Reviews

Some of Hot Apple Cider's reviews and achievements.

Midwest Book Review: “A cup of hot apple cider can do more than warm one up after being out in the cold – it can be very soothing, which is the aim of Hot Apple Cider: Words to Stir the Hear and Warm the Soul. A collection of short stories, poetry, and wisdom seeking to heal and mend the soul of the reader after difficult and stressful situations, Hot Apple Cider offers nearly 300 pages of enlightenment. Hot Apple Cider: Words to Stir the Heart and Warm the Soul is highly recommended for community library collections dedicated to literary anthologies.”

Mennonite Brethren Herald: “Hot Apple Cider is sweeter than chicken soup and sometimes tastier.Along with the heartwarming, real-life stories we expect from a Chicken Soup-style book, the editors of this collection have tossed in some surprises. There is poetry, short fiction, and some tart essays on drug addiction, poverty, and the plight of Third World women. Indeed, these thirty Canadian Christian writers have cooked up a flavourful anthology with broad appeal. For aspiring writers, the resources in the last 17 pages alone are worth the cover price.”

Promise Keepers Canada’s magazine, Seven: Pulse editor Robert White suggests that men might want to put a copy of Hot Apple Cider on their to-be-read pile, right next to their copy of Chicken Soup for the Golfer’s Soul. According to Robert, “The stories are short enough to be savoured in a single serving, but filling enough to keep your soul warmed for a while.” Robert's article in Seven.

Maranatha News: "Hot Apple Cider is a wonderful anthology of fiction, non-fiction and poetry that will, as the subtitle suggests, Stir the Heart and Warm the Soul. The stories will make you cry, laugh and think. They are uniquely Canadian stories with a Christian perspective. If you like to curl up beside a fire, with a hot cup of tea (or cider) this is the book for you!

Edited by N. J. Lindquist and Wendy Elaine Nelles, with a foreward by well-known Canadian author Janette Oke, Hot Apple Cider features over 30 Canadian authors, some you might know, some you might not, but all talented and deserving of being featured in this book. The thing that impressed me most about the stories and poems shared in this book, was the impact each one left on me. These authors have bared their souls and by doing so were able to share hard lessons learned, as well as Christ’s faithfulness despite overwhelming circumstances. There are one or two fictional stories amidst the non-fiction that will touch your heart as well and the poems are just as moving. Kudos to the editors for the time and effort put into creating a book like this."

Back to the Bible Canada chose Hot Apple Cider as a featured product. "Because Hot Apple Cider has something in it for every member of the family, it makes a great premium or a super gift for employees, members of a group or congregation, etc."

Crossroads Christian Communications chose Hot Apple Cider as their featured book for February, 2009.

CLAO (Church Library Association of Ontario) chose Hot Apple Cider as the winner of their 2009 "One Book / One Conference."

From contributor Brian Austin: "It fascinates me that in a book that shares so many stories of pain – stillbirth, sudden infant death syndrome, infertility, death in the womb, severe accidents, paralysis, neglect, abuse, and the list goes on – there is a sense of hopefulness that wells up irresistible and pure.

There is a rest in God that defies logic. It doesn’t make sense, at least in a way my mind can reason out. But I know first-hand that it is real. I’m ashamed to admit that as one of the contributing authors to Hot Apple Cider, having given and sold many copies, I have only now sat down and begun to read the book cover to cover.

Working in a bookstore I typically read one or two books a week and dip into a hundred others – tasting, nibbling – like it is the hors-doeuvres before the real meal. Because the focus on my contribution seemed prideful, I was hesitant to promote this book actively.

What a wonder this collection is! What a wonder that I am privileged to be part of it. How much bigger and richer it is than my small part. Yet what a delight to know that my small part adds to the richness.

One of the gripping and disturbing things is the collective pain. But even more gripping is the collective hope and triumph that rises through the pain. I deal with many grieving people at the Bible Bookstore, somehow in tune with them since Dylan died (see the poem on page 129). I have a number of favorite resources that I recommend, usually a month or so after a death, seldom earlier. I don’t think a resource for grieving people was one of the primary purposes of this book, but I think it is one of the best I have read.

This is a rich offering and I’m personally quite fond of hot apple cider (leave the spices out, thank you, and give it a few days to age, but don’t let it start to ferment)."