Customer Reviews

The Laws of Harmony: A Novel

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read all three of Hendrick's previous books, and have a special fondness for one of them, her first novel Bread Alone. Bread Alone is the story of a woman in an unhappy marriage who moves away and makes a new life for herself. The thing I remember most about this book is the fact that the main character bakes bread, oh does she bake bread! By the end of the book, I was so seduced by Hendrick's descriptions of yeast and kneading and rising, that I baked my own bread.

Hendrick's latest novel, The Laws of Harmony, is similar to Bread Alone in some ways: the main character also leaves her life to begin again and she is also a cook.

Sunny Cooper grew up on a commune in New Mexico and as soon as she is an adult she does everything in her power to leave her past behind. She attends college, supports herself, and eventually moves in with her boyfriend Michael. She is looking for a 'normal' life, but events will dictate otherwise. Sunny receives news that Michael has died in a car accident; soon after her home is broken into. Sunny's life is shattered, she realizes that Michael's job was not what it seemed and she is in danger. Sunny sells everything and moves to San Miguel Island, one of the Channel Islands. There she begins again, finding a home, job and new friendships. Several surprise discoveries turn Sunny's life upside down yet again, and she struggles to maintain equilibrium and mend the troubled relationship with her mother whom she left on the commune.

I enjoyed reading The Laws of Harmony, it's an easy read and I found that the 478 pages flew by. There's a lot going on in this book and Hendrick's does a good job of pulling it all together. As I was nearing the end of this book, I suddenly realized there was no way Hendrick's was going to tie up all the loose ends in this novel. On the one hand, this leaves things open for a sequel, which I would probably read, on the other hand, after 478 pages, I would have liked a little bit more closure - it's the sort of thing where you sort of know what is going to happen and I would have liked to read about it, rather than imagine it. That just might be my own preference.

is they always make me laugh out loud, shed a few tears and learn something new (baking, fiber art, riding a Harley, voice over talent).
To say nothing of giving me the shivers with her elegant prose or making my mouth water with descriptions of meals that are as luscious as the satisfying story she always serves up.
This time she takes us to New Mexico and the Pacific Northwest with Sunny Cooper, a woman traveling back and forth from her present to her past, a protagonist as funny and feisty and flawed as a reader could hope for.
Like other novelists I love (Elizabeth Berg, Barbara Kingsolver) Hendricks never disappoints. The pleasure of reading The Laws of Harmony is a sure thing in these uncertain times. Treat yourself.

Sunny Cooper is one of those characters so real and flawed, so tough and tender, that I feel as if I could have her as a neighbor, and would like to share coffee with her, or better yet, some of those blackberry brownies! Her life hasn't been easy, and much of that hasn't been up to her, rather her circumstances were dictated by her parents's choices, one of which was to bring their kids up on a commune in northern New Mexico. I'd never really thought of how that must have been for the children of the hippies until reading this book. Sunny has every reason to feel bitter, but she's a fighter, and she goes after happiness the same way a boxer gets up after being knocked down.

One of Hendricks's strengths as a writer is the ability to create a fictional world that is so solid and layered, so filled with characters that are flawed and human, that she leaves you hoping for a sequel. This book is exactly like that. The details that make a story come to life are here, from the plants she grows to the jobs she juggles to the island dog everyone knows. If you're looking for a beach read, this isn't your book. This is a story that is so real it makes you cheer. I suggest you buy two copies so that when you lend yours to a friend, and she doesn't give it back, you still have the book to enjoy reading for a second, third or fourth time. Loved it and looking forward to her next book.

I have read all of Judi's books, and generally like her protagonist; Sunny is flawed, as we all are, but really demonstrates great processing skills, and takes responsibility for the direction of her life. The degree to which Judi has grown as a writer (with this 4th published book) is well documented in the commitment to showing character development. My business partner read our shared copy first, and said that it was a quick read. I'm a slower reader, but this time, I would say that I read every word and savored each one. Get this book now, but a very enjoyable experience! I really like to read about female self-discovery, and this one does it well.

