You’re in Good Company: The Gift of Friendship, Motherhood, and Showing Up by Ashlee Gadd

Come for the recipes and stay for the writing in this luminous collection written by Christian moms who are part of the Coffee + Crumbs online journal community. God, friendships, hospitality, and keeping each other going—whether through spice tea and conversation or an UberEats order on a horrible day—underpin this darling of a book.

Or maybe it’s the other way around: Come for the writing and stay for the recipes. Either way, a reader’s time is well spent with Ashlee Gadd and her wonderful crew of writers who contribute their riches of story and wordsmithing to this book.

In the first essay, “A Few Simple Ingredients,” Katie Blackburn raves about a salad that starts with a huge bag of Costco Arugula and ends with Parmesan cheese, the whole process taking about three minutes. The recipe comes from her friend Emily, who helped her through her husband’s addiction and their eventual divorce. It’s the perfect essay to launch the book, as friendship—finding, nurturing, sustaining it—are a cornerstone theme in these pages.

In “Church of the Firepit,” author Melanie Dale writes about “forging something important” as she and her neighbors gathered outside around a firepit for food and fellowship during the pandemic.

I thought about the young mother I had finally delivered a quiche to, six months after the birth of her baby, as I read Gadd’s piece called “Good Mothers Bake from Scratch and Other Lies I’ve Believed.” I felt more guilt with each successive setback, including the time the car broke down and was hauled to the mechanic for days, with the quiche in it, before I finally made the handoff one Sunday morning (with a new quiche, of course!).

But, after all, “fed is best,” Gadd quotes the old adage, and concludes that “homemade casseroles and pizza deliveries are equivalent gestures of love.” I did what I could when I could, and hey, this mom received the meal before Baby Juju entered Kindergarten.

As these pages show over and over, our attempts to connect are often messy and imperfect, but perfection was never the point. “Together is the point.” (Bougie Popcorn is just one easy, no-fuss recipe in the book that "pairs well with a giant couch, your favorite sweatpants, and honest conversations.”)

Hospitality is another theme kneaded into this collection. Sarah J. Hauser shares her messy path to gaining a new perspective on showing the “open heart, open door” mindset that the Bible tells us we are to have. “Glasses will break and drinks will be spilled and kids will never have their fill of snacks,” she writes. “Collateral damage comes with the gig.”

Most of the contributors are not well-known authors, but the quality of writing is top grade and so is the variety of voices. One writer runs a little avocado farm with her family, while another one is a cattle rancher. Most are ordinary moms and home cooks trying their best to connect authentically offline as well as online. (Former Banner contributor Callie Feyen has two essays in the book, including “Something Hallowed.” I’m going to try her recipe for Lazy Weekend Donuts, which I think I could pull off. Maybe.)

I wondered if this book was for me, because my kids are all grown, but I quickly realized it was. It felt like a savory treat every time I dipped in to read an essay and browse over the recipe attached. Still, this book would make a wonderful gift for a new mom or any friend who loves food, eating, cooking, and serving others. Along with the essays and recipes are lustrous photos that illustrate the themes.

Building community takes time and intention, and You’re in Good Company is excellent company for every reader who wants to do just that. (Zondervan)