Bread Alone

Bread Alone #1

by Judi Hendricks

Thirty-one-year-old Wynter Morrison is lost when her husband leaves her for another woman. Desperate for a change, she moves to Seattle, where she spends aimless hours at a local bakery sipping coffee and inhaling the sweet aromas of freshly-made bread. These visits bring back memories of the time she aprenticed at a French boulangerie, when her passion for bread-making nearly led her to leave college and become a baker.

Once again, the desire to bake bread consumes her thoughts. When offered a position at the bake shop, Wyn quickly accepts, hoping that the baking will help her move on. But soon Wyn discovers that the making of bread—the kneading of the dough—possesses an unexpected and wondrous healing power—one that will ultimately renew her heart and her soul.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Food, Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Cooking

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2001

About the author

Judith Ryan Hendricks was born in San Jose, California, when Silicon Valley was the Santa Clara Valley, better known for orchards than for computer chips.
Armed with a degree in journalism, she worked as a journalist, copywriter, computer instructor, travel agent, waitress and baker before turning to fiction writing. Her experiences at the McGraw Street Bakery in Seattle led to her first novel, Bread Alone and the sequel, The Baker’s Apprentice. The third book in the series, Baker’s Blues, will be published in August 2015.
A life-long infatuation with the Southwest provided inspiration for Isabel’s Daughter and her fourth book, The Laws of Harmony. Hendricks’ fiction has been translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 16 countries worldwide.
Her nonfiction has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle and Tiny Lights, A Journal of Personal Essay, Grand Gourmet in Italy and The London Sunday Express. Her short fiction has appeared in Woman’s Weekly in Britain and AMERICAN GIRLS ON THE TOWN, an anthology, in the U.S. and U.K.
She lives in New Mexico with husband Geoff and dog Blue.

Reviews

[Brandon Witt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Bread Alone and thought: "Wow, I loved this book. Why did I love this book?" It is one of those things I really should not have enjoyed as I did. There were no huge dramas, conspiracies, or epic adventures. In fact, most of it was simple conversations or private thoughts of the heroine, just everyday life. There are many bread recipes for crying out loud. And I loved every second of it. My friend Mel gave it to me to read after I got my heart thoroughly broken. Shattered, actually. She said that she reads this book every time that happens. She even takes notes and jots down personal thoughts in the margins. I followed suite. It was like therapy. I cried, empathized and was startled with how many things the heroine was thinking and feeling that matched where I was exactly. It is written in a very comforting, cozy way. It makes you feel a little safer and secure as you go through it. Although my broken heart was still in that state when I finished this novel, I did feel like I had experienced some solace. Even if you do not have a broken heart, this book is excellent, but if you do: Pay for the overnight shipping!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a lucky girl. My husband Rick bakes bread. Sourdough bread. The smell of it throughout the house is amazing. The taste of it, well, you know what I mean.

And...I still get to maintain my girlish figure! Yes, I am a lucky girl!

So...When this story came along, I had to check it out at the library.

What I enjoyed about this book (besides the baking and the recipes!) was that it was about family, friends, and growth.

It was a good diversion from the outside world – today’s world.

It’s a simple read.

And... Not one that was appreciated by all reviewers – so I guess we all have to be in a certain frame of mind when we find ourselves interested in whatever we choose to read.

For me... I just needed to read and be immersed in pretend character’s lives that allowed me to be in a pretend world.

This story certainly made me appreciate what Rick puts into the love of baking bread.

There is also something to be said about family – the one we are related to and the family (friends) we make along our life journey.

Give this book a taste...test.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once upon a time I was housebound with a couple boxes of Harlequin Romance novels from the 60's. We had intended to use them as kindling (though yes, burning books is very Fahrenheit..whatever).It was the dead of winter in an uninsulated cabin, what can I say (except that, trust me, books don't give much heat when you burn them).
Anyway, I read the books, all of them, before they went to their dreadful end. And I discovered that there were about 6 plots in all 300 books.