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I picked it up solely for the fact that it was 400 pages plus and that I was immersed after the first page standing at the store.
I read this book super quickly as I was addicted to reading more about Sunny. I felt like I could resonate with her. So many layers to her personality and history.
The author has excellent character development of every single person in the book. The environment of each town she is in and each home she lives in is thoroughly described -- but, not overly described. She involves cooking and baking and internal distraught.
I love it. And I hope we see Sunny again. And now...I am going to buy another Judith Hendricks novel.

I am a fan of Judith Hendricks work and have read and enjoyed two of her previous novels, Bread Alone and Baker's Apprentice.
Ms. Hendricks writes novels that are rich in content, character driven and includes a foodie focus on food and cooking. This novel definitely continues the pattern that I found in her other books and does not disappoint.

This is the story of Sunny Cooper who grew up in New Mexico on a commune. Her life was affected in many ways as she grew up in this environment both in positive and negative ways. A tragic event made a great impact on her life and as a reader you learn what this event is as Sunny confronts and faces this as an adult. As an adult, in her 30's, she is living in Albuquerque, and finds herself in a relationship with Michael and a best friend Betsy who both betray her in many different ways. Sunny makes a choice to pick up and start over somewhere else and ends up in the town of Harmony on San Miguel Island. She ends up with a new job, makes some wonderful new friends and even learns to ride a motorcycle. She learns she must confront her past to move forward and has an unexpected reunion with her estranged mother.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Laws of Harmony. I liked seeing how Sunny changes and grows as a character and reading about the details of her life growing up on a commune was very interesting. My favorite part of the book was Sunny's life in Harmony which sounds like a charming town with wonderful characters. Sunny made many friends that appear to be true and strong friends that truly care about her. Her mother, Gwen, is another interesting character and I liked how Ms. Hendricks explained why she chose to live her life and raise her family on a commune. It was very fascinating to read about this lifestyle and how it affected the whole family in many positive and negative ways. As a reader, it made me think about what a "normal" family is and that there really is not a "normal". It is different for everyone based on our experiences and what our family of origin and environment is like. I believe that it is what we make of those experiences that effect us as adults and how we choose to learn from them.

As I mentioned, Ms. Hendricks books have all had a foodie focus on food and cooking. I love reading books that have a culinary focus, fiction or nonfiction. The Laws of Harmony incorporates the southwestern themes of cooking on the mesa where Sunny grows up in the commune as well as in Sunny's adult life. Sunny has worked in several restaurants and enjoys cooking and baking and her character makes many delicious meals and desserts that sound delectable. The one that stands out is Sunny's Blue Ribbon Blackberry Brownies. These sound heavenly and Ms. Hendricks has created a recipe for them and it is featured on her website. If you haven't read a book by Judith Hendricks, this would be a great book to start with. If you have already read books by Ms. Hendricks and enjoyed them, you will definitely enjoy The Laws of Harmony.

I loved this book. I loved Sunny from the first page and couldn't put the book down because I just had to find out what would happen to her. I loved where Hendricks took the plot - SO much happened that I didn't expect. Especially in the last hundred pages or so (don't worry, no spoilers here!). But really, it's a long book, but it's long because so much happens, and it's all good and interesting and fun to read about. And sometimes heartbreaking, but in a good way (you know what I mean).

For me, The Laws of Harmony came down to being about how the past has such a huge impact on our present and future. But also, that perhaps it shouldn't have the kind of impact that it does. Sunny spent her entire life trying to get away from the place where she was raised, and the ways in which her parents raised her. Yet, just when she thought she got "away", things that happened to her kept coming back to haunt her and affect her life. Try as she might, she just couldn't escape her past. But for me, I feel like the real lesson Sunny needed to learn (and did learn, I would say, by the end of the book), is simply to forgive. Forgive those who have hurt you, forgive the universe or God or whatever for taking away someone so special, and forgive yourself for bad decisions along the way. I love that Sunny grew so much throughout the book - I would say that by the end, she really did forgive those that needed forgiveness, even herself.

