Ladybird, Collected

by Meg Heriford

Essays from a tiny diner in the middle of the country.

These are stories of love and adaptation at the broad intersection of commerce and community, and of how a pandemic changed everything and nothing about us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir, Short Stories

205 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2020

Reviews

[Zade · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this little book lies the antidote to the bitterness and despair of the last many years. Heriford writes simply and eloquently about community and connection and what being human is all about. The story of the Ladybird Diner shows what is possible when empathy becomes action and community becomes a goal to nurture, not a resource to be exploited.

You needn't have a tie to Lawrence, Kansas, to feel deeply the effect of this book. The details may be local, but the message is universal. This is such a warm, hopeful, touching book. I suppose I'd come to accept, after a few years of being bludgeoned with just how awful people can be, that despite the good people in the world, the power lay with the hateful and selfish. Heriford gives the lie to that belief. I can't tell you how good it feels to have hope.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right now, when things seem bleak and divided, this book gives me hope. Why? Because there are people out there who work tirelessly to make their corner of the world better, people like Meg Heriford of Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, Kansas. She doesn't preach but just practices: practices kindness, generosity, resilience, inclusion. Here she shares the stories of customers and workers at the diner, and the shift during the COVID pandemic to feeding anyone who needs food. And, of course, pie.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to see the true meaning of community, read this book. And then go and donate!

[Alyssa Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a Kansas girl, born and raised, and this book made me homesick. Despite being about the pandemic it made my heart ache for kind midwestern people and good pie. I love Lawrence and Ladybird Diner is such a gem. Even though I’m miles away, it’s nice to know I can always come home.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest and heartfelt; heartbreaking and hopeful; exhausting and exhilarating.

[Annika Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

i 🫶🏼 lawrence, ks

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a local Lawrence book written by the owner of this diner. The diner is located on Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence. I loved reading about the north wall of the diner that is all rock from 20 million years ago. The ceiling is tin. Lovely spot. Meg Heriford tells how she chose to close the diner during the pandemic and make sack lunches for the community that cannot feed themselves. What a generous step she took. This diner is known for their wonderful pies. She tells great stories of her long time staff and faithful followers. This was a very fun and thought-provoking book. Loved it.

[Jackie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried so many times whilst reading this book that my abs started to hurt. Not because it was sad, even though it was in places, mostly because it's just so completely lovely. You know those times when you subconsciously put your hand on your heart to acknowledge that it's feeling something? Well, that - every single chapter. It made me feel inadequate - but in that way that makes you want to immediately do something about that and be better. It's so completely insightful - to how a cafe works, to how small businesses work; about homelessness, community and most of all about humans generally.
A lovely lady bought me a copy of this when I moved to Lawrence, Kansas (I'm a Brit, who came via Ohio during a pandemic and who is maybe just a little homesick). That very gesture, in the form of this very book, pretty much sums it up. I am going to try and pay that forward in every way I can find. Kindness wins everything.

[Anna Hawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buy this book from Raven Bookstore (in Kansas but order online and it'll ship across the States). The money you pay provides food to the people who need it so desperately right now and the stories will nourish you. This is how I want to remember the pandemic: that things were tough but there were good people who stepped up to do what they could.

[Melanie Fiore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m giving her five stars for collecting stories over years , for making a diner out of rockstar pies, for putting aside money and fear and feeding her community during the height of the pandemic. She moves through the book laying the framework of employees and customers and then to what in the heck they did as March 2020 smacked us all in the face. She writes in a melody of metaphors.
I’ve also eaten here and it was just as described. Next time I’ll get her to sign my copy.

[Amy Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, lovely book. It was our book club’s selection for June and we are visiting Ladybird Diner to discuss it. The book is a collection of short essays from the diner’s owner, focusing on workers, customers, and humanity. So sweet and uplifting.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this collection.
It shows the heart of Ladybird.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lovely collection of essays, maybe blogs, is written by the owner of a small café/restaurant in Lawrence, KS. These essays are a reminder that each person who works at Ladybird and everyone who comes to Ladybird for a meal is part of a community and should be treated with respect and care. During the pandemic, Meg Heriford and her staff continue to provide meals to the unsheltered, working with the resources they have and demonstrating the power of community.