So, I think maybe there are around that many in the realm of chick-lit also. At least Bread Alone seems to go through the expected paces. You have the heroine, suddenly alone and coping with the infidelity of her rich and handsome husband (who is such a shlump, though a pretty one, that one wonders why she hooked up with him in the first place. Maybe it was the colored contacts). You have the secret passion of her youth (though at barely past 30 she is still pretty young), put aside for marriage to contact-guy. You have venture to a new place, where suddenly opportunity presents for her to reclaim the passion (not sex, mind you, but bread..and the descriptions of bread are far more erotic than any of the sex in this book). You have the cute fixing up of the new but temporary rental. You have the tough best friend, the assortment of minor but interesting characters, the complicated daughter/mom relationship, and the sexy guys vying for attention. And the very very predictable ending.

So hey, it wasn't the best work of literature ever written. But it was fun, and the recipes tucked throughout sound very delicious. So sure, I might look for more books by Hendricks.

[Melodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy what I call foodie fiction. And this one was a nice engaging read featuring home made bread. Endings and the bumpy path to new beginnings came complete with some recipes for the bread featured in the book.And of course there were plenty of the inevitable analogies of bread to life.
I liked it well enough to continue the story with book number two, The Baker's Apprentice.

[Alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so hard to get through. The first half of the book (seriously about 100 pages) is boring and nothing really happens. Wyn (short for Wynter, which is her middle name) is dealing with a failed marriage. And she mopes. And acts selfish and self-centered. That doesn't change for the entire book. She is not a likeable character. She's not strong, she doesn't really do anything to make her stand out. Was I supposed to feel sorry for her? Was I supposed to be rooting for her to find love again and find a better life? Because I really didn't care what happened to her. And by the time I reached the end of the book I realized I had known what would happen all along.

I finished the book only because I kept hoping it would get better and it never did. It didn't help that I never learned French and there is a lot of French used in this book so some things just went right over my head. But I also didn't care enough to translate it.

[Lance Charnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this while writing a story with a female main character. Bread Alone was presented to me as a good example of developing a central female POV character, as done by a female author. It showed me what I shouldn't do with my heroine.

Wynter is a 32-year-old Hancock Park trophy wife who gets dumped by the cheating rich spouse, weathers a series of mostly self-inflicted misfortunes, then finds fulfillment making bread in Seattle and bedding a tall-dark-and-handsome bartender. Other than the recipes, that's about it. It's not a category romance, although it could easily be mistaken for one at times; it's not chick-lit in that there's very little shopping or fashion porn, but it's just down the street a little from there.

I enjoy a good heroine and make sure to put at least one strong, smart woman at the center of each of my works. In that regard, Wyn was frustrating for me; she starts out whiny and self-involved, gets way worse, then suddenly becomes a sassy smartaleck about 3/4 of the way through. Wyn's best friend CM is the blunt, protective, take-charge Best Friend from countless romcoms, but for all that she's the more sensible and least irritating of the two. I'd rather the story had been about CM.

Except for the tall-dark-and-handsome bartender, all the men in Bread Alone are creeps, losers, or both. The last time I felt such a need to apologize for my Y chromosome, I'd just read a Cosmopolitan magazine.

If it sounds like I'm a bit put off by this book...I am. Not because of that pesky Y chromosome, but just the opposite. The old-school feminist in me rebels at the thought that a female writer, writing for female readers, will create a heroine whose major accomplishment is to stop shooting herself repeatedly in the foot and start acting like an intelligent human being. If that appeals to you, go for it. If nothing else, you'll have the recipies.

[Jennuineglass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then you come across a book that feels like it was written just for you, for this moment in your life. This is one of those books. It was like Ms. Hendricks lovingly wrote me a novel, years ago, where it waited all this time until I finally pulled a used copy from a dusty shelf in a second-hand store to be read when I would most strongly identify with her story. And I did.

This novel was a Seattle foodie love letter and I ate it all up in one sitting because it had all the things I love (bread, men, friendships, a strong female lead, and Seattle....not neccesarily in that order). She spoke of streets I have walked, restaurants I have been too, ferries and freeways I have traveled and did it with such clarity that it was like being home. She also did something that I love in my foodie books...sprinkled the story with actual recipes (did you leave out one ingredient or step Ms. Hendricks in the tradition of old?).