I found it very interesting the characters that Hendricks chose to focus on near the end of the book, and even more interesting the characters she decided to leave out. There was one character in particular who I was sure would come back into Sunny's life in a big way, but never did. And the one character who WAS a big part of Sunny's life in the end was kind of a surprise for me. I also like how ambiguous the ending was - Hendricks definitely left it open for a sequel (which I'd LOVE to see!).

I can't recommend The Laws of Harmony enough - reading it was a wonderful experience. I'm shocked that I'd never heard of Judith Ryan Hendricks before and I'll definitely be looking to read more from her in the future.

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

This is the first of Ms. Hendricks' books that I have read and she most certainly has captured the voices of generational women. I read in her acknowledgments that she always fears that she will mess up when writing especially if it is about something she does not know well or at all.

I must say that she has nothing to fear about her choices in this book. She picked two very different locales and yet she is able to make you feel that she has lived in both of them all her life.
The contrast between the commune in Armonia, New Mexico and a small island village in Harmony, Washington is huge but she brings them both up close and allows you to feel that you are walking through them with Sunny Cooper or Soleil as only her mother calls her. Here is a young woman born and raised in a commune in New Mexico who never felt comfortable with the experience. She leaves the commune to attend the University of New Mexico where she finds friends and love. But live is not simple and as life turns upside, Sunny realizes she not only has to leave her past life but her present as well. She overcomes her fear of flying this once, and gets on a plane for the farthest point northwest of Albuquerque, which ends up being the San Miguel Islands. It is there that we learn "The Laws of Harmony" and Sunny is able to come some resolve with her past and present.
A very satisfying read. A good life lesson for younger women, in that we don't also control what comes into our life but we most certainly can decide and determine what stays in our life.

Judith Hendricks has once again in "The Laws of Harmony" created a story of relationships and survival of life. Judith's description of her characters are so real, that by the end of the story, they have become part of our lives.

Sunny Cooper sets out on a journey which takes her life full circle. Leaving her mother's life of living in a commune in New Mexico to having her relationship with Michael mysteriously fall apart, Sunny sells everything she owns and makes her way to the Pacific Coast. By chance, Sunny ends up in Harmony on San Miguel Island where her journey unfolds.

Hendricks gives Sunny what she has been looking for, a town where she feels at home and people who accept her. Unexpectedly, Sunny brings to Harmony a part of her past and now she has a desire to re-establish her relationship with her mother.

As in all of Hendricks' novels, she creates characters to whom we can relate, along with the interweaving of people, food and cooking. When I have read the last page of Hendricks' novels, I close the book with the feeling that I have found another friend.

There is no easy way to summarize "The Laws of Harmony" because of all the plot twists and revelations infused throughout the book. I was pleasantly surprised when the story turned out to be filled with elements of mystery and deception, instead of being simply the women's fiction style novel that I was expecting. The straightforward part of the story revolves around Sunny Cooper, who is living with her boyfriend in Albuquerque, New Mexico until she discovers that people are not always as they seem and he has plenty of secrets of his own after a tragic accident. Sunny feels compelled to uproot her life and find somewhere else to call home. In a new town, Sunny befriends the locals and develops a whole new lifestyle but her past catches up to her and new challenges arise.

Judging by my rating, you can probably tell that I absolutely loved this book! Since I tend to enjoy plot twists, especially ones I don't see coming, this book offered a bonus for me, in addition to its charming story about love, life and relationships. Sunny is a complex character and yet really easy to relate to her feelings and fears. The secondary characters in the book are also really expertly crafted and I especially saw the residents of Harmony come to life.

There is also a really interesting inclusion of food and baking throughout the book. I love baking and so I was particularly fascinated by Sunny's expert culinary skills and the catharsis that baking brings to Sunny's life. I wish I could have some of her recipes to try out!

The ending of the story is somewhat open-ended which left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it leaves readers the opportunity to imagine whatever they'd like for Sunny's future but on the other hand, I feel like a part of the book is missing. An interview with the author at the end of the book seems to suggest the possibility of a sequel but nothing definite yet. I sincerely hope that there will be more of Sunny Cooper to come because I really feel like there is so much more that can be explored and I want to know what happens to her next!

This is the first book I've read by Judith Ryan Hendricks and I am positive it will not be the last!

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