Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way [Hardcover]

Shauna Niequist (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2010

'The idea of bittersweet is changing the way I live, unraveling and re-weaving the way I understand life. Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness. 'It's the practice of believing that we really do need both the bitter and the sweet, and that a life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. Bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines on our faces and the calluses on our hands. Sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity. Bittersweet is courageous, gutsy, audacious, earthy. 'This is what I've come to believe about change: it's good, in the way that childbirth is good, and heartbreak is good, and failure is good. By that I mean that it's incredibly painful, exponentially more so if you fight it, and also that it has the potential to open you up, to open life up, to deliver you right into the palm of God's hand, which is where you wanted to be all long, except that you were too busy pushing and pulling your life into exactly what you thought it should be. 'I've learned the hard way that change is one of God's greatest gifts, and most useful tools. Change can push us, pull us, rebuke and remake us. It can show us who we've become, in the worst ways, and also in the best ways. I've learned that it's not something to run away from, as though we could, and that in many cases, change is a function of God's graciousness, not life's cruelty.' Niequist, a keen observer of life with a lyrical voice, writes with the characteristic warmth and honesty of a dear friend: always engaging, sometimes challenging, but always with a kind heart. You will find Bittersweet savory reading, indeed. 'This is the work I'm doing now, and the work I invite you into: when life is sweet, say thank you, and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you, and grow.'

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Niequist (Cold Tangerines) returns with an often humorous and always contemplative series of personal essays on bittersweet experiences, illustrating through her own life that "rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness." Spiritually, the book bravely sets out to decipher the paradoxically co-dependent nature of happiness and grief. But Niequist's title should not be seen as simply a convenient theological metaphor; i t is also a literary device. Impressively, many of Niequist's perfectly concocted chapters weave in culinary themes, evoking the sensory, physical experience of the bittersweet along with the spiritual sense of it. When writing of deep friendship and the loss that sometimes accompanies it, her narrative often revolves around a dinner table, a cooking club, or a farmer's market. Niequist's ability to describe the sensation of eating a peppery arugula salad punctuated with sweet blueberries is just as evocative as her ability to express the intricacies of love, loss, hope, and doubt. Readers of all faiths will find this book courageous, sincere, poetic, and profound. There's nothing bitter in this sweet treat of a spiritual memoir.

From Booklist

This very personal book offers a modest, gentle, and, yes, bittersweet reflection on life and life-changing moments. In a collection of interweaving essays, Niequist provides “an ode to all things bittersweet, to life at the edges, a love letter to what change can do in us.” To Niequist, change is a good thing even if “incredibly painful.“ In a short period of time, she became pregnant, lost a job she loved, had a baby, and wrote a book. She didn’t lose her faith as much as lost track of it. These short pieces capture moments when her world seemed to be spiraling out of control. Stunned by the loss of her beloved grandmother, she discovers that the best way to honor her life is to live in simplicity and kindness. Bittersweet is full of such small but important lessons of daily living, about how to live life again “after the brokenness.” Niequist firmly believes that it is the stories of ordinary people that can make a difference in people’s lives. “There is nothing small or inconsequential about our stories,” she concludes. “There is, in fact, nothing bigger.” --June Sawyers

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (August 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310328160
• ISBN-13: 978-0310328162
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Shauna Niequist grew up in Barrington, Illinois and then studied English and French Literature at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. After graduation, she worked with high school students at Willow Creek Community Church in Barrington for five years. On her first day there, she met Aaron Niequist, and three years later they were married.

They moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to work at Mars Hill Bible Church. They made great friends, walked to the Real Food Café twice a week for breakfast, and learned the hard way that they are not home repair people. Their son Henry was born there, and will be four this fall.

After six years in Grand Rapids, they moved back to the Chicago area. Aaron is a worship leader at Willow Creek, and Shauna is theoretically working on another book, but mostly playing with Henry and planning dinner party menus.

Shauna is the author of Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life and Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace and Learning the Hard Way. You can find out more about Shauna and read her blog at www.shaunaniequist.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book Worth Quoting, August 3, 2010

By 

Susan M. (Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way (Hardcover)

I know a book is great when I start underlining multiple quotes in each chapter. I know a book is becoming a favorite when I start to write out those underlined quotes and put them around my house and office as reminders to myself...and then send them to friends who I feel can relate to those words too. I have done all three with Bittersweet.

Shauna Niequist has a way of putting into words the way I feel but can't always express. I appreciate her transparency and ability to write about the things we all struggle with, but are sometimes scared to say out loud. She gets that life is too precious to just float through. And with that refreshing perspective, sometimes it means celebrating really great moments and sometimes it means acknowledging really tough ones and helping each other through them. The best part about this book: she finds the beauty & hope in the tough moments of her life and she helps readers look for that same hope & beauty in their own stories.

Whether you're experiencing a really sweet season of life, a really bitter one, or somewhere in between like me, this book has something for you. It will make you think, leave you feeling encouraged, and give you that added dose of bravery & encouragement we all need when life gets tough. I highly recommend this book!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect follow up to Cold Tangerines!!, August 3, 2010

By 

CampbellSongs - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way (Hardcover)

I love Shauna's writing style. Short chapters that capture an idea. Through her reflection, you can't help but think about your own life and experiences! This is a great follow up to Cold Tangerines. I love the honesty and, at moments, comical viewpoints that Shauna takes on life. Must read!! And if you haven't read Cold Tangerines...it's fabulous!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, August 3, 2010

By 

Cholley - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way (Hardcover)

For anyone who is looking to get out of a rut or to find grace in the everyday this book is for you!! Shauna is unbelievably honest and forthright about life, love, food, wine and how hard it is to figure out who you are. She pushes you to be your best self in the most unassuming way. I highly, highly recommend this book and will be waiting unpatiently for her next book.