Whiskey in a Teacup

This was really boring. I love biographies like Jessica Simpson, Mindy Kaling, Tina Fey who did it so well, and this fell so flat for me. She comes across unremarkable and boring to me.

I actually ended up borrowing this from the local library, which is what I recommend anyone does before buying a book like this. Is it a fun flip through once kind of book? Sure. The recipes are not mind blowing. Sweet Tea with the simple syrup on the side? My Texas family begs to differ on that. Hot roller instructions? There are some cute stories in there, but again, nothing mind blowing. It's all very superficial with the pretense of being personal. She throws in enough family details to make you think she is revealing something but really it's nothing more than filler. The photos are beautiful. But I would suggest saving your money and spending it on another more worthwhile coffee table book instead.

The PDF was not included in the CD packaging. Therefore, I did not enjoy the purchase.

I had always thought of Reese Witherspoon as a class act in the depressing world of Hollywood, and her "Good Housekeeping" book bears this out. It is unashamedly feminine without any tinge of resentment. It is enthusiastic while maintaining balance. It discusses the personal without being self-absorbed. It is filled with appreciation for what others have provided, reflects positive family relationships, and gratitude for undeserved graces in life. It reflects humor in contrasting the important with the less important and yet showing how the latter relates to the former.

Its autobiographical disclosures reveal a childhood shared with a brother as children of a surgeon, grandchildren of a school principal, in Nashville. Episcopal church piety was a given, and theirs was a family that prized family and the ideals of the Southern upper class. Charity begins at home with neighbors and family, and wealth is for service. Therefore, much of social life surrounds charity events and holidays. Hospitality with all the attendant arts of clothing, food, conversation, and the etiquette that puts others at ease, especially family and children, figure significantly in this mode of life. Witherspoon's presentation includes a few hard and fast rules and principles, but it is mostly opportunity to bless others through thoughtful planning and preparation. The title comes from the Author's grandmother who described Southern women as like whiskey in a teacup, gracious yet strong.

I listened to the author's own reading on compact disc which included illustrations and recipes on a pdf file. She let's her accent come through and relates her many happy (and a few embarrassing) memories and associations with humor, enthusiasm, and positivity. It was a pleasure to hear a story, not of the problems the narrator had to overcome, but of the many who had helped and blessed her with an appreciation of family, service, food, social competence, and self-worth.

Reese Witherspoon speaks with justifiable pride of her city of Nashville and of the combination of progress and tradition that she sees in the South today. By leaving out specifics, she avoids offending people, as you would expect from an issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. I was mildly disappointed that she spoke of Easter (her favorite holiday) as a Spring festival: I suspect she is more of a believer than she lets on here, but even that much tradition would be offensive to some readers, and irrelevant to more. As a working woman, recognized for excellence in her field, and as an entrepreneur, her voice for the domestic arts and an unapologetic advocacy of the class values of self-worth, respect for traditions, aesthetics, and hospitality, she makes a positive call (and sets a positive example) for much of what is needed in our cultural moment.

this is fabulous

Beautiful, easy to read and follow. Recipes are wonderful.

Love this!