This book is available online from a local bookstore in Lawrence, KS, called the Raven Book Store (ravenbookstore.com). The bookmark from the store says: reading is resistance.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

2020 Update 53: I only wound up reading this book due to the pandemic. We were supposed to go to Lawrence, KS in May for a Purity Ring concert and the Ladybird Diner was on my list of places to eat/visit while we were there. Covid hit and the concert was cancelled but I watched on Facebook as Ladybird Diner shut down their regular operations and began providing sack lunches to the hungry and needy in Lawrence. This book is a collection of essays by the owner, profiles of her staff and regulars. I bought it to help support their efforts at giving back to their community, but it would be a hit with any Humans of New York fans. 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt, delightful collection of essays about an interesting collection of people who share their time and their lives in a diner. Heriford brings to life a community of wonderful souls who serve the best pie made right there in the diner. She writes so clearly about these amazing people that you care about each and every one of them, the town and most of all, the continued life of the Ladybird Diner. Right now, the Ladybird Diner is part of the force helping to feed the many during this pandemic.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg is a keen observer of humanity and these essays offer insights into her diner, customers, employees, and the very character of downtown Lawrence, Kansas.
Local friends - I'm happy to loan this out. Just give me a call.

[Cyndie Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is art that is somehow able to capture something ephemeral and otherwise indescribable about a place or a moment in time. This is one of those books.

I don't know how your town responded to the pandemic.

In my town there was this diner downtown on our main street - already loved for their homey atmosphere, friendly service, and mind-boggling good food (especially their pies). When so many other businesses closed their doors and transitioned to curbside service, this diner transitioned to community service. Their work revolved exclusively around providing no-cost, judgement-free meals to anyone who needed them. This book was a part of their effort to continue that effort.

I can't read this without remembering what it felt like to see that kind of decency in a time of fear and uncertainty. It inspired me to carry more than I thought I could. Ms. Heriford says in her book "All over town, everyone [was] working hard in their own capacity to meet those needs with as few hands on deck as possible." I didn't know the discouraging times that were ahead, but the hard work of Ladybird, of my community, has been a candle of hope that no matter what lies ahead we can work to make things better for one another.

I don't know if you're lucky enough to have a Ladybird in your town. But if not, I hope you buy this lovely book (perhaps from our local Raven Bookstore?). In additional to helping someone in need get something good to eat - I hope you receive some of their contagious, generous hope too.

[John Aaron Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the owner of Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, Kansas, Ladybird, Collected is a collection of essays about a small diner in a medium town in the center of America. The essays are descriptions of the town, the workers at the diner, the customers, and the population of Lawrence who have fallen on hard times. Throughout the book, the empathy and passion of the author is extremely clear. Meg pours her heart and soul into her job at Ladybird and takes it a step further to actually serve the community of Lawrence, even those members of the community that many others forget. Ladybird Diner also took it upon themselves to provide free meals for many during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, carving a niche for themselves to continue to serve in such a scary time. I enjoyed this book because I could feel the love on every page. This book was gifted by my friend, Adam, and I know that if I ever find myself in Lawrence, Kansas, I will go to Ladybird Diner and ask for a slice of pie.

[Kandace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this book by a dear friend and had the pleasure of visiting the Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, KS years ago in the before times. I can attest that their pies are delicious. This collection of essays largely written and pulled together by the owner Meg, provide glimpses into the life of a server and now restaurant owner, the building of community through sharing of food, and how she and her staff navigated the 2020 pandemic shutdowns. The stories she tells about herself, customers, community members, and staff provide a really lovely vision of a world I wish was more publicized. A world where people help each other, where small businesses are more about community than the bottom line, a world where there's a need and someone jumps in to fill it. Bravo Meg for your efforts, and the writing is magic. Seriously, such an inspiring collection and I will for sure be patronizing Ladybird Diner when I'm in Lawrence again. Love, love, love.

