By J. Ryan Stradal

Who remembers Kitchens of the Great Midwest? (Booklist 2016). Mr. Stradal has done it again. Helen and Edith are sisters. Upon their father’s death, he inexplicably leaves the entirety of his estate to Helen, and she chooses not to share a penny of it with Edith. The story follows them through their lives in the aftermath of this puzzling decision. Truth be told, the dad’s reasoning is never adequately explained. Needless to say, the sisters drift far apart. Edith is lovely. Her gentle kindness and lack of burning, toxic animosity towards Helen are remarkable. Selfish Helen has some real issues, obviously. It moves on to the next generations who cause the sisters to intersect once again. You learn a lot about beer. Just like Kitchens, it leapfrogs a bit in the telling, which I always enjoy.