The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal – 384 pages

Finished copy provided by Pamela Dorman and audio copy provided by Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.

Book Blurb:

Two sisters, one farm. A family is split when their father leaves their shared inheritance entirely to Helen, his younger daughter. Despite baking award-winning pies at the local nursing home, her older sister, Edith, struggles to make what most people would call a living. So she can’t help wondering what her life would have been like with even a portion of the farm money her sister kept for herself.
With the proceeds from the farm, Helen builds one of the most successful light breweries in the country, and makes their company motto ubiquitous: “Drink lots. It’s Blotz.” Where Edith has a heart as big as Minnesota, Helen’s is as rigid as a steel keg. Yet one day, Helen will find she needs some help herself, and she could find a potential savior close to home. . . if it’s not too late.
Meanwhile, Edith’s granddaughter, Diana, grows up knowing that the real world requires a tougher constitution than her grandmother possesses. She earns a shot at learning the IPA business from the ground up–will that change their fortunes forever, and perhaps reunite her splintered family?

My Review: 4 stars

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The Lager Queen of Minnesota charmed me to no end as I fell into small-town U.S.A. I had the unique opportunity of reading the book at home and listening to the audio version in the car. Hearing the character’s voices allowed me to capture their cadence and emotions, which ultimately heightened my reading experience. I’ve only done that once before, and honestly, it’s kind of fun!

The author’s debut book, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, was a huge favorite of mine in 2015, probably because it was foodie fiction. I was extremely excited to read this follow up, but I was also wary because of the title. I know, I know, never judge a book by its title, but this seemed so out of my wheelhouse. Had it not been for author’s first book, I may not have picked it up, and boy, I’m glad I did.

The sense of small-town life was palpable, especially when the two sisters, Helen and Edith, were young. The reader was able to pick up on their burgeoning personalities from that time, especially during adolescence. Sadly, the sisters divide and go on to live completley separate lives, each believing that’s for the best. Helen is the clichéd version of living for her and her business and is foiled by Edith, who is the selfless, warm do-gooder.

Although Helen, Edith and Edith’s granddaughter Diana are the main characters, beer is undoubtedly the thread that pulls them all together. I don’t know a lot about beer, but my son does. He was shocked at my new knowledge about malt, yeast, hops, lagers, IPAs, stouts and the making of beer. Who knew that I would love learning about beer? I guess when it’s wrapped around a great storyline, its easy to do!  These women, although quite different, all show great determination, have good values, strong work ethics and are able to pave the way for more women in a typically man’s job of brewing beer.

There is a bundle of humor in this book, which sealed the deal for me. Crack open a beer and start reading!

Quotes I liked:

“It felt good to care about something enough to feel nervous.”

“Money allows people to survive their mistakes, she knew from having observed that phenomenon from a distance, and people like her were fucked.”

“There were advantages to a low profile. It was like a man to scratch his name on the banister of history, but Helen had come to believe that it was better to be the stairs.”

“When you see a man falling off a ladder above you, Edith believed, you don’t envision your arms breaking. You just hold them out.”