, and make no mistake, I would never want to live there or even visit again! I’m much happier in my own town. It’s great if you love where you live, just please don’t assume that the rest of the world does too.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a really good read. Somewhat anticlimactic, especially in regards to the thing Grand Lady said to her granddaughter that was teased at the beginning of the book. Loved the concentration on the intergenerational conflict and the resolution of that conflict. The bits about racism in the south felt a little out of place and I was confused about how they related to the rest of the story.

Overall really liked how the mom navigated the growth of her daughter. (Giving her independence etc. while maintaining her role, admitting her mistakes and being honest about her faults as a mother).

[Ellie Sorota · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this book two stars because it just wasn't for me. A quick read, this book follows a mother and daughter on a road trip, visiting relatives and calling up the past. Part coming of age, part wrestling with age, the book has a good message about mother daughter relationships and coming to peace with memories. Personally, I found it a fine and comfortable story, good enough for a vacation read. It just didn't speak to me in a huge way or draw me in.

[Kat Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

The end of the prologue left me intrigued... the end of the book left me disappointed. I was excited to read a Robin Jones Gunn book as an adult (loved Christy Miller as a teen)... but this was a tough one to get through. Largely boring as the same topics were discussed over and over. There wasn't much substance or plot development. The characters were developed well however.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my bathtub book the last few weeks. It was light and enjoyable, but also touching. I grew up in Texas and Louisiana, so for the most part I enjoyed the bits about those places, although she does some stereotyping that I didn't care for at all. The overall message is a good one though. Forgiveness is a message we all need.

[Tina Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really resonated with me. Probably because its a Mom on a trip with her twelve year old daughter and so much of their relationship connected with where I am at with my own girl right now, trying to navigate the changes in our relationship with grace and humility. An easy read but a meaningful one for me.

[Kim Lafollette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful faith- based story of women and our relationships with our mothers, grandmothers, and daughters. Beautifully written. This really hit home with me as I had a difficult relationship with my mother, loved my grandmother fiercely, and now have an 11 yo daughter that I want things to be different with. Remember that the choices you make, your children see. Chose forgiveness and healing.

[Samantha Cornwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story. Robin has always known how to pull the heart strings and draw you into the story and pieces it together beautifully. A story of letting go and letting God heal old wounds.. A story of forgiveness and finding yourself. Truly a beautiful story.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book: well written, an unusual angle, and some real thought-provoking depth on the matter of relationships between mothers and daughters over the generations. The author keeps a good balance between a convicting and redemptive point of view.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet, heartwarming book that left me longing to make memories with my kids, and soak up the wisdom and love of my own grandmother. This was actually the 2nd time I have read this book, but it was worth reading again.

[Elizabeth Cope · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok - the message was good but it just dragged on too long. I lived in Hawaii for many years and had to chuckle at Hannah’s pidgin talk. I also related to missing family and the Mainland - traveling from state to state.

[RebekahAshleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gardenias for Breakfast was a really enjoyable book! I loved reading about Abby and Hannah on their mother-daughter road trip.
There's just something about Robin Jones Gunn's books that I really love!