Yes I was thoroughly engaged with her well developed characters and their plot lines, but just as inspiring was the baking knowledge I learned; such as what goes into making breads, how to make a chef (yeast starter), and I also learned that you should clean a wooden rolling pin with dried flour, not wash it. Did you know that fellow foodie reader? The whole book is peppered with such interesting culinary details. These details are seamlessly woven together with an engaging story of a woman who struggles with finding her identity when what she thought was is taken away. I will warn some readers that it does have a lot of feeling and emotion, but I wouldn't call this a "romance" book.

If you love foodie books, and especially if you are from Washington, read this book.

Happy Reading!

[Amy]

Read June 2008, and at the time wrote:

Nice weekend read. I decided to drop the book at Muddy Waters today rather than try the recipes-- I have my favorites for all the ones listed already, just lack the time/inclination to make them. Maybe I'll be inspired now.

Don't know why Wyn was so surprised at the whole David vs Mac vs Gary thing...anyone with half a brain could pick the man most comfortable in his own skin, and with her leading a full and rewarding life.

The best part about looking up this review, though, was seeing a review written by my darling mother after she read the book in 2008 (The caps and other typing idiosyncrasies are completely hers.)

Despite the fact that I picked this up from my daughter's hand and not at a BookCrossing Meeting or in the wild, I was glad to read it.

The backdrop of the bakery, its employees, its product were interesting to meet and follow.

Bread making IS exciting.
ONE OF THE DEAREST MEMORIES I HAVE IS MIXING THE INGREDIENTS FOR A LOAF OF BREAD IN FRONT OF MY SON'S THIRD GRADE CLASS, LETTING THEM SEE IT RISE, BAKNG IT AND SERVING THEM SLICES. IWOLD HAVE ENJOYED TRYING SOMEOF THE RECIPES INCLUDED.

My mother died the following June, and here it is, three Junes later, and we're still sharing a book.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes.

I can't think of anyone more annoying, in my recent reads, than Wynter what's-her-name. Self-centered, self-pitying little twerp who deserves a good smack in the head with one of her baguettes. The novel is peopled by a host of paper-thin characters and the thinnest of plot lines. Not for me!

I did enjoy the recipes. They saved the book from a 1-star rating.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected find! It was a great story, set in Seattle, one of my favorite cities. The dialogue was a hoot at times, and the descriptions of the city and places that I love to visit, were all there in the text. I enjoyed coming back to the characters every time I picked up the book. I hope my library has her other books.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, if I went over a synopsis of the book, you might get bored. Nothing earth shattering or original happens in the book. It's simply a book about life. The main character, Wyn, is basically thrown out of her husband's home and life. She moves in with a best friend in Seattle to try to re-coup. She takes a job baking bread and starts to grow.

What I loved about this book (besides the baking and the recipes!) was that it was about family, friends, and growth. Wyn is a sensible, loving woman who makes friends easily and is always there for those friends. Baking bread is her catharsis. Bread becomes a metaphor for her life as she grows and "bakes" along with her career.

"Bread Alone" is a simple read, but an enjoyable one. It made me think of the people in my life, and what I am contributing. When I finished the last page, I wanted to do two things: bake bread, and go call my family.

I give this book 5 stars for thoughtfulness and for the wonderful journey it takes you on. *****

