What a charming and delightful book this is. If you are expecting a traditional cookbook, perhaps of pie recipes, you will be disappointed, although I don’t myself think anyone could be disappointed with this slice-of-life book by a Mennonite about “pie moments” in lives. In this book we hear the stories of women’s lives, and we get recipes to boot!

I love collecting and reading the cookbooks put out by women’s organizations and faith communities. In these we see the name of the cook with her recipe or recipes which are obviously family favorites, and which she is proud to share. Sometimes there is a hint of the story behind the recipe, but usually not. The pleasure of “The Pie Lady” is that we get both the recipe and the story.

Mrs Issac is not the most polished of writers, it is true, and there is little continuity between the stories. But none of that matters. These stories are from the heart, and the recipes are from true cooks and bakers. It was a pleasure to read, and the recipes will be a pleasure to prepare. Not every book has as much to offer as this one.

I enjoy reading cookbooks so I knew I was going to enjoy reading this. The author wrote this book in memory of her grandmother. There are a collection of short stories in this book. At the end of each one there is a recipe to go along with the story. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Relax and enjoy this for what it is and what it isn't. It isn't a traditional cookbook although it has fun, simple recipes I'm looking forward to trying. It isn't a short story collection either. What it is is a lovely set of memories and the recipes that spark or inspire them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. it's a light read and a positive, happy one.

I absolutely love cookbooks. I also love to bake. This book brings both together. Each of these women who share their recipes also share their stories. The recipes are easy to read and follow. The stories included help to bring the recipes to life. I can see that I will use these recipes for years to come. I received a copy through Netgalley. A favorable review was not required.

I volunteered to give an honest review in exchange for a free pre-publication copy of the book. The author wrote this book in memory of her grandmother whom was the local pie lady. The first pie recipe is the pie lady's. The rest of the recipes and ancedotes are from plain people such as the Amish and Mennonites. I didn't know until I read it that it wasn't just about pies. I particularly like the cinnamon roll recipe and Lenore's pie crust recipe. My own mother used to be a restaurant pie lady, and she always used a touch of vinegar in the crust. It's what makes the crust flaky. Lenore's recipe uses vinegar too. I love reading the ancedotes along with the recipes. It's nice to read how others have formed good memories as they cooked. Some of my best memories are of my grandmother and I baking and my mother and I cooking together. I learned from the best.

This is a very sweet book that is part short narratives, part recipes.

It is lovely to take this book in "bite by bite" such as reading one chapter a day for a Bible verse, short story, and recipe to try. I would enjoy re-reading the book this way probably every year or so!

The recipes themselves are simple and easy, and as an experienced cook I would think about 90% of them are really good.

Perfect as a gift or for anyone who loves cooking and sweet little stories about the Amish, Mennonites, or anyone with a grandmother to remember baking with.

5 stars

I received a free advanced draft of this book as a member of Netgalley.com as a book reviewer.

A three-star review from me means the book was so-so. I dislike having to give such a low star rating. I was underwhelmed while reading. I expected more in the way of the stories tying together. Don’t get me wrong some of the stories are really good and I learned how to look at each day and see the good but some stories just didn’t seem to fit. They felt like filler.

The recipes are the best part. I’ve already bookmarked a few to try. One is the meatloaf as I would never have thought about adding tomato juice.

I received a complimentary copy from Herald Press through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

The Pie Lady by Greta Isaac is a collection of folksy stories with recipes intertwined. If you like reading about cooks and cooking, with a Christian slant, you will like reading The Pie Lady. Do not expect her book to be a traditional cookbook though.

First, thank you to the publisher and author for gifting me a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love baking. I love recipe books and reading how someone came upon a recipe and why it is special to them. I love to dream about making all of the things I read about it and what occasion each would be good for. So you can see why I was drawn to The Pie Lady. From the summary, it seemed to be a book made for me. I was unfortunately so let down. The book is written in short chapters, each about someone in the authors life (I'm presuming) and what story they shared around a recipe or someone in their life that cooked for them. The first chapter introduces the pie lady and I was interested. I wanted to see how the pie lady continued to impact others and their stories about her. But we never hear about her again, other then to reference cooking memories as a "pie lady moment". There was very little connection between the various stories and chapters. Each was so quick and random that I never connected to any story and quickly lost interest in the book. I began to feel like I was reading a family cookbook that someone had put together for all of her relatives with a nice cover but very little substance for any reader that didn't know the family. I didn't enjoy their stories, I found very few recipes in the book that I would want to make and wouldn't bother looking back through the book for the couple that did stand out. It's not a recipe book. It's not a great memoir. Its short, random and somewhat pointless stories about people and food with a recipe added at the end of each chapter. Disappointing.

I'm a cook book collector who has been collecting for more than 40 years. My favorite books are those that tell stories along with great recipes. Greta Isaac has earned a place of honor on my bookshelf, or she'll be on the bookshelf once I reread The Pie Lady a few more times. Every cook has quirks and traditions that make their end results unique. We are all experts in our own right, but these ladies seem like old friends as we peek over their shoulders to watch them produce their many, many delicious dishes. I'm happy to say my efforts at their recipes have turned out pretty good too.

Thank you NetGalley and Herald books for the opportunity to readand review this book.

