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One of my absolute favorite things to write about in my books is, of course, family. Who else will love you, accept you and torture you with quite the same fervor? I love the traditions, the nicknames, the old hot button issues. Honestly, my brother and sister and I could burst into either uncontrollable laughter or a fistfight at any given moment…all it would take is a certain phrase, a name from the past, an eyebrow lifted to say, “Really? You think you’re so hot? And yet you ate a stick of butter when you were three, just because I told you to.”
In The Next Best Thing, Lucy endures and loves her family, just like the rest of us. She works with her mother and two aunts at the family bakery, where she’s put her hopes of being a pastry chef on hold to bake bread. The Black Widows, as the older women are known, were all widowed young, and they don’t quite approve of Lucy wanting to move on and find someone else…after all, they didn’t need to find a second husband.
The Black Widows are partly fictional, partly inspired by my own beloved great-aunts. They were the type to leap up when you walked in the door, tell you how pretty you looked, smack you on the side of the head because you hadn’t visited in so long (even if you’d visited the day before), then feed you till you were just about sick and send you on your way with admonitions to come back soon. They were wonderful, warm and happy women, and every time I think of them, I smile.
Here’s a little peek at a family scene from The Next Best Thing…it’s a little peek into my own family, too.
“Ready to go in?” I ask as I stand in the parking lot.
Standing in the parking lot is a time-honored ritual whenever I go anywhere with the Black Widows. There’s an order, you see, a hierarchy of who gets out first and how. First, tradition dictates that the youngest among us drives. That’s me, and I’m grateful, as Iris and Rose’s method is to point the vehicle in the desired direction and step on the gas. Getting out of the way is the responsibility of other drivers, pedestrians, deer, trees and buildings.
Upon arriving at our destination, tradition dictates that I hop out of the car and stand in attendance as Iris reapplies her Coral Glow, which was discontinued in 1978 but which she had the foresight to stockpile. She doesn’t need a mirror to put on lipstick, a skill they must’ve taught back when Eisenhower was president, since I’ve never seen a woman under the age of sixty pull this off.
The next tradition, which we’re living right now, is for Rose to gasp in horror, realizing she’s lost her wallet, then rifle through her vast black purse, her lips moving silent prayer. A moment later, St. Anthony, patron saint of lost things, miraculously restores the wallet, placing it right there next to the rubber-banded envelope containing Rose’s medical insurance card, list of medications, several dozen coupons and her burial instructions.
After this bit of divine intervention, my mother must retie her scarf. She never goes anywhere without a scarf, winter or summer. Today’s choice is beautiful little orange and pink number, and despite the fact that we only left the bakery ten minutes ago, tradition must be honored.
“Does my neck look crepey to you?” Mom asks as I watch, my arms beginning to ache from holding the tray of apricot brioche I baked in class last night. My students, who range in age from seventeen to eighty-four, had raved about them.
“Not at all,” I answer. “You’re gorgeous, Mom.”
“Oh, I am not,” she says fondly. Another tradition — reject compliments. Then her gaze drops down to my faded jeans with the fraying hem, my utterly unremarkable brown wool sweater. “Is that what you’re wearing?” she asks.
“No. I’m wearing a ball gown, but it’s invisible.” I twirl around, taking care not to spill the goodies. “Do you like it?”
From The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins, HQN Books, copyright 2010
Any traditions in your family that just have to be honored? Any habits that drive you nuts? I’ll send a signed copy of The Next Best Thing to a responder. Hope you’ll enjoy the new book!
Kristan
www.kristanhiggins.com
www.facebook.com/KristanHiggins
Filed in: Jaunty Post
Feb 1st
2010
7:14 am
Tonya Kappes Said:
I can’t wait to read the new book and blog about it. I love how you put family in all your books. I have a tendency to write about family in all my MS.
We have several family traditions. My kids have embraced the birthday breakfast tradition where we have birthday cake on the morning of their birthday. In the middle of the night, the birthday fairy decorates the house in honor of the birthday boy…yes, I said boy because I have four of them.
Great post!
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Feb 1st
2010
8:33 am
Kirsten Said:
Something that drives me nuts is a habit that got passed down. My mother’s meticulous checking of things before we (used to) leave the house. That door is locked, those windows closed. Did I turn of the gas after I cooked you guys dinner? Let me check again. Is the television off, are all the “important” things put back in there places and does my house look clean? As if burglars take notice of a tidy living room. I wouldn’t (still) be bothered by this as much if I hadn’t inherited her habit. Every time I leave my own house I mentally go past all things and check that it’s in order. I hate it and yet I also find it comforting to know I leave things organized and as they should be. Your new book sounds great btw.
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Feb 1st
2010
8:43 am
kristan higgins Said:
Thanks, Tonya! Sounds very fun to have a birthday in your house…Kirsten, you had me laughing out loud…loved the bit about the burglars appreciating how tidy everything was!