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ✨

[Teri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know. I know that I didn't read the blurb and had I known the topic, I wouldn't have read it.
I think my biggest problem was that I didn't like Wynter. She was...not likable. I didn't like her or her mother or her relationship with her mother. I didn't like David or how she was trying to hold onto him or how he behaved. I didn't really understand her and CM at times, I mean, I guess they were both maybe acting in very "human" ways, but I was left, like, jesus how self-centered can everyone be?
I did like Mac
I'm pretending that whole Gary thing never happened.
Overall, I just found this book kind of sad, and not in the usual way, but more like these were sad people making sad decisions with their sad lives.
I liked the last 10 pages a lot, they went a long way.
It wasn't badly written, it was just not my thing and I felt so damn depressed reading it. Love the inclusion of recipes and stuff though.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book because it was written so well that it was almost like sharing times with a really good friend. The descriptive prose was engaging, at times humorous and in addition created a real sense of involvement with life in a bakery. Even bread-making recipes are included from time to time. The main character Wynter (Wyn) takes us through all her trials and tribulations as she endeavours to cope with events which almost overwhelm her. Her relationships with family, friends - including her best friend ever and work associates become very strained and I gained much satisfaction from the book as any outcome(until the end) was unpredictable. It was a book I wanted to finish, but didn't want it to finish. If it was another 350 pages in length I think I would still feel much the same about it.

[Tikiri Herath · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me sad. Not because of the story but the recognition that there is a large volume of women’s fiction out there that is just not for me. I’ve started to read several women’s fiction books lately, especially those that have a foodie angle. What made me sad was that for many of these books written by women for women, I just couldn’t get myself to like the protagonist. Yes, of course I wanted the main character to get what she wanted, but there was no passion, no emotional attachment as the reader, just an unattached hope she'll find what she’s looking for eventually and that the book will end quickly.

It seems that most women’s fiction books these days are built on one thesis, and one thesis alone. Woman wants man. Lots of things crazy happen in between. Woman gets man. The protagonist may go through emotionally wrenching feelings towards the latest man around her or conflicted feelings about the many men around her. There may be deep reflections on what she really wants in a man and more crisis and drama along this same vein. That’s it.

(Spoiler Alert) In this book, the woman does not want to come to terms with her lying, cheating husband, tries in vain to win him back from the “other evil” woman, and then turn him around and force him to love her again. This defies logic. At least to me. If her own husband, who had promised to love her and shares their daily life together (even though it may not a happy one) shows no ounce of integrity or care, then why does she not stop for a minute to reflect about his character instead? He cheated on her, lied to her, hid things from her including his income, and controlled her lifestyle. Yet when he rejects her, she pins for him and persists, with her own mother encouraging her to “win him back.” When he refuses and kicks her out of their home (leaving her belongings in the driveway, no less) and she suddenly finds herself single, she becomes an emotional wreck and goes to great lengths to secure another man, to the point that she even sleeps with her own step-brother (yuk, yuk).

I usually read two books at once. The other book I read during this time was by Tim Cahill. He, on the other hand, took me on a thrilling journey. A journey of a man who was determined to see the world, who wanted to reveal the secrets of the Inca and save endangered sea turtles. He regaled me with stories that made me sad, happy, but most of all, he stimulated my curiosity and increased my knowledge of the world around me. Wow. Then I flip back to Wyn from Bread Alone who is so desperate from her loneliness that she sits in a bar alone crying, with no clue of what her she wants in life, feeling sorry for herself that she can no longer wear the best designer clothes or live in the best neighbourhood in the city, and then gets busy plotting revenge, trying to make her soon-to-be-ex-husband’s life miserable by delaying the divorce as long as possible. How can I empathise or root for someone like this?

I know I shouldn’t generalise, but I have to ask. Why is that the only thing every woman I read about does is pin for love and then manipulate her way to get the man she wants? Is that her only goal in life? Her raison d'être? Then I pick up my other books and read stories about men who scale mountains, travel to Siberia, feed orphans in Africa, dive in the deepest of oceans, brings music or some other gift to an inner city school, all the while falling in love with a beautiful girl. What joy it is to read these books. So why can’t we read more about women who do the same, because I know there are many wonderful smart, funny female adventurers, social changers, fun loving, world travellers in real life. Why can’t we have more stories about them, these women with strong desires to make a difference in their communities, their world, who may use their skills to solve mysteries, discover crimes, or rid the world of some evil thing, while at the same time falling in love with the handsome man next door? Yes, give me the cute, flirty love scenes and the hot steamy sex scenes, but also please give me some women of substance I can root for.

