Review by Booklist Review
It may come as a surprise to many readers to learn that tea is second only to water as the most consumed beverage in the world. Also surprising is that varieties of tea green, black, or white all come from the same tea plant. Furthermore, this highly spirited book is not simply a history and guide to tea types and usages but also and most importantly a memoir of the Reverend Stevens' founding of Magdalene, a social enterprise that serves women recovering from prostitution and drug addiction, and Thistle Farms, which employs Magdalene residents to manufacture and sell all-natural bath and beauty products. What does all this have to do with tea? Stevens' latest social service is a tea house called the Thistle Stop Café, which employs women who have survived personal crises, and it is her special passion to ensure that the tea they serve is harvested and processed in the fairest way for workers. Her book gathers the personal and poignant survival stories of the women she employs, and throughout the book, she extols the virtues of calmly consuming a good cup of tea.--Hooper, Brad Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Episcopal priest and social entrepreneur Stevens (Snake Oil) blends theological reflection, social commentary, and personal narrative as she recounts the story of her journey to open the Thistle Stop Café. The founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms, social enterprises that serve women recovering from trafficking and addiction, Stevens envisioned a café that would provide economic independence for employees and help tea workers earn fair wages in good conditions. She examines ethical issues in the production and trade of tea and tries to understand the role tea plays in fostering healing and community, drawing the reader into the world of tea and providing insight into its history, production, and rituals. While she finds much beauty in tea, she also explores how tea intersects with violence, colonialism, economic exploitation, and gender oppression. Throughout the book, she uses tea as a vehicle to reflect on theology and social justice. She weaves into her narrative personal stories from women she has worked with in her programs, and begins each chapter with recipes for tea so that readers can create their own blends at home. Stevens's paeans to the significance of tea can get repetitive, but many readers will find her ruminations inspirational. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Stevens (founder, Magdalene and Thistle Farms; Snake Oil) shares the dreams, efforts, and challenges that led to the opening of her Thistle Stop Cafe in Nashville, TN-a vehicle for social justice that employs women recovering from abuse, addiction, and prostitution and which seeks to support healing, community, and an appreciation for "the way of tea." The history, global impact, and rituals of tea are briefly discussed alongside some potential applications of social justice, fair and direct trade, and sustainability within the tea community. The majority of this book reads like a devotional-highly spiritual, metaphor-laden, and often introspective discussions of the beverage's connection to love, hope, and faith. Anecdotes, recipes, notes, a bibliography, and photos are useful additions to the narrative. VERDICT While readers may find themselves wishing for deeper discussions of social justice and the efforts of Stevens's organizations, the book's positive and inspiring message make it a recommended choice for those who are interested in a hopeful story about tea and an admirable effort to improve the lives of victimized and often marginalized women.-Jennifer Harris, Southern New Hampshire Univ. Lib., Manchester (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A socially conscious Episcopalian priest's account of how and why she started the Thistle Stop Caf, a Nashville teahouse that employs females recovering from violence and drug abuse. In 2001, Stevens (Snake Oil: The Art of Healing and Truth-Telling, 2013, etc.) founded two programs dedicated to helping women who had survived "lives of trafficking, addiction and prostitution." The first, Magdalene, offered shelter. The second, Thistle Farms, offered Magdalene residents the opportunity to earn a living by selling all-natural bath and body products. A little over a decade later, Stevens decided to open the Thistle Stop Caf, a business that would use tea to globally expand her vision of social justice. Not only would the cafe be able to offer more workand personal healingto Magdalene women by allowing them to serve a healthful drink; it would also encourage international fair-trade practices by dealing directly with tea farms, many of which employed women. The more involved Stevens became in her projectwhich at times struggled for its very life before finding the financial support it needed to continuethe more she began to see how tea defined the nature of her work in more ways than she imagined. Its association with ritual inspired her to see the way tea-drinking could offer "peace and clarity" in a troubled world. While many teas could be light, others could, like the history of tea itself, also be bitter. But those more biting teas reminded the author of the importance of learning how to sweeten "the cup we have before us" and learn to practice gratitudelike the Magdalene women whose stories she also includes in the bookfor all things received. Accompanied throughout by deliciously unique recipes for homemade tea blends and brews, Stevens' narrative is a softly delivered meditation on the power of faith and love to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Quietly uplifting reading. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
