http://www.colonie.org/library/

 by Erika Bauermeister. When Kate receives a clean bill of health after a double mastectomy, she invites the women in her life to a victory dinner. Motivated by her recent decision to join her college-age daughter on a whitewater rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, Kate takes the opportunity to assign each woman at the table her own challenge for the next year. Though some challenges seem deceptively simple on the surface (learn to bake bread, get a tattoo, tend your garden), Kate seems to know exactly how each task will force each woman to confront some of her deepest fears. Using individualized chapters to detail how each woman approaches her assigned challenge, Bauermeister displays an admirably adaptable and lyrical narrative voice. The chapters are short, yet Bauermeister paints remarkably detailed portraits of each and every woman. Examining those not afflicted with Kate's condition but undeniably affected by it, Joy for Beginners is an inspiring, tender, resonating, and rejuvenating read. --Booklist (Check C atalog)