I finally finished this book, struggling through every chapter, waiting for something material, something I could hang my hat on. As hard as I tried, other than the recipes, I just couldn’t get myself to like it. I see great reviews for this book, so I wonder if this is just me. Is this what is expected of female protagonists, of females in our modern world?

The bread recipes sprinkled across this book were great and is the only reason I will keep the book.

[Maxi's Twin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, on a cruise to Alaska, the summer after 9/11. It stands out in my mind because of its honesty, how well I could relate to the main character, and how satisfied I was with the prose and the ending. I've tried to remember the name of the book many times. Finally, today I found it. I want to see what else Judi Hendricks has to offer.

What I remember: when Wynter loses what she loves, her world opens. She embraces new challenges and learns to express herself in new ways.

[Chu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Booooring!
Typical story of the woman who gets dumped by her husband for a more exciting woman. This one bakes bread to "heal" and meets another guy and Yupee every thing is super again...

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book - I may even purchase it to have on hand to pick up or try to make the bread recipes. I enjoyed Wyn and her journey and learning about herself. We are always learning about ourselves.

[Linda Feeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this debut novel. Liked the characters, quick and pleasant read although predictable story. Loved that the story included bread recipes from main character youth and time spent in France.

[Anne mehalick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had very low expectations for this book but I enjoyed it, and it had me craving homemade bread.

[Peet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The slow-pacing story of this book is like making a sourdough bread from scratch. So pour yourself a glass of wine, curl yourself up on a comfy couch and enjoy this book.

[Jody Paglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for anyone who has had to reinvent themselves after being deserted by a spouse. The main character Wyn, finds herself alone and abandoned in the cruelest of fashions when her husband David, kicks her out of her home and quickly moves in another woman. She digs deep within herself as she finds solace in the menial task of baking bread. The story is filled with recipes and illustrations of the bread making trade, both with her current job and those based upon her earlier life during an apprenticeship in France.

She undergoes a catharsis and much introspection regarding her prior willingness to give up all that once was dear to her to follow a man that clearly was not worthy of her. She realizes that her once charmed life was based upon lies and that the quality of a man seldom is reflected in his bank balance or in the fancy car he drives. After many painstaking months of coming to grips with the kind of false life she had lead, she follows her heart to focus on her true calling, true friendships and finally true love.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm really surprised because I thought that I would love this book, but I found it rather boring. The character talked more about bread-making or her time in France than she did her marriage, when that was supposed to be what spawned her whole "life transformation." She talked in detail of the present state of things with her soon to be ex husband, but I felt completely detached of detailed information about her marriage itself. The author clearly is a good writer, but I didn't think the story was woven together very well because there was too much detail where it wasn't needed, and not enough where it was.

[Elisabetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wyn loves her husband, but find out that he no more loves her and actually, he leaves for another girl. So 31 years old Wyn find herself alone, without a work, and without a real passion. But then there's bread, and making bread is the first step to move from an old, boring life to start a brand new one.

What I loved of this book is the fact that it express how simple things can change our life. Making bread is, to me, one of the most relaxing thing in life, so I could perfectly understand some of Wyn's feeling. Furthermore, many interesting recipes are inside the book :)

[Sonia189 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. Like some reviewers have said, I liked it more than I would think but the end could have been as detailed as the plot moves the heroine did/begun. Quite the view on how to go through a divorce, how tiring it can be and how depressing... but life goes on.
I'd say this is 65% woman's fiction, 35% romance.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story. But the protagonist kept making the DUMBEST decisions and I kept getting pissed off at her. Also the spacing in the version I read (from Scribd) was a bit messed up so I got confused a few times.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelf for years and I almost stopped reading after the first page due to this passage: "I stand up, unsteady. Walk downstairs. Carefully. Holding the railing. Into the kitchen. The bread machine." This kind of writing drives me insane but for some reason I soldiered on, and I'm glad I did because I loved this book. I am thankful that the rest of the book wasn't written in the same style, because I would have missed out on a gem. Wyn may be the main character of this tale, but she is almost out-shined at times by bread. That may sound odd, but Hendricks writes about food (mainly bread) in such a way that I found myself caring about it the most. The elegant and descriptive way she writes about the process and outcome of bread making was my favorite part of this book, and I really enjoyed the included recipes. I was excited to learn that this was the first book in a three part series, and I look forward to reading them all.