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Feb 1st
2010
9:35 am
Emmanuelle Said:
We don’t really have any tradition at our house. Or at least, nothing that can be officially called a “family tradition”. Now thinking about it, we do have some “habits” that could maybe be called that.
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Like every first day of school in september we bring the boyz to McDonald for lunch (here kids have a 2 hour break from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm and my sons come home every day for a healthy lunch). It brings some extra joy to them (new clothes, new bag, new classmates, new teacher AND lunch at McM
Also, my mother and I took the habit to share tea and cookies every monday afternoon. At first it was just casual, but now it’s the REAL THING. I have to bake something new every monday (grrrr I became my mom’s slave really). She’s coming over later and right now I have some lemon ricotta muffins in the oven…
Maybe in 20 years I’ll realise my life is full of habits and traditions. We’ll see.
Congrats again on your new release !!
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Feb 1st
2010
9:47 am
Kathryn Said:
Love the excerpt from the book, Kristan!
I don’t know why, but my family traditions seem to be centered around food (or maybe that’s just me….). My great grandmother’s recipe for buttertarts at Christmas.
I host a potluck pumpkin carving party in late October with sausages on the BBQ.
And… just with my own family, along the lines of Tonya’s post above, pie is not just for dessert. I HAVE to make two… one for supper and one for breakfast! My four kids wouldn’t have it any other way.
It must be a Mom tradition, but I am the only early-in-the-morning driver when the kids need to go somewhere… my husband just doesn’t seem to do it… and there has to be tea in the travel mug or the trip doesn’t start off right.
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Feb 1st
2010
9:47 am
Catherine Kean Said:
Kristan, I loved the excerpt! Sounds like a great book. I have used family members as inspiration for characters in my novels, including a quirky aunt and cousins. By the way, that apple pie in the picture in your post looks amazing. Made me hungry! Did you bake it?
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Feb 1st
2010
9:49 am
Shana Said:
Yay! A new Kristan Higgins book!
The family tradition I hate is whenever anyone goes on a trip, they have to say everything they ate the whole time. Like, “The first night we were in London, and we ate XYZ. Then for breakfast we had ABC.” I’m like, “Did you SEE anything? DO anything?” It’s all about food for some reason.
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Feb 1st
2010
9:51 am
Rebekah E. Said:
Thanks for the great post. We don’t have any family traditions.
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Feb 1st
2010
10:03 am
ruth Said:
thanks for this lovely post which was heartwarming and beautiful. Your book sounds incredible and unique. Traditions are an important part of family and most people enjoy them since they impart something that they can count on. Ours is a Sunday dinner every week with the kids.
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Feb 1st
2010
10:16 am
eap Said:
There are no secrets in my extended family. It drives me nuts.
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Feb 1st
2010
10:19 am
kristan higgins Said:
Emmanuelle, your mother has your number! Those muffins sound fab, by the way! Kathryn and Ruth, food always play a part in family, doesn’t it? Good, bad or indifferent, there’s usually food! Shana, how I laughed at your comment! We have something similar…sort of a competition to who had the best meal in whatever place. “Oh, you went to Citronelle? Too bad. Because when we went to DC, we ate at Vidalia, and it was really the best food anyone has ever had anywhere.” (By the way, I’ve eaten at both those places, and they are equally incredible!)
Rebekah, sounds like you need to make a few traditions. And Catherine, sadly I did not bake that pie. Now I’m hungry, too!
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Feb 1st
2010
11:49 am
Quilt Lady Said:
Loved the excerpt, the book sound fabulous. The only traditions I can think of is I cook Thanksgiving dinner and my sister cook Christmas dinner on Christmas eve. We always have Turkey and homemade dumplings like my grandmother use to fix. It a very festive time in my family.
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Feb 1st
2010
1:37 pm
Mary M Said:
When Grandma complains, we always tell her she looks good and she always replies, “You can’t go by how I look.”
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Feb 1st
2010
3:06 pm
Fedora Said:
What a great excerpt, Kristan! As for family traditions? It’s all about the food
We tend to celebrate milestones with a big meal, or sometimes several!
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Feb 1st
2010
3:11 pm
Kathryn Said:
Looking for that muffin recipe, Emmanuelle! Will you share it?
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Feb 1st
2010
3:15 pm
kristan higgins Said:
Thanks, QL! Mary, I love your grandmother already! Fedora, I want to come next time! As anyone who’s read my books can attest, I clearly love food!
Yes, please Emmanuelle! We’d love to have that recipe!
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Feb 1st
2010
3:39 pm
RobynDeHart Said:
Ah man, I wish Jaunties could win.
Loved the excerpt and can’t wait! And I’m loving everyone’s traditions. Shana, my family does that too – I just figured it was cause we’re Cajun and we all love to eat. Most of my grandparents died when I was pretty young so I didn’t really grow up with a lot of “old” family members. It was mostly my nuclear family and one grandmother. One tradition that I love with my family though is we love to play games, in particular Bourae which is like Cajun poker. It gets loud and crazy, but we always have a great time.
