Rated of 5
by Mary Q. (Greeley, CO) Making Toast
This is a beautifully written and emotional little memoir. It is comprised of non-sequential short anecdotes which encapsulate the year following the sudden death of the author's thirty-eight-year-old daughter. The author and his wife move into their son-in-law's home to help care for their three young grandchildren. The sparse format of the book precludes deep intimacy with the family, yet I still came away with a sense of knowing and caring about them all, adults and children. I will remember these people and will wish I could know how their lives play out in the years to come (perhaps a sequel?). This is a book I will keep and cherish and one which I'll recommend to friends. It would also make a great book club selection!
Rated of 5
by Amellia H. (Omaha, Nebraska) Making Toast...seems simple huh? Making Toast, tells the story of loss, love and everyday stories of families...before and after their death. The book is simple to read, it takes you from happy to sad moments in time in this families life. The book centers around how this family deals with the death of a mother, daughter, and wife: Amy. The book does not tell the entire story from beginning to end, but rather tells moments the family share. Overall, it was good. I did often find myself wanting a little more depth, but I don't think that is what the author wanted. I think this was written to share blurbs...not an in depth story of death. With that in mind, the book serves it purpose well.
Rated of 5
by Bonnie B. (Fairbanks, AK) Death Brings a Family Closer
This memoir is about family - love, death, perseverance. When the author's 38 year-old daughter dies suddenly, leaving three young children and a husband, the author and his wife move in with their son-in-law and grandchildren to help preserve the family as their daughter would have wanted it. This is a poignant and subtly brutal story of the impact of sudden death on those left behind.
My own husband dealt with a similar situation. When he was 24 years old, his wife died, leaving him to care for a two week old daughter on his own. Reading this story brought tears to my eyes, not only for the losses, but for the love and endurance of this family. They are blessed to have one another.
Rated of 5
by Daniel A. (Naugatuck, CT) Making Toast
I enjoyed reading this memoir very much. It is fast paced and a page-turner. The book is composed of short paragraphs for each idea or story, and there are 118 of them. (yes, I counted.)
Making Toast is not only about the breakfast ritual each morning, but it is also the process that connects every idea together. It is well written.
Rated of 5
by Amanda N. (Murfreesboro, TN) Making Toast
Rosenblatt's memoir is so heartbreakingly honest; I read it in one sitting and was sad to see it end. I highly recommend this book to fans of Joan Didion's Year of Magical Thinking and Kelly Corrigan's The Middle Place. Highly recommended.
Rated of 5
by Angela S. (Howell, MI) Making Toast
It is easy to see how this book would appeal to people who have gone through the experience of losing a child, and the aftermath of living without that loved one. I expected to feel this family's grief and ache and I did, but it was not necessarily due to the words on the page. This book just did not have the depth I had hoped for, and seemed too choppy for me. There were funny moments and certainly sad moments, but none that made me laugh out loud or shed a tear.
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of 5
by Mary Q. (Greeley, CO) 
of 5
by Amellia H. (Omaha, Nebraska) 
of 5
by Angela S. (Howell, MI) 
