I told myself upon receiving this book that I would read it slowly, savoring it like a well-aged Port. Well, forget that idea. I guzzled this book like light beer. It was so, well, me. I believe one of the keys to really enjoying this type of literature is finding a deep connection to the author - that the author is someone who you think, "I could hang out with this person for an evening." Mid-way through this book I told my wife and a good friend. "Shauna is the female version of me."
While I don't write half as eloquently as Shauna, I think I've shared her sentiments about food, hospitality and joie de vivre on multiple occasions - around tables, cooking with the guys in my cooking club or even, on occasion from the pulpit. So, I have nothing bad to say about this book. If you love food, hospitality, cooking, wine and just-for-the-fun-of-it dinner parties; if your idea of a great night is a house full of people and a whole afternoon spent cooking and smiling as you anticipate your guests; if you love having people in your home; if your idea of a good dinner is one that lasts several hours; if you love to give a good toast - to lock eyes with the people you love across a candlelit table and tell them why they're important to you; if you believe that everything is spiritual, and maybe especially food; if you love a well crafted sentence and rich metaphor, then this is your book.
My only argument with this book is some of the early reviews I've seen. To quote one, "this is a wonderful book for women" For women? I'm not a woman, and I loved it. Why, in the Christian world must we keep perpetuating the notion that men write serious books about theology and leadership, while books about food and hospitality and sucking the marrow out of life are somehow "women's lit?" Or that the gift of hospitality is somehow a "woman's gift," and the serious gifts of leadership are for the guys. Yes, Shauna writes about motherhood, childbirth, and getting into her bathing suit come summertime. But, somehow, she does it in a way that I can connect to - after all, I'm married to a woman and I've heard her talk about all those things. And even if I were not, I'm still interested, there are still parallels to my life. While my shame issues aren't related to my "underbutt" (a term I've never heard before this book!) - I've got plenty of "swimsuit" issues in my life. And, there are plenty of us guys out there who love to throw a party - who care about candles, music, a well-set table and making a great soufflé, who love to employ our words, knife skills and ability to make a killer salsa, as gifts to the people we love. So, let's be done with this silliness. I don't think Shauna intends for hospitality to be a "women's issue," and you shouldn't either.
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