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Feb 1st
2010
3:46 pm
catslady Said:
I think we all have “traditions” but just may not think of them that way. I had a lot more when the kids were little and maybe they will continue them if and when they have kids. Lots of holiday traditions but for everyday life my first thought is Sunday dinner. My mom did it for many, many years. It got to be too much when my niece started having kids and more kids (7 at the moment lol). I now have my grown family over for Sunday dinners. When we take family vacations we have one particular song by Air Supply that we just have to play at the beginning of our trip (when we take two cars we play it for them over the cell phone lol).
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Feb 1st
2010
3:59 pm
Fedora Said:
You’re definitely welcome, Kristan! The more the merrier! I think the next occasion is probably Chinese New Year, which I believe is the same day as Valentine’s Day this year
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Feb 1st
2010
6:21 pm
Maureen Said:
Congratulations on your new book Kristan! Your post reminds me of the Bisquick story in our family which is, of course repeated anytime Bisquick is mentioned. Some years (decades ago) my brother combined a large quantity of Bisquick, cheese and other ingredients, possibly milk and eggs or maybe water. We don’t know because he refuses to comment on it. He then stuck the mixture in the microwave for a while and it, of course, blew up creating a huge mess. I was not living at home at this time so was not a witness to the event but have heard about it repeatedly. In fact, my mother was talking to my daughter, who was not even born at the time of the Bisquick incident about a recipe when she looks at my brother and remarks that didn’t he blow something up with Bisquick once. He refused to comment.
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Feb 1st
2010
6:24 pm
kristan higgins Said:
Maureen, at least it didn’t become a tradition, right? Catslady, oh, my gosh, Air Supply? For some reason, The City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie is significant in my family…we don’t really know why at this point, but that’s the way it’s always been. And it’s such a nice song!
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Feb 1st
2010
8:09 pm
Laura Said:
That was a fun excerpt, thanks for sharing. I was looking forward to reading the book and now I really am!
Traditions…there has to be a fight where someone ends up crying at every holiday. Without fail. LOL
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Feb 1st
2010
9:04 pm
Paula R. Said:
Hey Kristan, don’t count me in okay. I picked up my copy yesterday. It is really funny. I love how you deal with the family dynamic. I didn’t read the snippet above…I want to wait and be surprised in the book. I don’t have any traditions per se…when we all get together there is a lot of sniping, most of the time it is not in a good natured way, so I try to stay away from all that. I really stress out when I have to go to family gatherings. After I have finished your book, maybe tomorrow, I will come back and check out the snippet to catch a peek into your own family.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Feb 1st
2010
10:16 pm
Maya M. Said:
Great excerpt. Looking to NBT!
A tradition my brother and I don’t really know how developed but is going some decades strong is that my mom insists we must have a German delicacy called Linzer torte for our birthdays no matter what. This has included occasions when we were presented with the ingredients (because the stove didn’t work or one memorable time when there was a house fire), a picture of a Linzer torte (when we were out of country), friends at whose house we happened to be staying being inveigled to make one and having no idea how. The funny thing about it is, I only tolerate this cake and my brother dislikes it.
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Feb 2nd
2010
12:22 am
Linda Henderson Said:
My mother is a stickler on opening presents on Christmas morning. It doesn’t matter how many houses you have to go to on Christmas, she expects us to all get together Christmas morning and open presents then have a big lunch around 12:30. So everybody else has to plan around her or incur her wrath. Kind of takes the joy out of Christmas when that happens.
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Feb 2nd
2010
5:21 am
Emmanuelle Said:
Just for those interested in those Ricotta Lemon Muffins, here is the link to the recipe :
http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/lemon-ricotta-muffins/
My mom loved those btw… now I have to find something new to make next monday
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Feb 3rd
2010
6:49 am
kristan higgins Said:
Congratulations Tonya! The early bird got the book, in this case!
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Feb 10th
2010
4:09 pm
Michelle Rattigan Said:
Ah family traditions,my least fav was midnight mass. A tradition in Ireland to get the christmas mass over with on Christmas eve. They would pack em into the church and you would always have one or two fainters because it got too warm and Fr. Dempsey spent the air con money backin the horses.. My dad and I would place bets on Mrs. Hayes and the little one of the Quinns ,they were always a sure thing for the fainting. The first one to guess the fainter would get to open a pressie on Christmas eve. Dad always picked mrs Quinn. Years later I realised he had inside information. Mrs Quinn would get a little sauced before mass and by the time Communion was served she would be roastin hot and pass out. As the years went by her husband didn’t even bring her out for air. He would just leave her panned out on the seat in mass and go to Communion with her red handbag on his arm for fear someone would rob it. Ah traditions, sure are’nt they what life is all about.
I now have an unnatural fear of red handbags, for me they are like seeing the little girl with the red coat in Schidlers’ list.
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Jan 6th
2011
2:33 pm
Flood Removal Costa Mesa Said:
Here is the 2nd time may possibly come across your blog within the last few weeks. Appears like I should note down it.
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