Customer Reviews

She Taught Me to Eat Artichokes: The Discovery of the Heart of Friendship

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I was given this book by a special friend and found it to be a great gift for me to give others. Anyone who has been there for you needs to receive a copy. Sometimes the best gifts are ones like this that can be re-read and may mean something new as life and friendships change. I no longer see the friend who gave me mine, but feel close to her each time I read it. My only problem is remembering to whom I have given copies of the book. Solution: I now write in the back of my book the persons name/date/event so that I don't give the same book twice! I also do this with another great gift book called "Hope for the Flowers".

Friendships begin in many ways; sometimes they can simmer very slowly over a long period of time. This book is about a friendship that suddenly blossoms. The main character lives next to an older woman and while they exchange pleasantries from time to time, there is no real warmth in the relationship. She also shops for vegetables on a regular basis but turns up her nose at artichokes, considering them to be prickly and unpleasant.
All that changes when the son of the main character is in an auto accident and spends weeks in the hospital. The elderly woman comes to stay with her and their friendship develops rapidly. The comfort level increases and soon, the elderly woman invites her over and shows her the proper way to eat artichokes. She finds that she likes them, which is a metaphor for the value of friends. Since they are different people, they can show us things that we heretofore had ignored. As often as not, we find them pleasurable, quickly realizing how much we had missed by not having the relationship earlier.
We go through many stages in life, but one constant is the value of friends. Without them, the world is a very empty place, so when the time comes, realize that a friend is a valuable thing, even if it is necessary to eat an artichoke with them.

She Taught Me To Eat Artichokes is a book for everyone. The message of the way friendships unfold is beautiful. It is short, but powerful.

Over time I have purchased six of these books for various of my friends. It takes a thoughtful look at a treasured friendship. Beautifully written and from the heart...

There is such a beautiful marriage between the words and illustrations of this book. A treasure for any friend.

This book is a wonderful gift to give to someone you love. It is beautifully written and illustrated. The story, a journey about discovering the "heart of friendship", is very touching.

This book is a beautiful coffee table book and makes a great gift for a friend or loved one!