The author shares folksy short stories about baking, families, and life. Included at the end of each
short story is a recipe or two. The recipes are not particularly unusual or interesting. However, the stories told about friends and relatives are shared in a warm and loving manner.

The author has created a book that is a “walk down memory lane” of people she has known, their beloved recipes, and stories from their lives. I found it somewhat hard to “get into”, as I didn’t find the stories extremely interesting, nor always seeming to go along with the recipe. I found myself just wanting to look at the recipes and skip the stories.

The book did bring back memories of my grandmothers’ cooking, and stories I, too, could relate of their lives.

I received a copy of this book from Herald Press and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A cozy read for readers that like to reminisce about simpler times. Lots of stories about homelife, traditions, fellowship and cooking. Reminds me of old fashion church cookbooks but with an addition story about each cook. This would make a great gift for a sentimental cook. Recommended!

I love to read cookbooks. Cookbooks are not just about the recipes they contain, they are also about the people that create the food, the stories behind a creation, the pictures, the techniques and the tips and tricks that save you so much time when you learn a new recipe. 

The Pie Lady by Greta Isaac is such a treat because it shares so many stories about everyday ladies that have big impacts on the world around them. You can pick up this cookbook, curl up in a sunny spot and enjoy a great time of reading. Some of the stories are funny, some are sad, they are inspirational and memorable. Then when you have gotten your fill of stories for the moment, and are so charged up to create your very own Pie Lady moment you can pick one of the recipes in the book, or continue on with exploring one of your own projects to master.

This is a great book for any cook to read because there are so many things to learn. Whether it's techniques to make a certain recipe work (use half and half instead of heavy cream and never let it boil) or old family secrets that make the item special. One story where I learned something, was when a person said "I wish I knew how to make custard". She is given a recipe and that person told her that she prefers to take the chalazae out of the egg. I had to smile at this story because they admitted that the didn't know what a chalazae was and when they were alone they googled it. Suddenly I didn't feel so foolish, because I would have done the same thing! Interestingly enough you find out that it is the two little white things in an egg that anchor the yolk to the shell. Who knew that it had a name! And more importantly, it you remove them your custard will be perfectly smooth. (and yes, the recipe for Rachel's custard is in the book for you to try out yourself!)

Some of the recipes that you will find in this book are; Poly's Party Salad, Rhubarb Meringue Pie, Perfect Cinnamon Bread and Iris's Bestselling Chokecherry Crabapple Jelly. You will have just as much fun making the recipes, as you do reading the stories about why they are included in that Pie Lady's story.

The Pie Lady is a great book to have near when you are looking for some inspiration in life and when you need to be reminded that life can be full of Pie Lady moments.

The Pie Lady is a wonderful book full of stories and recipes. Just like I think of biscuits when I think of my Grandma, Greta shares stories about the individuals in her life followed by a recipe at the end of each one that reminds her of or represents that person. We've made at least ten batches of cinnamon rolls in our house since I read the recipe in this book. I really loved reading all the little stories, and can't wait to enjoy more of the wonderful recipes!

I liked this lovely cookbook. It is interspersed with sweet memories and wonderful essays. The recipes are nice as well. This nook will make nice gifts for your friends and family who cook. Thank you netgalley for gifting me the arc of this book, the opinions in this review are my own.

This book is about "Pie Lady" moments - those "times of goodness and glamour in the middle of ordinary days."  A book filled with memoirs and recipes of Mennonite women that were collected by the author.

Another reviewer noted that this book suffers from not knowing what it wants to be .... Is it a cookbook interspersed with short memoirs, or is it a collection of memoirs with a few recipes interspersed?  I came away feeling much the same.  Each chapter included a memoir by a "pie lady", followed by a recipe or two.  I bookmarked a few of the recipes, but the stories were really hit and miss for me.  Some of them were poorly written and not easy to follow.  Some may find this charming, unfortunately, I found it a bit off-putting. This book left me confused and wanting something more or something different.  

(NetGalley ebook -  I received a complimentary advanced reader copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

“Cozy” is the word I’d use to describe this wonderfully sweet and tender volume of essays and recipes to inspire! As I was reading, my mind kept conjuring up precious memories of my grandmother Virginia and other “pie ladies” I’ve had the fortune to know and love.

“The Pie Lady” book would be an excellent gift!

I appreciate receiving an advance reader copy to read and review.

#NetGalley #ThePieLady #GretaIsaac

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

The Pie Lady: Classic Stories from a Mennonite Cook and Her Friends, is a very sweet collection of personal stories about the people she has met in her life and community, anecdotes about their interactions and lives and includes one of their personal recipes.
The format doesn't quite work all the time, as the recipes don't always match the story- sometimes they do. It's quite a long collection of stories, and honestly I had a hard time wanting to read them all, and found myself skipping through, and trying to get to the recipes- and then backtracking into the story to find it's relevance.
It feels more like a family - autobiography, that might mean more to the people it belongs to then connecting to complete strangers. But it's a very sweet book, and I can tell it means a lot to its author.

I think this cookbook is a nice church fundraiser gift. The recipes are nice enough, but not out of this world. It has written history that is important to the author, but maybe not to the average reader.

Thanks to #NetGalley, I had an advanced PDF to read and review.

*All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. *