Christmas Cake (21 page)

The Cake Lady was desperate for some act of goodwill they could exploit, and once they were discussing options, her assistant had remembered all the phone calls made by a woman and some cake contest in a little town down south. Once they got all the specifics, the staff agreed that this was the perfect solution. They tried unsuccessfully to reach the woman who had contacted them. So the staff and crew simply contacted the local newspapers and television stations and showed up on Christmas Day to announce the winner.

The fact that the Cake Lady's favorite recipe had been sent in by an inmate in prison seemed to add just the right flavor that her publicist had been seeking. The Cake Lady was able to talk about her concern for those in prison and even how she was considering taping a few of her cooking show episodes from prison kitchens. It had all turned out perfectly.

Once the media circus was over, Beatrice went home. Dick forgave her for taking the van, and they enjoyed a quiet dinner at home. They had been invited to his cousin's house, and even though Beatrice considered how much she would enjoy watching Betty eat a little crow, she knew where she wanted to be later in the evening.

After dropping Jessie off to change and spend a little time with James and her family, Louise and Charlotte took Margaret home. They helped her as she walked into her house. She was surprised and pleased that Frances Martin had arranged to have a small tree delivered and placed near the front of the house, so that everything seemed joyful and festive.

Louise helped Margaret get changed and ready for bed as Charlotte fixed hot tea. They called the hospice nurse, who came over and
assessed the situation and adjusted Margaret's pain medicine. The nurse didn't say much to the two women with her patient; she could see that they understood what was happening. She could see that they would be fine and left her number in case they needed her.

It was about midnight, hours after Jessie and Beatrice had joined their friends to sit around Margaret's bed, that she died.

Before she passed, they sang a few songs and told the stories they loved most about Margaret, stories from years and years of friendship. Charlotte told them that Margaret had taught her as much about living as she had about dying and that she had never met anyone who was always so clear about what was the right thing to do.

Louise seemed to have the hardest time with letting go, but by the time the moment came, even she knew it was right and was able to let her friend pass in peace.

They were silent when she left. They had said everything they needed to say to the woman they loved. They had told her they would be fine without her, even though they weren't completely sure they believed it. They had promised her that they would look after one another and hold one another accountable in their relationships. And Beatrice, with a wink, had even made sure to promise to Margaret that they would all see that Charlotte got married.

This last statement had made them laugh their last laugh, there around Margaret's bed. And just as Christmas faded into another day, the Hope Springs Church Cookbook Committee grieved and celebrated the life of one they cherished. They said good-bye to Margaret, understanding that the greatest miracle they had known was the miracle of how they had learned to love enough to let one of their own go in peace.

FROM
LYNNE HINTON
AND
AVON A

 

 

Reading Group Guide

1. As in previous situations, Beatrice talks her friends into taking on a project to try to take their minds off Margaret's cancer. Do you think this is an effective way to cope with a tragedy in your life? Have you ever been involved in what felt like a “diversion project”?
   
2. Margaret and Charlotte have a special bond, as friends and as parishioner and minister. Have you ever felt particularly close to someone who played a role in your life like that of a minister? If so, what did that relationship mean to you?
   
3. In a phone conversation between Margaret and Charlotte, Charlotte explains that “I feel like myself” in the Southwest. “It's like I've come to a place of perfect peace.” Do you feel this is true of the place where you live now? If not, is there another place where you feel this way?
   
4. Charlotte works in a battered women's shelter in Gallup, New Mexico. Why do you think she left Hope Springs to take this job? How is it similar to or different from her work as a parish minister?
   
5. Although Charlotte is far away from Margaret, she does her best to help her sick friend. Have you ever been geographically distant from someone who needed your support? How did you handle it? What do you think a friend should do in this situation?
   
6. After some denial, Beatrice finally admits that she suffers from depression. Why do you think she became depressed? What were her symptoms? What do you think she should have done to get help?
   
7. Margaret decides that she needs to get back to Texas to find her mother's family. Why do you think this trip is important to Margaret? Do you feel that she is able to get what she wants from the trip?
   
8. Rachel is a teenager and Margaret is an older woman, but they still are able to find some things in common with each other. How would you characterize their relationship? What are they able to learn from each other?
   
9. How does Margaret think of death? What does she see as the “gift of dying”? Do you agree with this view of death? Why or why not?
   
10. James points out to Jessie that friends, true friends, are rare and wonderful. How do the women in this book show their friendship to one another through difficult times? Who are your true friends, and what makes them special for you?
    

 

 

An Interview with Lynne Hinton

• 1. When the Hope Springs series started you were a pastor at Mount Hope United Church of Christ in Whitsett, North Carolina, and now you are the pastor at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. How has working in these two places influenced your writing?
  

• 2. Are Jessie, Beatrice, Margaret, Louise, and Charlotte based on anybody you know in real life? Besides Charlotte, who is also a pastor, are there aspects of the characters that come from you personally?
  

• 3. Do you find that there are similarities between being a pastor and being a writer?
  

• 4. What do you think readers' reactions will be to what happens to Margaret at the end of the book? Was it a difficult decision for you to end the book that way?
  

• 5. What's next in store for the women of Hope Springs?
  

Every writer knows she relies upon the support, encouragement, and assistance of many people. First, I am grateful to my husband, always the true champion of my writing. I'm thankful for Sally McMillan, friend and agent, who works tirelessly on my behalf. I am happy to be back with HarperCollins and I wish to say thank you to Wendy Lee for standing behind this book and to Eleanor Mikuchi for her very keen eye in her work as copy editor.

Sylvia Belvin furnished the recipes. Mount Hope UCC brought me the community of Hope Springs. Isabella Valcarcel helped me with Spanish. St. Paul's UCC gave me room to write. And many loved ones created the foundation for this story which is true friendship.

I am blessed in so many ways and I am grateful for every day of my life. Thank you to everyone who keeps me centered and who loves me. Thank you for every act of kindness. Thank you to everyone who makes my life as sweet as cake.

Cover design by Robin Bilardello

Cover photograph © Rob Melnychuk/Getty Images