Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels [Hardcover]

Anne Beiler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2008

Anne Smucker Beiler was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where she attended a two-room Amish school. Bred into the fabric of her close-knit family and into her soul were the elements of sincere Christian faith, an excellent work ethic, and an eye for good business opportunity. Anne's journey is a remarkable story of failure and success. She persevered through a series of difficult personal struggles-including the tragic death of her second child, being betrayed by someone she trusted implicitly, and a terrible six-year depression-to become the leading female franchise owner in the United States. Anne is one of the few women who have founded national companies in America. What makes her story most extraordinary is her determination to help others by telling her full story-the good, the bad and the ugly.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At first glance, this spiritual autobiography might appear to be another of those rags-to-riches memoirs that retired business owners love to write. Happily, Beiler puts an unusual twist on her story, interweaving the chronicle of her business's startup and phenomenal growth (farmer's market stand in 1988, 700 domestic and 119 foreign locations 15 years later) with a candid personal account of bereavement, abuse and adultery; family and workplace struggles; and extended periods of grief and depression. Sometimes the chronological leapfrogging can be confusing—are we in Texas now, or Pennsylvania? and what year is it again?—but often insights from one time period illuminate struggles from another as Beiler alternates between incredible naïveté, especially about predatory males, and sharp-eyed business savvy. Money does play an important role: I see God giving you things you wouldn't believe, a friend predicts. I see houses, I see land, I see cars.... Yet Beiler's first priority is philanthropy, not accumulation. Religious readers will appreciate not only her generosity but also her inspirational accounts of prophecies, answered prayers and, above all, forgiveness. (Mar.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785223231
• ISBN-13: 978-0785223238
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #975,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating story, many twists and turns, April 8, 2008

By 

Snooper's Mom (Hudson, NH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels (Hardcover)

Although I did find the "back and forth" between the past and the present to be a little confusing, overall, this book is well worth reading because it shows many of today's problems cut across all social classes and religions. For instance, I was quite amazed at Anne's daughters not wanting to go to school, trying homeschooling, partying, etc. I would have expected her children to be more ambitious, somehow, but perhaps those are my own biases. At any rate, it seems the Catholics are not alone in terms of predatory priests, and it is really shocking that a Mennonite preacher could get away with such abuse for so long. It just undermines the whole fabric of the community. Anne internalized things, blaming herself, when it fact, it was the behavior of others that was wrong. One of the major thoughts I have after reading this book is that Anne never set out to do any of this, and accomplished an enormous amount, whereas many children from upper class families set out to "conquer the world," and never manage to do so. There is a lot to be learned from someone who does not come from wealth, but then becomes successful. The fact that she has shared so much of this wealth does put many others to shame, those who do not consider helping others in need.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but too much going back and forth between present and past, March 22, 2008

By 

Debra Hoover "farm girl" (Paradise, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels (Hardcover)

Since I am only 5 minutes from where Annie Beiler lives and am very familiar with the Auntie Anne business I was most interested in reading this book. I bought one as soon as it was available and read it in a short time. I must say that I did find it a bit confusing going back and forth from her past and present and I understood this when talking about the death of her daughter and how she has and will continue to impact her life, but with the entire book written that way it got a bit confusing. That is why I didn't feel that I could go higher than 3 stars. I must give her husband 5 stars for standing by her throughout her difficult times and she does not hesistate to give him credit. For those who do not know her business she has made a tremendous positive impact in our local community. I would recommend reading this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Inspirational Story for Anyone, May 28, 2008

By 

Libby_Lynn (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twist of Faith: The Story of Anne Beiler, Founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzels (Hardcover)

Anne Beiler's inspiring story of her life made it a very worthwhile book to read despite the layout of the book with mixing the past and present. The story about the tragic loss of her daughter cuts to the heart of any Mom. What I loved most was the tenacity to keep moving forward despite the many difficulties and challenges that she faced.

As a Christian, I love the fact that she is not shy about expressing her faith in God and crediting Him for helping her through all the ups and downs in her personal and professional life. This isn't just about how the best pretzels on earth came about (although that part is fascinating) but it's about family, faith and finding fortune by persevering.

After reading this book, what I realized most of all is that it's the journey that counts (not fame or fortune) and that's where you'll find your greatest blessings. Often they are right under your nose.