Some of my favorite passages from the book (of which there were many):

"The scene evaporated instantly, but it left a white shadow, the way a match flame leaves a ghost of itself on your eye."

"I set down my glass and press my fingers into the ridge of bone above my eyes, where headaches are born."

"Too much sympathy can be worse than none at all. You start holding on to the hurt. You hoard it, stroke it, polish it like some perverse treasure so you can justify all this sympathy you're getting."

"There's something about a house that's been shut up for a while. Sadness builds up like a static charge just waiting for a conductor."

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 2.8
location: Seattle

The first third is just plain tedious. Wyn drinks unwisely and doesn't seem to have many (any) interests. Now that I've finished the book, I can see that this was intentional so the reader can appreciate Wyn's self-revelations. Includes recipes and baking hints. Also references songs and artists. No cell phones. No computers. More casual swearing than necessary.

I might have given up on the book, but it would have taken energy to choose a new title, and I didn't want to have to think about anything. So this worked.

This is a tidbit (p 288) that sent me to the internet:
Pismo Beach (north of LA) has dunes. "Huge sand dunes. My father used to tell me how Cecil B. DeMille had thousands of workers build an Egyptian city there for the 1923 version of The Ten Commandments. Hundred-foot walls, even a boulevard lined with statues of sphinxes and pharaohs. Then, after they finished filming, they just left it there, and now the whole thing's buried somewhere under the sand."

[Nitzhia Peleg · Rating 4 out of 5]

כתבתי על הספר שהוא "ראוי לקריאה שניה" כי זכרתי ממנו ניחוחות לחם, עבודה קשה, התפתחות עצמית והמון תובנות. הביצוע קצת קשה, כי את רוב הספרים שאני קוראת אני לא קונה, אלא שואלת מהספריה. בכלל לא ברור לי איך אפשר לקנות ספר לפני שקראנו אותו, הרי אי אפשר לדעת אם הוא טוב וראוי להישאר בספריה הפרטית שלנו.

אז לקחתי אותו, וחזרתי לקרוא. שוב האישה הנבגדת, מתעוררת מתרדמת של שבע שנות נישואין נוחות שבהן התבקשה להיות אך ורק הבובה הייצוגית. שוב הניסיון לשקם את עצמה, השקיעה בדיכאון, הביקורת הלא ממש עוזרת מצד הסובבים, הנסיעה לסיאטל, גילוי מחודש של חדוות האפיה, וגאולה.

אז בקריאה שניה הוא קצת פחות טוב, או שעכשיו אני כבר יותר בוגרת וצינית, ופחות מתלהבת מפתרונות אינסטנט. אבל הוא עדיין טוב, עדיין שופע ניחוחות של לחם באפיה ביתית (ויש גם מתכונים) ושעות מוזרות שהם נחלת חייהם של העובדים באפיה. ועדיין מחזיק אמת חשובה - בחזרה למיומנויות הבסיסיות של הכנת הדברים שהיום אנחנו רגילים לקנות אותם יש אלמנט מנחם. החיילת שלי קראה אותו לראשונה בסבב ההשאלה הזה, ונהנתה מאוד. אז עדיין מומלץ, אם כי בלי חמשת הכוכבים של מקודם.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had a real mare of a reading month. I haven't finished a book in 2 weeks and classed at least 3 as unable to finish.

This seemed to be going the same way. The start is really stilted as Wyn and her husband have different ideas of how their marriage is faring and Wyn packs up her bat and ball and scores an ace in pouting and quoting "Woe is me". However after perhaps the first quarter the pace picks up as the author populated her characters with real personality and creates a semblance of narrative. I am not sure of the ending but there is a second in the series so maybe that will become clearer there.

It isn't going to top any charts but was a decent read overall