[Jennifer Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an uplifting collection of essays, thoughts, and journaling. This was authored by the owner of Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, Kansas. Her collection tells the story of how her diner emerged as a community in itself that strengthened in during the COVID epidemic. Meg Hereford has a unique ability to truly “see” people even with minimal observation and interaction. Her heart is on paper with every strike of the key and hers is a story of unwavering empathy, love, and inclusion for every walk of life that comes through her doors or even just hover nearby on a sidewalk or bench. This collection is an endearing observation of regulars, employees, and new faces who n her midst. Enjoy this uplifting read about the diner named after First “Lady Bird” Johnson and the impact this little diner and its pie have had on the community.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick read. Collection of essays about her children, employees, and locals, all who either worked at or visited her little Ladybird Diner, where she gave heart and soul to anyone who needed it, and tried to stay open during hard times (ala the pandemic) only because she knew that the free meals she gave were often the only ones some of the people had all day. Some paid for their meals with money, but most times the payment was something only they could give, like a shy smile, or a cheery compliment or greeting, or a song played for the staff on an out-of-tune instrument. All were welcome. Sounds like a place everyone would love to be able to go to at times.
And P.S. The book has a beautiful cover, too, full of birds and flowers and slices of pie!

[Dave Hull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladybird Diner is a Lawrence, Kansas treasure. Unmatched comfort food, better people and the best pie outside of my mother's kitchen. This book by Meg Heriford is a memoir of the diner's first six years? Is that right? Ladybird has been such a fixture that it feels like it's always been here.

Heriford provides an account of various people who work at the diner, some of their customers and how the diner shifted its mission to providing food to those most in need during the pandemic. It's a heart tugging read.

I sincerely hope Ladybird makes it through. I can't wait to wait in line again with my girls, eat a delicious meal and follow it up with an amazing piece of pie and cup of coffee.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I live in Lawrence and Meg Heriford is one of my local heroes. When she had to close her diner due to the pandemic she immediately turned to making packed lunches for anyone who needed them in the community and could pick them up from her diner on Mass St. But even before this the homeless were always welcomed and cared for at the Ladybird Diner. She views everyone with a caring eye, even while feeling she can never do enough for them. The essays are about her, her family, her employees and friends, her friends. Donating to the Ladybird Diner in the pandemic felt about the best place to donate locally. And, oh yes, the food is so good!

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming break from quarantine! This short collection of short essays is all about the routine kindnesses of a small bakery and diner in the middle of the country. Evocative, charming, and very personal without getting overly so, we live in the diner with the author and all the employees, working very hard to provide free lunches to the needy during this crisis. The compassion and love practically seeps from the pages. Lovely, loving, and so reassuring in these crazy times.

Highly recommended.

[Alex Heitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

While on a trip with my dad to Lawrence, KS, we stopped at Raven Bookstore. I asked for a book that screams Lawrence and its community, and this was the recommendation I received. This collection of essays warmed my heart because of the kindness and empathy Meg extends to every person at her diner, regardless of their circumstances or what’s happening in the world. I regret not having the chance to visit Ladybird Diner, but I suppose that just gives me a great reason to plan another trip to Lawrence—something I’m very much looking forward to.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book “Lady Bird Collected” is a wonderful memoir by Meg Heriford about her employees, family, and restaurant community patrons. The book was released in October 2020 for the purpose of funding free meals for those who are poor and struggling. Meg’s book profiles her restaurant’s community commitment to serve customers irregardless of their ability to pay for meals. It is a book about employee acts of kindness, loving hugs, and the gifting of wonderful food for those in need. (P)

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of essays by Meg Heriford centered around the Ladybird Diner and it's staff in Lawrence, Kansas. A beautiful book about a woman with a heart of gold who sees a need and fills it-whether that's pie and breakfast for paying customers at the diner or the massive effort of supplying thousands of sack lunches to those who needed it during the pandemic. Your heart will soar seeing kindness and compassion in action in the small town in Central Kansas.❤❤❤

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss being at the diner. I was one of those drawn to the restaurant the day after the 2016 election.
Why did I go there? Because I knew I would be cared for. This book of stories about the employees and visitors to the the diner is a refreshing escape from this past year, even as it is the story of the past year. Reading it will make you feel better about humans.

[Liz Alley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just loved this book so much - it was real, inspiring, funny, heartfelt, relatable, and just beautiful writing. Meg has so many great stories to share, and models a lifestyle that is so admirable. Her drive to get through the pandemic and serve others is so strong and definitely changed my perspective on how I should treat those I see everyday.

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the pandemic (no, seriously, I’m grateful for this) I ended up spending an extra year or so in Lawrence than I intended. I felt the community most during those long months of 2020. Meg so perfectly captures so much in these chapters that I found myself verklempt while reading on my subway ride home (or new home, Lawrence still has my heart). Lovely. Thank you, Meg.