"Bianca's Vineyard" by: Teresa Neumann

It's not unusual to get a phone call from a local author and be asked to read their book.  It's happened a few times lately and I have to say, I feel pretty privileged to be asked in the first place then again when I have read the book.  My most recent read was "Bianca's Vineyard" by Teresa Neumann.  Teresa lives near us in the Willamette Valley and found out about our book club here at the inn and asked if she could give me her book to read.  I have to say, I have a huge pile of books to get through and wish at times that I could grab them all and read for a week solid! But, when I was asked to read Bianca's Vineyard, I put it on the top of that pile and vowed to finish it as soon as possible.

I had read a few chapters before my family came for the holidays and then set it aside.  No time for reading while they were here and when my head the pillow each night, I was out cold.  So, now it's time to regroup and things are slowing down so I grabbed the book again a few days ago and vowed to finish it by today, just in time for our January Chick Lit Book Club meeting.

I did finish it this afternoon and I haven't stopped thinking about since then.  I enjoyed sharing it at our meeting tonight but it's one of those books that is so intertwined with family, war, relationships, etc., that it must be read to thoroughly soak it up.  So, without giving too much away, I attempted a quick short version which apparently was quite impossible as evidenced by my frustration I felt trying to tell a story that was so perfectly written.  I finally stopped and told my friends that they would just have to read the book for themselves.  I didn't want to take anything away that they may discover on their own.

I am anxious for the others to read Bianca's Vineyard so we can discuss it completely.  And, I am excited to bring the author to our next meeting so perhaps she can share the story and encourage those who have not read it to do so.  The story is heartwarming, the characters endearing and the reality of war is apparent throughout.  I truly think that I will remember this book for a very long time and there is no doubt that whenever I pull the cork on a nice bottle of wine, drain a huge pot of pasta and pour a thick red marinara over it or even dredge a chunk of crusty bread through a bowl of olive oil and devour it, I will be thinking of Bianca's Vineyard.

Thank you Teresa!