Hard Cider by Barbara Stark-Nemon is a book about discovery and determination. The main character, Abbie Rose, is a woman in her fifties looking to explore the opportunities in a new chapter of her life. Though her children are all grown, she is slowly getting used to letting go of their lives while still maintaining a sense of family. Plus, she is ready to leap into a whole new business making hard cider. Her husband is getting ready to retire and has little respect for her endeavours. Then someone new enters their lives and threatens to make a mess of what she’s barely holding together. Can Abbie and her family survive the trials before them or will these challenges drive them apart?
Hard Cider is an interesting dive into the patriarchal layer that often hinders women and others as they venture away from traditional roles. As Abbie Rose works to follow her own dreams and desires, her husband and others in her life tend to treat it as something foolish to be discouraged or indulged as if she were a child. I love her determination despite all her trials and the opinions of others. Along the way, she learns to honour herself and let go of the hypocrisies of others. She is a real and true character caught between being her own person and playing a role. I loved this book and loved the way it builds. It is a beautiful and honest look into how the resolve of one person can affect those around them, challenging family roles and individual purpose.
With gratitude to Kris Moger and Readers' Favorite!